I have been waiting to comment on the recall of several
ElliptiGO models until final details were released on a recall plan. Now it’s
time to weigh in with an opinion or 2 and some Monday morning quarterbacking.
A recall of any kind is bad business but for the ElliptiGO
it is almost unforgivable. Given their outrageous price, there is little room
for an “oops” along the way – much less a goof that has potential liability
issues. This situation is simply unacceptable and I’m sure the folks at
ElliptiGO are keenly aware that a product recall rarely does much to improve
sales. Get it together people!
Then there was the manner in which the whole deal was
handled – with a Mea Culpa in the middle of the process instead of leading with
a heart-felt apology, followed by recall details. The line of communication was
obviously not well thought out and certainly hasn’t come close to overcoming
the ill will created by the recall. Another screw-up.
Now begins the process of getting the necessary repairs
made. Given my location, this could potentially be a significant hassle. I
guess we’ll see what happens – as will other ElliptiGO owners affected by the
recall. If this part of the process goes poorly the damage to ElliptiGO’s
reputation may be irreparable.
Since you have to log in to their system to find the closest
authorized recall specialist, I assume ElliptiGO will be implementing some kind
of tracking system to acquire follow-up customer satisfaction info. This may be
one of the few methods of determining recall impact and the amount of damage
control required to get back on track (no pun intended). I guess over the next
few weeks/months we’ll see if the recall is just a bump in the road for the
ElliptiGO or a fatal cliff.
In closing…
I’ve had some interactions with Bryan Pate and the ElliptiGO team. They seem like real nice folks that genuinely care about their products and customers. HOWEVER – for the $$$ I shelled out for this thing, nice only goes so far. Frankly – if I didn’t enjoy riding the damn thing so much AND if I didn’t feel it was a key part of my health and fitness regime, I would have given up on the ElliptiGO months ago. But I do and for those reasons alone I still love my ElliptiGO.
I’ve had some interactions with Bryan Pate and the ElliptiGO team. They seem like real nice folks that genuinely care about their products and customers. HOWEVER – for the $$$ I shelled out for this thing, nice only goes so far. Frankly – if I didn’t enjoy riding the damn thing so much AND if I didn’t feel it was a key part of my health and fitness regime, I would have given up on the ElliptiGO months ago. But I do and for those reasons alone I still love my ElliptiGO.
3 comments:
I really appreciate the detail of your elliptigo chronicle. I've been watching this product for more than 2 years now, really interested in purchasing one. I'm fairly patient and typically wait for a technology, or product in this case, to iron out the bugs. Your experience helps me to better understand what to expect. I have similar experiences with maintenance of my Smooth Fitness Agile DMT Elliptical trainer, but the workout is worth the nuisance. Smooth Fitness increased their Labor free warranty from 1 year to 2 years, to accompany the 5/10 year parts warranties… a step that I felt was appropriate given their equally expensive product. If Elliptigo were to double their warranty service period, that would influence me to take the plunge. Thanks for your elliptic blog.
You gotta love the internet! Great post with an eye for the user in mind. Contemplated an elliptigo to nurse a shin splint back to regular running. In my case, the cost factor puts this out of the "running" altogether. Then again, Meb looks so happy on his. . .
I have owned the ElliptiGO for 4 years. I am going to be selling my 11R due to back issues. If you are going to be looking for an alternative coming in 2015, then the Bionic Runner maybe a good alternative. It will retail for $1500. I am looking forward to riding it and hope my back holds up. I will be posting more details on my blog: www.lovethego.blogspot.com. Hope this maybe of help.
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