Justin’s Treadmill Review

 

Reader Justin28004 sent in the following e-mail:

I recently purchased a "refurbished" Ironman Inspire treadmill from Amazon. I knew it was questionable from the beginning as it was delivered filthy, it even had mud and leaves stuck inside many cervices of the treadmill. I tried to use it and it was so loud you couldn’t hear the nearby TV – and it wasn’t just the normal thump thump, it was rattles and loud squeaks – it sounded like the thing was falling apart. Being somewhat mechanically inclined and familiar with treadmills I opened it all up and inspected it – to my astonishment, almost all of the bolts were loose – some so loose they were near falling out. An inspection of the belt and board revealed a bone-dry board area – an area that has to be lubricated, and should come that way per industry standards and even the manual. Further the pulse reader wouldn’t work – it simply always behaved as if your hands were on the sensors and registered random numbers constantly.

I called Keys Fitness (parent company of Ironman) for support. I talked to a rep who obviously thought it was all user error and/or problems that didn’t exist that I was simply making up. When I explained the pulse reader problem, he acted like I told him that aliens had landed on the roof. He had never heard of such a thing. He actually told me I need to video tape myself running on the treadmill with the problem and send it in. When I asked if he thought I was lying he backed down on this request, but it still shocked me. In the end he said someone would come to my house, but was not able to tell me who, when, or how the process worked period. Apparently that was "another department". I waited two weeks without a phone call or email, and then decided it was time to see about returning this piece of junk.

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I emailed Amazon -

Hello, I have been a long-time and frequent customer of Amazon.com because you provide good service and sell quality products. So, when I received this treadmill in what I can only describe as a completely unacceptable condition, I felt compelled to let you know about it.

The treadmill arrived out of the box filthy. It was dusty with mud and leaves stuck inside the frame (belt section) of the treadmill. The treadmill has scratches all over. The first time I used the treadmill it made horrible noises so loud that it was impossible to watch TV and run. It rattled and scraped and squeaked like it was falling apart. I then inspected the treadmill and found nearly every bolt and screw loose – like, almost falling out loose. Further an inspection of the treadmill base (section under the belt) I found it to be bone dry. This is a section that requires lubrication, and per the manual and industry standards should come lubricated from the factory.

The worst part is the pulse/body fat measuring handles are completely broken. If you use them, they either don’t work period or register a number that is obviously not accurate at all. Further, the treadmill constantly behaves as if a person’s hands are on the sensors and even shows a pulse measurement when your hands are not even there.

To me, "refurbished" means the item was repaired and returned to factory "new" conditions. This treadmill was quite obviously not even looked at or tested, they didn’t even bother to clean it or wipe it down. Worse yet it was not SAFE to use with loose bolts and connections and a lack of lubrication.
This treadmill would be acceptable if I bought it for $200 at a garage sale. For $600 and advertised as "refurbished" (USED and BROKEN would be more applicable) is near fraud. A look at the other comments on the item find I am not alone, yet seem to perhaps have gotten the worst of the used treadmills Ironman is selling.

An item this large would not be practical to return, or I would. I have contacted Ironman (Keys Fitness) and they are dispatching someone to fix it, yet its been a week and I haven’t heard anything since. For the first time in many years I am severely disappointed in Amazon.com, and look forward to hearing of any resolutions to this issue you have.

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They responded quickly and apologized, even thanked me for contacting Keys Fitness before them. They gave me the choice of returning it for a refund, or taking 10% off and continue to try and battle it out with Keys Fitness. Without hesitation I arranged a return and picked out a different  treadmill (not Ironman, not refurbished either). The exchange was done without a hitch.

So in conclusion I’d like to give a kudos to Amazon and a Boo to Keys Fitness.

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Thanks for the e-mail Justin28004, this just reinforces what I’ve always said about Ironman. The treadmills look cool and the specs look good on paper, but their poor quality, quality control, and customer service should be enough to make you run for the hills. In this era of poor customer service some latitude can be afforded, but calling the customer a liar is unacceptable.

-Justin