Problems With professionalequipment.com ***Resolved***

EDIT: I wrote the company an e-mail over the weekend, explaining everything (including how the tech support guy was an ******* to me). I just got a phone call from them, and they are crediting my credit card for both of the failed thermometers. They've also added a warning in red to the product page:

Note: The cord can only withstand temperatures of 122 degrees. This cord should not be submerged in liquids higher than 122 degrees.

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So, I'd call this one resolved. Good on them for making this right!


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These ******** just screwed me out of not one, but TWO digital thermometers. I will never do business with them again, ever, and I implore you all to do the same. So, I bought the waterproof digital thermometer awhile back, and used it for awhile. Then one day, the wire disconnects from the body...and I'm damn careful with these things. I call professionalequipment.com, they say they can't do anything, it's a manufacturer's warranty item. Fine. Screw it, I'll buy anyone one, I say. So I buy another from them.

That one just failed too, where the probe connects to the wire. So I call control company, and they tell me it's a terrible thermometer to use for brewing, because the wire sheathing is made of a material that cannot withstand temps over 50c. Thusly, it's a "user issue" because I used it for the wrong application as far as they're concerned.

Here's what professional equipment's product page says about it:

Choose the model preferred by brew masters! This digital beverage thermometer is ideal for accurate monitoring of mashing and sparging temperatures in all-grain brewing.

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It also lists "beer brewing" under its list of applications.

So I call them just now and tell them what the manufacturer said, and the woman puts this *****ie technical dude on the phone, and I explain to him what happened. He tells me that "it's just common sense" to know that you can't let the wire get above 50c, even though IT'S NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE PRODUCT LITERATURE, NOR IS THE SHEATHING MATERIAL EVEN CALLED OUT ANYWHERE! Common sense? What? Howzat? If you don't tell me what the material is, or what its limitations are, then how the HELL am I supposed to know to keep it out of 50c+ environments? It says "waterpoof/shockproof". Nothing about anything else. And the goddamn manufacturer says it's really bad to use for homebrewing, too?

So after arguing with the ******* for 10 minutes about it, he tells me there's nothing they can do other than to suggest that I don't use it like that anymore. Wow, thanks, you bastard. You got my $80, and you just lost me for life as a customer. I'll tell you what, stay far away from that website, and a word of caution to anyone who does own this thermometer: you can't let anything but the metal probe get into warm liquid.

Good to know now, eh?

Maybe file a complaint with the BBB. That will get their attention.

Might have to do that. I mean, you tell me how it's MY fault, especially considering that the first one failed way up where the wire connects to the unit, which never ever got wet or warm. So yeah, I might contact BBB. In the meantime, I'm spreading the good word all over teh intarwebs.

It'd just be good customer relations to replace it. Even if they did say "hey, I think that you shouldn't use this device for this we are going to replace it anyway"

We just bought some stuff from Amazon and they messed the order up. Not only did they reverse the charges for the items, but they are sending us the correct stuff for free. THAT make people come back to you. It also keeps people from going to the intarwebz to spread the word about how evil you are.

gplutt said:

It'd just be good customer relations to replace it. Even if they did say "hey, I think that you shouldn't use this device for this we are going to replace it anyway"

We just bought some stuff from Amazon and they messed the order up. Not only did they reverse the charges for the items, but they are sending us the correct stuff for free. THAT make people come back to you. It also keeps people from going to the intarwebz to spread the word about how evil you are.

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I just made that same point to wifey. Why would you risk losing a bunch of customers over $36? it blows my mind...I've never before seen such poor customer service (outside of U-Haul).

File in small claims court in your county. $15 and you don't need a lawyer. Then just wait - I bet you get a call offering your money back in about 5 days.

Evan, if you really want to mess with them, find out what kind of ISO certifications they maintain.

I bought mine at Target 3 years ago, work great, last long...

I just email them from their website and ask them what kind of a jerk they were for not standing behind their products...

So why are you putting anything other than the probe in hot liquid anyway?

Bobby_M had a good thread not too long ago on 'wortproofing' a thermometer probe.

Whether or not it's their fault, they need to replace it. That's just good business

gplutt said:

We just bought some stuff from Amazon and they messed the order up. Not only did they reverse the charges for the items, but they are sending us the correct stuff for free. THAT make people come back to you. It also keeps people from going to the intarwebz to spread the word about how evil you are.

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I ordered a stainless steel brewpot from eBay. I got an email with a tracking number, but never got a package - and the tracking number always said "billing information received." I emailed the seller, he dug around and found out that UPS lost the package. He apologized profusely, refunded my money, and when he got more brewpots in - sent me one. When I got it, I told him I'd send him the money again and he flat refused. He told me he'd rather lose money than a customer. Guess who I'm going to be buying Corny kegs from?!?

BrownsBrewing said:

Whether or not it's their fault, they need to replace it. That's just good business

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Apparently, $40 is more important to them than customer retention. Well, they're gonna lose more than $40 because of my rabble-rousing...I've had a couple people already say that they were this close || to buying one, but aren't going to now. So I hope it was worth it to that little cocknobbler to argue with me and insult me. I hope it felt good to essentially call me an idiot because I wasn't clairvoyant enough to know what the heat rating on the sheathing was, because they're too lazy to list it anywhere in the documentation.

