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  • Be warned about Sunbeam

    Hi All,

    Ill cut a REAL long story short.

    My EM0480 had problems and it was sent back to Sydney for examination.

    Problem is, Sunbeam told me they LOST it. Yep, lost it. They received it at the warehouse but still they lost it.

    Funny that they did not manage to lose my EM6900 - I also sent that in using the same carrier the same day and using the same delivery address....

    Consider yourself warned about ANY of their products let alone the functionality of the company.

    (Mods please move this to the appropriate place for maximum exposure).

    DrT

  • #2
    Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

    They lost it? But if they received it at the warehouse, presumably theyre going to replace it?

    Youve had an absolutely shocking run with this grinder, along with the problems with the 6900. Hopefully the problems with the grinder will now be circumvented by the brand new, shiny replacement one that theyll have to give you. Which begs the question - wouldnt it have been easier for everybody, in the long run, if theyd just done that in the first place?

    When you call their customer service people back, maybe its worth mentioning to them (if you havent already done so) that you subscribe to forums like this, where opinions about machines and backup service are regularly aired. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, and youve got plenty to squeak about. Maybe thatll motivate them to give you a 6910 as well to fix your 6900.....

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

      Hello varanid99,

      Yep, they got it at the warehouse and yep they "lost" it while in their possession. I guess its just as well since the damn thing was a piece of junk. The good news is that I get a new piece of junk out of it.

      I wrote in about my experiences with the company (and assocated squeaking here):

      http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=1138058473/180

      At the end of the day, I wanted a new one from where I bought it - Harvey Norman Munno Para, but the franchisee decided he was not going to replace it since Sunbeam SA examined it and said it was performing "to spec". So much so that during the course of (repeated) phone calls to the 1800 number to try and get the head Sunbeam office to over-rule the SA branch and tell Harvey Norman to give me a NEW one, one of the ladies let slip that Sunbeam SA had sent in a note to head office saying "this machine is NOT to be replaced", despite the problems I was having.

      I am due to get my EM6900 back after they fixed a dead steam pump. I think its fair to say a new one was warranted given the track record of the machine, but Sunbeam thought otherwise.

      I told the Sunbeam SA people I am a member of this forum, but you will see what sort of response I got in the above hyperlink. It aint good !

      Stay clear of Sunbeam.

      Oh, and if anyone from Sunbeam is reading this, go ahead and ask the mods for my details so you can send me an EM6910, or even better, a bloody refund so I can buy a decent bit of gear!!!!!!!

      DrT










      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

        Dr T
        Go ahead and contact A current affair or Today Tonight. Telling the head office that something shpuld not to be replaced after having some fool who doesnt have a clue about what he is doing play with it is incompetant.

        Aas soon as A current affair calls them they will replace the unit - especially if they lost it in the warehouse.

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        • #5
          Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

          Good idea Lucinda,

          Didnt Paul Bassett do an infomercial for Current Affair a couple of years ago? Surely they wouldnt want their show to be associated with a recommendation for a dodgy consumer product, would they?

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          • #6
            Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

            Not a bad idea lucinda, but, Im sure that my problem is rather petty compared to some of the things that go on around this place like the issues people have with banks, etc. If I have another problem though, I will probably do as you say and throw in a serving of the office of consumer affairs just to be sure... Lord knows that if the new/repaired products even so much as twitch on the bench when I am using them I will be up Sunbeam like a rat up a drain pipe and I would certainly contact the appropriate Government authorities such as the standards board and discuss the issues since you cant sell a product that has such a large failure rate. At the $600 price point, it should fail years into life, not weeks or months. Something like that needs to be pulled OFF the market.

            A new grinder is headed my way - that much they told me. However, since I sent my original grinder back to Sydney on the same shipment as the espresso machine, and I labelled it to death as they told me to, methinks the "loss" is a convenient way of saving face. That is, the head office probably did not want to be embarrassed by the thoughts and actions of the local morons who, I am sure, were CLEARLY wrong. If they do not have it, they cant tell me what was wrong with it....

            DrT



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            • #7
              Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

              That sounds like the most rational explanation DrT. Occam himself would sign off on that one.

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              • #8
                Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                Dont give up on the ACA idea.
                Today Tonight and ACA seem to put some pretty mundane things on when they are scratching around for content.

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                • #9
                  Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                  My guess is maybe that is what they are doing Dr T, I will bet the Adelaide office is going to get their knuckles rapped over that stuff up. I think you are owed an apology though. I hope this one is going to be much better.

