My Vacuum Sucks!!

Actually, it doesn't, and that's the problem. Let me tell ya, this vacuum has been a bigger headache than any appliance is worth. It has been a time-waster, a money-waster, and a source of huge frusteration to me.

I guess I'll start at the beginning--We got a little hoover vaccuum when we got married. It worked for the 7 1/2 years of our marriage, but was kinda getting on it's last leg. So we left it in Florida. When we got here, we really didn't know what kind to buy. Our Hoover was fine but nothing fancy or fantastic, we thought. We also thought that probably most vaccums were about the same. I tried to research on the internet, and really every vaccuum has supporters and critics. So, we picked the one with the cool features we liked. It was a Eureka. If you have and love your Eureka vaccuum, you may want to stop reading if you'll get offended.

So it broke the 3rd time we used it. It took me a few weeks to take it back to Target. When I took it back, I couldn't find my reciept, so I just thought, well, Target can look it up on my credit card, like they've done before. The only problem was that I had bought it on my new target card--we were buying virtually everything that we were replacing from our move at target, and it was like $500 of merchandise, so we applied for the target card to save 10% on that purchase. (A side note: That later came back to bite us in another wasy. They said we were "pre-approved", and that there would be no credit check. Well, there was one and it was right when we were trying to close on our house, and we hadn't gotten or paid the bill yet, and it was a mess.) But, our mail ended up being a mess for 2 months, and we didn't get any of our Florida mail that was forwarded or any new mail to our new address. So, they couldn't look it up because I hadn't gotten it yet. (Later when I called Target, they had mailed it out 4 times--once even to Florida, and it kept coming back, what a mess.) So, I had bought the vaccuum in twin Falls, which is a 45 minute drive away, and we only get up there every few weeks, and it had already been broken for a few weeks, and the carpet in my brand new house wasn't looking great, which really irked me. I thought, I'm already here, I still want the same vaccuum--it's a great price, and I think the one I got before was just a lemon, because I know that happens sometimes--what $100 machine breaks that easily? So I bought a new vaccuum--the same kind, and took the old one back with the new reciept.

The second time I used the new vaccuum, it broke. I was so mad. It was clogged and took me an hour to get it fixed. After I fixed it, I was finishing vaccuuming when the motor started to accelerate really fast, and then it started smoking. It made a loud snapping sound, and I quickly turned it off. My brother, Darren came over and we took it apart to see if we could find the problem. Half of the inside by the rotating brush was melted, and the brush got caught on a part that snapped, also causing the belt to melt. We tried to no avail to fix the darn thing. So, I searched high and low for my old reciept and finally found it. The only problem was that it was like 5 days past the 90 day mark. We had bought the vaccuum a month before we even moved it, so we could just start out with the things we needed. I took it back to target and explained the whole ordeal, but the guy said there was absolutely no way he could override the system past the 90 day thing. I had even brought both reciepts, showing them that this vaccuum really was only purchased less than a month ago. Ia asked to speak with the manager, who said she could call corporate office for an override for this odd situation. She called and they refused. You'll have to deal with Eureka, they told me.

Thus came the first call to Eureka. They were very nice, and said that they couldn't replace it, but since it was under the one year warranty, they would cover repair charges. They told me a place in Burley that does their warranty work. I went there, just wanting to drop it off on the way to a family party. (a side note: it took way longer than expected, so not only was I waaayyyy late, but I had forgotten my cell phone, so my mom was really worried, and Chandler peed his pants.) The guy takes one look at the Eureka, and blatantly refused to work on it claiming he absolutely will not work on Eurekas. He says Eureka only pays minimum wage and they take months to reimburse him. Then he says basically that I'm up a creek because the next closest repair shop is in Twin Falls, and they also refuse Eureka work. He says "There is 3 things wrong with your vaccuum--you only paid $100, which you can't get a decent vaccuum for, you bought a Eureka, which is a terrible, cheap vaccuum, and you bought a bagless, which always have many more problems to repair. You should've bought a hoover. They are in repair the least. Even better than the $500 dyson. (We should've known--i don't know why we didn't just get a hoover, like our other one.)

So, how much will it cost if I pay to repair it? $25. I debate whether I should cut my losses, and buy a new vaccum now, or pay to repair it. I really don't want to buy another new vaccuum already, so I pay out of my pocket to repair it, figuring it'll just be easier and less wasteful. I take it home, and it clogs only half way through a room. I think to myself--I gotta make this work somehow, it's brand new, and I don't want to dish out more $. So I unclog it, (45 minutes) and resolve to empty the canister 4 times during each room--I know it'll be an inconvenience, I tell myself, but I guess it's the price I'll have to pay. Time instead of $. It didn't matter if I changed it that often, it still clogged up within 2 minutes. It took me 2 hours to do 2 rooms. What a waste of time.

So, I call Eureka for the second time. This is ridiculous. I explain the WHOLE thing to them--target, repair guy, clogging, everything. They try to find another local repair man, but everyone refuses, and I refuse to drive over 75 minutes away with gas prices over $4. So she says she'll email me a tag that will pay to ship it back to them, so they can repair it. I tell her there are no broken parts, I already dished $ out of my pocket to fix those. This vaccuum is just poorly made. She tries to blame it on my new carpet--only thing is that I've talked to my neighbors with the same brand of carpet, and to other people with new houses, and NO ONE has had this problem. I say, I just want a different vaccuum from you--the most expensive, top of the line you make, cuz they absolutely refuse to give $ back. This particular vaccuum is not just a lemon--it's this model that is awful. They say, we need you to ship it back so we can repair it. But they warn me, if we can't find a manufacturing defect, you'll have to pay us back the shipping and repair costs, and we won't send it back to you. I ask--what wouldn't be considered a manufacturing defect on a vaccuum I've used 3 times? She doesn't know. And, I still say no parts are broken. I only have one more card to play, as far as I can see. And that is my warranty. It says they will repair it or replace it. Since there is nothing to repair, I want it replaced ( and with a different model). She says, we don't replace vaccuums. So your warranty in the user's manual is lying? well, you must be incorrect. No, I'm not. I'll read it to you. so I do, and she says, well, we don't do that. I want to talk to a manager. She talks to the manager. We only replace it if after we try to repair it, we deem it unrepairable. Well, I know there is nothing to repair, so what do you think I should do? She doesn't know. If I send it to you, and there are no problems, I have to pay for the shipping to get it there, and the repairman for looking at it, and you won't send it back to me? That's right, she tells me. Well, what a crappy deal. So basically, you don't really care that I'm an unsatisfied customer, and you don't stand by your product. We will repair it for you, ma'm. For the last time, there are no broken parts! I can email you that shipping tag. I never got that dumb tag, and I am officially done with Eureka. $125 down the drain. Not to mention a waste of time, and a source of great frustration. The dumb thing is still in the basement. Does anyone want it? Or maybe I should take a sludge hammer to it?

There is a happier ending though. In search for a new vaccuum, we decide to get a $300 hoover. Not a bagless either. When I'm looking online, I amazingly found it on sale at Costco for $200. It also comes with 12 bags. When I go to check out, there is free shipping, and an additional $50 coupon. So I got it for half price. Plus, Costco stands by it for a year--your satisfaction guaranteed, no questions asked, and all money back. On top of that, Hoover warranties it for 3 years. That says something. Not that I'll probably need any of it though, it runs like a dream, and it will probably last for 7 1/2 years like our old one. yay, hoover.