*** DO NOT BUY GENERAC GENERATOR: CUST SVC STINKS

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My set up was installed 11/13. Transfer switch failed. Electrical contractor's secretary said she made DOZENS of calls to Generac to get the part from them under warranty. It has been 3 months since we called the electrical contractor about the problem, and finally yesterday the part arrived. Three mos for a part shipping from the midwest is totally unacceptable. I am very angry with myself for choosing Generac, and will NEVER buy another Generac product again. You can do what you want, but there are much better service companies than Generac. Feel free to PM me if you want. This is not a grudge posting, it is a fact.
 
Honestly since you didn't call yourself.. you are taking the contractor's word.

Many contractors are shady.
 
Yep, I did take them at their word. I trust them. Highly reputable contractor in this area. I also called myself, and there was a notation under my serial number that a part was to be shipped to contractor. So, the contractor did do what they said they did. It just took Generac way too long. Mr. Rand, all I can say is to go buy a Generac and see for yourself.
 
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IMO you need to talk to Generac yourself before slamming them in a public forum.
I have a feeling they would send you the part today (moot point i know) and may not have been called for months until you reminded her.
Funny you got through to them though. I have a Generac and no problems.
 
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Rather than saying, "Do Not Buy" in your heading, it might be more appropriate to say something like, "My Experience with Genrac" and let the reader decide whether or not to buy.
 
When you called Generac customer service did you ask them on what date the contractor first contacted them? Three months for a replacement part sounds very unusual. Generac is a large generator manufacture and distributor of stationary and portable generators. I'm sure they have a customer complaint group and would value your feedback. I find that most large companies take customer complaints seriously. I work at Lowe's and I know all h*ll breaks out at the store level when a customer goes to corporate customer care with a complaint. It is investigated, trust me on that.

Whimsey
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
IMO you need to talk to Generac yourself before slamming them in a public forum.
I have a feeling they would send you the part today (moot point i know) and may not have been called for months until you reminded her.
Funny you got through to them though. I have a Generac and no problems.


I absolutely talked to Generac myself. Two months ago. How many calls do you have to make? I know you wouldn't treat your customers like that. Sorry the post wasn't to your liking, but how many times do you have to call, and for how long, do you feel is appropriate? Generac obviously is not a customer-oriented company like FEDEX, Vanguard, USAA, or UPS. I stand by what I said, and I have NOT violated any board policies.
 
It could have been that the transfer switch was made by a third party and was on back order or out of stock. This fact may not have been relayed to you by your electrical contractor. Generac is probably one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of backup power systems. They don't get into that position by bilking people out of warranty parts.

I have no affiliation with Generac, but as a casual observer, I feel that there has to be a reasonable explanation behind this.
 
Originally Posted By: Whimsey
When you called Generac customer service did you ask them on what date the contractor first contacted them? Three months for a replacement part sounds very unusual. Generac is a large generator manufacture and distributor of stationary and portable generators. I'm sure they have a customer complaint group and would value your feedback. I find that most large companies take customer complaints seriously. I work at Lowe's and I know all h*ll breaks out at the store level when a customer goes to corporate customer care with a complaint. It is investigated, trust me on that.

Whimsey


Three mos certainly is unreasonable. That was the motivation behind the post. And it's the truth.
 
Originally Posted By: Hot_Ajax
Originally Posted By: Trav
IMO you need to talk to Generac yourself before slamming them in a public forum.
I have a feeling they would send you the part today (moot point i know) and may not have been called for months until you reminded her.
Funny you got through to them though. I have a Generac and no problems.


I absolutely talked to Generac myself. Two months ago. How many calls do you have to make? I know you wouldn't treat your customers like that. Sorry the post wasn't to your liking, but how many times do you have to call, and for how long, do you feel is appropriate? Generac obviously is not a customer-oriented company like FEDEX, Vanguard, USAA, or UPS. I stand by what I said, and I have NOT violated any board policies.


No one said you violated any board policy. I just think its a little unfair to slam a company with a post headline like this without all the fact being told.
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*** DO NOT BUY GENERAC GENERATOR: CUST SVC STINKS


Your electrical contractor couldn't source another box for you and swap it later?
Do you know when she called Generac? How long did it take them to ship after they were contacted?
All we know from you post if she claims to have called "DOZENS" of times without success yet you call and get through to them.
What reason did they give for the three month back order if there even was one? Is their explanation reasonable?

Sorry from your post i cant see Generac being totally at fault, its more of a contractor problem.
He should have been able to get you hooked up quickly and sorted it out later, it not like he was waiting for an engine crankshaft.
 
When your food is cold at a restaurant, take it out on the waitress. She needs to be the "queen B" on your behalf. Same with your contractor.
 
I have an 2009 16kw and right after install my trans switch went as well. Mine was quick to come though. I've had not a single issue with it since. Happy customer here. Hope urs is solid now!
 
Hot_Ajax, it sounds to me like you followed the right steps, including calling Generac. I would be p*ssed too.
 
FWIW, Generac has the worst reputation in the industry. Now let the "But I have a Generac and it's been the absolute best" comments begin.
 
I have heard little good about Generac. (Pronounced "Gen-wreck".) When my mother had a standby generator installed, several people recommended against them, including the electrician that wired it. (IIRC, she has a Kohler.)

IIRC, many Generacs are now made in China.
 
I've got a 5000 watt Generac. Use it about once a month, so not heavy use, but it is a great generator.

I needed a few small parts - ordered them on a Monday and picked them up on Wednesday from my Generac Dealer.

I'm not saying that it's the best generator, but certainly far from the worst, and I've had no issues and am pretty happy.
 
I know my experience is "ancient" by comparison. But, many years ago, I needed a simple part for my nearly new Generac pressure washer.

I was unwilling to bring it to the "dealer" for an unloader valve. It took a couple of calls and a bit of persuasion on my part, but they sent me the part, right away, under warranty. The replacement failed in short order too. So, I repaired it using a bit of backyard engineering.
 
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All manufacturers have issues. We have had minimal problems with Generac. I would definitely be curious why the transfer switch went bad.
 
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