                  As for Hardly Normal, Gerry Harvey seems to be on television a lot lately. I do not know how much control he has over the franchisee at Munno Para but I bet he would not be amused by his good business name being dragged through the mud by such behaviour of his employees. My guess is that it was Hardly Normal who sent the little note to Sunbeam as they (sunbeam) are generally very good with replacing stuff without to many problems.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                    Originally posted by DrT link=1170029626/0#5 date=1170044358
                    Not a bad idea lucinda, but, Im sure that my problem is rather petty compared to some of the things that go on around this place

                    Dr T,

                    Yes, couldnt agree more. This week on Today Tonight, the diet that really works. Next week on Today Tonight, the diet that really works. The following week, Is Shane Warne a love rat? After that, the diet that really works. You wouldnt have a snowballs chance in hell against that lot.....

                    On a more serious note - yeah, it definitely sounds like a face-saving exercise. I hope the next grinder works better for you. All I know, after all this, is that when it comes time for me to upgrade my machine, the 6900/6910 wont even get a look in, based largely on your experiences.

                    J

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                    • #11
                      Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                      Hmm, some of you are insisting on the ACA type option: What about a poll or something to ask what percentage of people (who take their coffee seriously) would also take the ACA option seriously given the Sunbeam troubles (mine and others) ? Dunno how to set that up and if the moderators would let it through since its not all that positive a thing to discuss. (By and large I like reporting sucesses !)

                      Yes varanid99, and others, avoid ANY Sunbeam coffee product. You might as well flip a coin each morning and see what the odds are of the equipment working that day, or making it though the day without problem. Unacceptable.

                      Sunbeam knows customer service alright  - they concluded, I, as a customer, do not know how to use the equipment AFTER completing the Sunbeam coffee appreciation course. And the crowd goes wild !!

                      DrT

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                      • #12
                        Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                        <soapbox>
                        I never take ACA or TT seriously. I stopped watching them years ago. The incessant drivel they spew on an unsuspecting public who still associate them with journalism is despicable. They have all the integrity of Kopi Luwak!
                        </soapbox>

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                        • #13
                          Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                          DrT

                          To avoid all of sunbeams products is a bit unfair.

                          I have once owned the sunbeam grinder and found it performed perfectly. Obviously you just have a dud one (although I have not read the nature of its faliure). I have since sold it as it didnt grind good enough for my liking. (I had a La Cimbali Cadet at the time too)

                          I sold my Silvia and bought an EM6910. I am more than pleased with its performance so far. It hasnt missed a beat yet. Its a quality product and Sunbeam have learnt from the EM6900 fiasco. Of course sunbeam losing your machine is not acceptable and a new machine should be sent out pronto.

                          As a barista, I have had lots of opportunities on many different espresso machines and grinders. For home the EM6910 does a bang up job for a small price.

                          What I am saying is that, although I understand you are annoyed and p*ssed off to say the least, be fair. If you do get the 6910 upgrade, Im sure you will be more than impressed. I am.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                            Dr T,

                            I personally wouldnt take anything on either of those shows seriously. But Sunbeam did use ACA basically as a marketing exercise - from memory, they compared 5 domestic espresso machines - I think 2 low-end Sunbeams, the 6900 (it was just being released), and 2 other machines which escape me at the moment, but Im sure someone here will remember. 2 or 3 judges rating the machines, one of whom was Paul Bassett (I also recall that they mentioned he was the world barista champion, but I dont seem to remember them saying he was on Sunbeams payroll. Of course, I could be wrong).

                            With that in mind, how many consumers bought the 6900 on the strength of the ACA report, where of course the 6900 came out on top? So my take is that theyve basically given Sunbeam a gratuitous plug, without knowing and/or caring that a) the machine is a dud, and b) that the customer service is appalling. Id be more inclined to take that angle - this show that purports to be the champion of the little guy has fed the little guy a crock o shtimpy.

                            Do some muckraking of your own. Talk to Harvey Norman/Myer/David jones/etc, and find out how often these things get returned. Ring the service guys (youve probably used the list in your box numerous times by now) and ask them about failure rates. Armed with this info, and the threat of consumer affairs/media maybe youll get some satisfaction.

                            (Or, you could always borrow a machine from a site sponsor, and spend your idle hours making coffees in the Harvey Norman carpark for potential customers, just to dissuade potential 6910 buyers.......)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Be warned about Sunbeam

                              Hi DrT.

                              I hope things turn out ok for you. If not, contact the Department of Fair Trading. If you still get no joy, maybe then consider your options...Honestly, I think its time we had some sort of "lemon" law here...maybe then manufacturers wouldnt give punters the run around.

                              Having said that, I know that lots of people are happy with their Sunbeam gear; both grinders and machines. Hope yours gives you many more years of trouble free service!

                              Comment

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