I bought a NordicTrack striding workout machine in February. I was also sold an iFit module that I was told would "help track progress." I didn't get around to putting that in for about a month and a half. We used the machine in that time and we were both pleased with the way it performed. There were preprogrammed workouts that were quite good. The machine pushed our heart rates and we felt we were getting in better shape. We loved our machine.
Then, I made the all time buggered up mistake of putting the iFit module in. That little spawn of Satan piece of electronics proceeded to completely to reprogram the machine so that it became instantly worthless. Instead of a good level of resistance at a pace that worked well to get us into cardio range, it now has minimal resistance and demands a pace that brings our heart rates up to the 180's. We both got chest pains just from trying to keep up with the demands of the "new, improved" programming.
I wrote to iFit CS and asked that they re-do my machine back to the way it used to be. They wrote back and said that I could increase the resistance by pushing the + button on the console. I wrote back stating it was the rate that I was concerned with and to please return my machine to its origianl condition. They wrote back that they had received numerous complaints about the new programming and that they would be re-doing the workouts "within a week." That was two weeks ago and still nothing.
Two nights ago, after work, I called NordicTrack to see when they were going to do the reprogramming. I was on hold for half an hour, then put back on hold for twenty minutes, then told that, "You need to call iFit (a subsidiary of the same company) for that. They just closed."
I called last night and asked to be connected to iFit. The CSR on the line sounded put out that she had to give me the number and would not connect me. (This after half an hour on hold to get her.) I called iFit and waited the prerequisite half hour to get a CSR. I asked when the reprogramming was going to take place. After explaining to the CSR what the problem was, he proceeded to tell me that they had reprogrammed the machine because the original programming was wrong.
I told him that the new programming was evidently worse, and told him about the heart rate that it was generating. He acted as if he did not know what I was talking about and continued to insist that the company was right and that I was wrong to ask to have my machine programmed the way that I wanted it to be programmed. When I was insistent, he said, "We don't just keep old programming sitting on a shelf in case one customer doesn't like the new program."
I told him that I was, according to one of his colleagues, not alone and read him the e-mail. At that point he told me -- and this is as near a direct quote as I can remember -- "That's iFit Workouts! I don't have anything to do wth them!" Now, he had answered the phone, "iFit Customer Service," not twenty minutes earlier. I asked to be transferred to iFit, and he refused. I asked to speak with his supervisor, and he asked me, "What do you think a supervisor is going to do for you? I already told you that we will not reprogram your machine." He then went on to tell me about how the supervisors were far too important to sully their hands with actual customer service.
I asked to be connected to the complaint department and was told I had to write to the president of the company. He refused to give me that worthy's name. I told him that he had been quite unhelpful and hung up, I called NordicTrack agian (half hour hold) and asked to be connected to the complaint department. Send a snail mail to the company president.
At one point, I had asked for them to send someone around to pick up the machine and give me a check for my money back and was told I had to call Sears to return it. I called Sears and told the salesman what had happened. Want to know what the first words out of his mouth were? "Oh, I am so sorry that you have had this problem!" That was the FIRST apology I had received in the entire three hours I have wasted dealing with this company and it came from the Sears guy!
Moral: Never EVER buy anything from NordicTrack, iFit, or ICON Fitness. They don't care about you after they steal your money. They have no intention of making things right, even when it is they who have messed up the whole process. They have a Customer Service Algorithm that basically consists of making you waste your time long enough that you finally give up.
I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and put an abbreviated version on FaceBook. Later, I found this nifty site called
pissedconsumer.com. You can read my rant there, as well.
Now I'm off to send an e-mail to the Chair, Department of Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, to advise them to not recommend NordicTrack to their patients whom they do not wish to have an arrest while working out.