... I purchased this product Feb 16 2009 from Sams Club [...]. The warranty states "the frame and drive motor are warranted for a life-time. Parts and labor are warranted for one(1) year from the date of purchase". I purchased an additional 1 yr warranty from Sams Club [...]. I've given this product a one-star review because (1) the incline motor broke in the first month of use; and (2) the product's warranty has hidden fees associated with it.
The machine came in a box that was very wide and very heavy. I hired 2 men to transport and put the product in the room it would be used. After they removed the packaging, it looked like it would be relatively simple to put together myself, so I decided to attempt to assemble it with the assistance of a male friend (instructions state 2 people are needed to assemble the machine--absolutely true!!). Putting the front of the machine on and off of the provided cardboard piece (as per the instructions)was awkward. The alignment of the screws gave us the biggest problem. One of the holes needed enlarging a little bit to accommodate the screw. It took us approximately 45 minutes to assemble it.
Initially, I was pleased with the operation of the treadmill. The various programs were adequate. The treadmill's TV function hasn't been used because the treadmill is setup in front of a big screen TV, and I didn't purchase it for the TV. Until yesterday, my son and I used the treadmill almost every day for approximately 45 minutes each. The highest incline used was level 10 and it ran very smoothly. Yesterday, less than 1 month of owning this machine, I elevated the machine to its highest level of 12 to vacuum the debris that had accumulated from the walking belt at the back of the machine. Afterwards, when I went to lower the machine back to zero elevation, the machine refused to decline. I turned off the machine and restarted it several times but was not able to get it to decline at all. Everything else on the machine was working
I immediatedly called the customer service telephone number that was on the user manual. The customer service rep told me he would open a case for me and proceeded to ask info about the purchase. After I provided the requested information, he asked me to run a routine on the machine that would help him identify the problem. I followed his instructions. He then told me that the "incline motor" needed replacing. Ok...at this point I'm thinking this repair won't cost me anything. I WAS WRONG!! The customer service rep tells me that although my warranty does cover the free replacement of the defective part and labor, there are fees that are not covered by the warranty. Specifically, I would have to pay the cost of shipping the replacement part [...] but would also have to pay what they refer to as a "trip charge" [...]. I told the rep that I've had this machine for less than a month and in no way did I think it fair that I should have to pay anything for what is clearly a defective part. He became apologetic and asked me "what amount do you think would be fair". I told him I felt I shouldn't have to pay anything, particularly [...]. He then directed me to the 4th sentence of the second paragraph of the warranty which says "For in-home service, the customer will be responsible for a minimal trip charge". I told him a [...] charge is not "minimal". He then told me I have another option. He told me if I purchased from them a 4 yr extended warranty [...], the shipping fee and trip fee would be waived. I told I wasn't going to buy their extended warranty nor was I going to pay the [...] trip charge. I said, instead I'm going to write a letter to the presidentof Icon Fitness and complain about this rip-off practice. He then asked to put me on hold so that he could speak to his supervisor. When he returned he told me they would waive the [...] trip charge (this time).
If I had known how this warranty operated, I would not have purchased this machine. I'm writing to the president of the company to tell him what I think of their warranty. ...
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