It has to be Dysfunction

[Jim Keenan]

I sent another email to Powercrafter last Monday about the replacement turbine I ordered on September 26th. This makes two phone calls and three emails asking the date shipped and if there was a scan form to trace the shipment. None have been answered. I posted comments about Powercrafter on another thread after reading experiences from two other AAW members. The only response that followed was a post that pretty much indicated I was an insensitive clod and I needed to plan my work more efficiently. Probably, at times, both are true, but in this case, I disagree.
(http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=8960&page=2

I indicated to Don when I made the order (after numerous phone tag calls), that I was in the middle of a project for a gallery, and that if he could ship sooner than later, it would be appreciated. As an aside and not discussed with Don, I didn’t get a whole lot of time out of the original turbine, about 10 hours of use total. At $109. plus shipping that translated to about $25. per bowl.
In any event, as I was “wearing away” wood with a Dremel in order to complete the project (“Party Time” ribbon bowl), the amount of heat coming from the neck of my shirt collar would probably comfortably heat a Minnesota ice fishing shack in January, I took a break for my stiff shoulders and neck to recover. Since Irish people are not known to be the most even tempered, I decided during the break to Google Powercrafter customer service to see if what was happening was an aberration. Hear are the results from page one.
From Treeline.com
Resolutions of a sort
After spending the day e mailing back and forth with Brian Nish at TreeLineUSA about the PowerCrafter situation, he offered to have me send the hand piece back to him and he would personally take it over to the factory and have it repaired. The man went out of his way to help me. I didn't even buy it from him.
He also said the following in one of his E mails
"We have heard horror stories about Powercrafter customer service so we deal with the owner of the company and not Jerry "
Well, it appears that Brian, still trying to resolve an issue that he should have never been involved in but still trying to fix the problem, forwarded some of my E mails to him to Jerry or someone at PowerCrafter and Jerry got them.
I guess Jerry did not like them too much as he just called me at home this evening, 9:30 PM, screaming and shouting and called me a liar and then hung up.
The two e mails to him today asking if he had sent my new turbine have gone unanswered however.
Kudos to Brain at TreelineUSA for going above and beyond the call of duty.
PowerCrafter on the other hand, calling me at home to tell me I am a liar and then hanging up, really shows the kind of company they are,
I guess this means I wont be getting my Turbine LOL
http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/f67/any-power-carvers-use-powercrafter-13385/index3.html

I purchased my PowerCrafter 10 months ago. The turbine lasted 9 months. I paid $50.00 for a new turbine and when it arrived none of my bits would fit in the collet. When I called the fine people at PowerCrafter, I spoke to someone named Jerry. His main objective during my two calls to him was to get me off the telephone. Neither of our conversations last more than a minute each. He was just too busy to talk to me. So I tried to E mail him, but the link on the PowerCrafter site that says JerryMurry brings up an e mail form to someone named Susan. I have no idea if my e mails even got through because they never replied.
So right now I have a $300.00 paperweight and about $150.00 worth of perfectly good 1/16" bits that are just collecting dust because of the people at PowerCrafter.
If you are thinking about buyiung a PowerCrafter, save yourself some heartache and buy an SCM engraver. They may be a little more money, but in all the dealings I have had with SCM, PowerCrafter, and even the ProfitableHobbies people, only SCM has acted in a professional and courtious manner when I called them.
I love what I can do with the high speed engraver, and it is sad that on a Sunday when I would love to be carving I am typing this post, but I am througly disgusted with the people at PowerCrafter and I wont hessitate to tell anyone who asks how they treat their customers or of the extremely poor quality of their units.
Gabe
http://thogamecallsforums.com/index.php?topic=809.0
http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum/f67/any-power-carvers-use-powercrafter-13385/index2.html

Since taking my order by phone and charging the purchase to my visa requires time and money (merchants transaction fee), It makes absolutely no sense for this behavior since all I need to do is tell Visa to reject the charge, I can only assume this is a dysfunctional operation. I have a mental picture of a desk, a couple of chairs all piled with various pieces of paper and post-it noted stuck on every horizontal and vertical surface. I can’t come up with any other explanation.
I am posting this info for those of you that visit the Powercrafter booth at the next symposium. When you purchase a product, especially one that has moving parts you are also “purchasing” the company and its services. If this is the treatment received,where I am actually purchasing and paying for a product, can you imagine the treatment if there were warrantee issues? I’m hoping our symposium coordinator picks up on this post.

The finished project, no thanks to Powercrafter, Party Time is posted in the thumbnails

 

[Bob D]

A possible solution

After reading your nightmare dealing with Powercrafter and my original post elsewere here, I think that AAW should consider if we want them represented at future symposiums. Why support a company that treats our members so poorly. When I got mine, the instructional DVD was defective and they couldn't even be bothered to send me a new one when requested. I agree, it is a lesson well learned, don't do business with this company

Bob D

 

[John Torchick]

I would send a certified letter to the owner with return receipt requested. I would also note on the letter that a copy was forwarded to your local city/county attorney. Is the company listed with their local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau? You might send a copy of the letter to his local city/county attorney or even the state attorney general. Let everyone know that you are MOST unhappy. This would indicate a lot of things including legal action.
Good luck!

 

[Donna Banfield]

CaptJim, sorry that you such an unpleasant experience with your PowerCrafter. I hope those days are now behind you.

In any event, it should be repeated how GOOD Treeline USA is to deal with, as a company and a repair service. When my Abortech mini carver died, I called Treeline, spoke with Brian, and he took the time to try to fix the carver without my mailing it in. Eventually had to ship it out, but he fixed it the same day it was received.

I am a very satisifed Treeline customer, and even though I didn't originally purchase the Arbortech from them, they will be one of the first companies I contact for my carving supplies. 🙂

 

[Ed_McDonnell]

+1 for treeline. I bought a powercrafter from them a couple of years ago. When I was talking to treeline before ordering they were very upfront about potential problems with service from powercrafter. They were clear that if I had any problem I should return the unit to treeline and they would get it serviced.

My unit has held up well and I've never needed the service, but based on other interactions with Treeline I believe they would have taken care of me. One thing that bugged me a bit was that shortly after I bought my powercrafter from Treeline they started selling NSK. It appears treeline has now dropped powercrafter and only sells NSK.

That would be enough of a red flag to stop me from buying powercrafter from other sources.

Ed