Evan, Don't blame you being royally pissed off. Thanks for the warning.

Thanks for letting us know about this, Evan.

I fell for their misleading claims. I'm only glad i found out the limitations before I broke the thing. I am sending them the following email (the links are not showing). I would urge everyone else who purchased one to do the same. Perhaps if they realize that screwing over one person in the internet age can have real repercussions.

I recently purchased Traceable Mini Thermometer from your website for use in hombrewing. Your web site clearly states:

“Choose the model preferred by brew masters! This digital beverage thermometer is ideal for accurate monitoring of mashing and sparging temperatures in all-grain brewing.”

However I recently became aware that this item is far from ideal for the conditions encountered in homebrewing, as I have learned that the plastic coating should not be subjected to temperatures above approximately 120F degrees, which makes this quite unsuitable for most homebrewing applications. These limitations are nowhere indicated in your description of the product, nor in the manual to which you provide a link, nor in any of the accompanying literature.

It was only in the context of your refusal to stand behind the products you sell that I discovered the claims made on your web site were misleading, and quite possibly fraudulent. I would refer you to the following thread at Homebrewtalk.com

I will be exerting extra care with my thermometer in the hopes that I may get some useful life from it. However, I will not be patronizing your business again, and I will be urging others not to fall for your deceptive practices.

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Some companies outright suck. Another story....

I recently bough a UNIDEN cordless phone set. Nothing but problems from day one, the calls would drop, there was no range, and one of the handsets failed completely. I misplaced the receipt and the packaging was discarded. I e-mailed UNIDEN customer support and they won't help without a receipt and even if they do, I have to pay them $10 shipping and handling to send the phone in for repairs. Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do there as I'm out almost $60.

It seems like so many businesses fail to stand behind there products anymore.

In another situation, I got one of those oven thermometers with a probe on clearance from Linen's and Things. 10 degrees off on temperature. Since LAT went out of business they weren't taking returns. Emailed the company, they sent me a new thermometer within a couple weeks.

I think we should have a sticky or thread dedicated to just this. The internet has alot of crooks with web sites and bums that will rip you off. This is a big forum with alot of members, we should use our numbers to keep retailers in line. Proper service and proper products or you get on this thread!!!
We weed out the dirt bags
Power to the People:rockin:

+1 that's a great idea!

McKBrew said:

Some companies outright suck. Another story....

I recently bough a UNIDEN cordless phone set. Nothing but problems from day one, the calls would drop, there was no range, and one of the handsets failed completely. I misplaced the receipt and the packaging was discarded. I e-mailed UNIDEN customer support and they won't help without a receipt and even if they do, I have to pay them $10 shipping and handling to send the phone in for repairs. Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do there as I'm out almost $60.

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Not to thread hijack, but write a letter to the company management. My fiance had an AT&T phone system that the company KNEW had a faulty answering machine system and sold anyway. Long story short, she wrote the VP's of service, sales, CEO office, etc. and sent them registered mail. She got a full refund on the purchase price and got to keep the phone.

Let's face it. S**t happens; it's how a company deals with the situation that separates the good ones from the *****ies.

I wrote an email to them, a pretty long one, explaining everything. We'll see if anyone responds. If not, I'll be writing a letter to their parent company, which is Lab Safety Supply. I will also be submitting a report to the BBB of Wisconsin, where they're based.

It just blows my mind that someone can be so dense as to not realize, in this day and age, how fast your reputation can be ruined if you screw someone over. Word travels like wildfire on teh intarwebz...and hey, ghack, thanks for sending that.

As I said in the edited OP, they called just now and refunded me the cost of both the failed thermo's, and they added a warning about the sheathing to the product page.

It's good to know that rage pays. Good on ya.

glad it worked out for you. And now you may have saved some other brewers some aggravation with the new disclaimer they have on the site about not heating over 122°

I know, it's my public service of the day . Really, that's an important piece of information!

Many companies are only as good as their worst employee. It just takes the action of one moron to mess up your experience with them and now with the internet, viral messaging spreads the bad word in a hurry!

Good for you in resolving and more importantly reporting back to everyone!

Way to go, now you can put that money to good use. Glad to see that it all worked out.

BTW, according to Control Company, the ones who make that thermometer, a thermometer with a type K probe would be better suited for brewing. They told me about this one that they make.



I might have to try that one out...it's cheaper too.

I have the more accurate traceable thermometer from here (Part #46610-024)
The sheathing just started coming undone on the last batch after 6 successful batches. The website I bought from doesn't claim that it can be used for mashing though. I figured it was ok since I saw the one you (Evan!) were using was recommended for brewing on the website you purchased from.

The one you just linked has an accuracy of ±1°C + .75%...I'm looking for something a little better.

link

nevermind. You have to be a business or institution and have an account with them to buy from Fisher. ugh.

Hey good job getting on them.

Most companies rely on people needing their products and being
too lazy to do anything about their subpar practices. It should be
everyone's mission to remind people that they work for a company
who is paying them because YOU buy their product.

Keep on keeping on

What, if anything, did they do to the "tech"?

More than anything else, HE seems to be the problem here.

who knows...but I imagine he got himself a good talkin-to at the very least.

I got a response to the email I sent...All they said was not to immerse the cord in liquid.

I hope is played a part in your resolution.