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Terrible
StarStarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 2/51

COOKEVILLE, TEXAS -- Called to find warranty center for my vacuum since the dealer in my area closed down, after talking to the representative on the phone she told me I would have to send the vacuum in and the closest warranty center was three hours from me and I would have to pay the freight and it would probably not be covered under warranty. I asked her to send me a copy of what is covered under warranty. She said it was in the paperwork from when I originally purchased the product.

She was not helpful at all on any question I asked. I give her the serial number, the build date. I had to ask her 3 times if she could tell me what the warranty was. Finally she told me when it was purchased and how long do want it was good for. She also told me that it would take 24 to 48 hours for them to email me the paperwork I have to have to send it in for warranty repair. VERY dissatisfied!!! 😕

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Best Vacuum Cleaner In My Life
StarStarStarStarStarBy -
Rating: 5/51

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA -- I bought my 1st Oreck XL in 1990 and it lasted me from NYC to Syracuse and back to NYC and then to Boca Raton and then back to NYC and then to Michigan and then back to Boca Raton for the last 14 years. In 2006 I saw this 30-minute infomercial for an Oreck with a 21-year warranty and 21 annual tune-ups that were free of charge. I could not resist and I have my new Oreck at home and the 25-year old is going strong at the hair salon I own.

I have had my new Oreck serviced every year and it still runs like new - my carpets always look great. I love how easy it is to change the bag and how simple it is to replace the belt on that rare occasion it needs a new belt. In fact, I brought the 1990 Oreck in for a service and the tech wanted to buy it from me - I would not sell it because it still works great after 25 years!!!

I am shocked to see all the negative reviews on this site and given my experience with Oreck products (I also own & use the Steam IT). I only have great things to say about the products and the service. I honestly feel that these negative reviews must be written by competitors.

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Poor Design Of Oreck XL Vacuum Meets Poor Customer Service
By -

COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE -- From the day I purchased the Oreck XL2200RS from my local Oreck dealer about 2 years ago, I was surprised by the difficulty of using the vacuum. It is nearly impossible to push, and the hassle of having the belt come off and have to be completely replaced about once a month. Now the belt hardly lasts to vacuum the house, and these supplies go for a premium cost! The man who originally sold me the vacuum said the company gets lots of complaints about the belt not staying on (after I bought it and used the original extra belt). I made do. But when the belt comes off, the vacuum literally spits dirt and debris into the air! I was injured at work and now suffer with RSD in my left wrist and arm, and I can't change the belts. The outer bag ripped when I vacuumed under my bed (very thin fabric) and the new manager said I need their most expensive bags--last visit, 3 bags, 3 belts, over $60.

Now, he said I am vacuuming "wrong" since the vacuum can't be pushed forward and backward, especially if going over an area rug or from one little elevation to another within the house. He demonstrated the way I should go sideways around the edges of the area rugs--no info on actually vacuuming the rugs. So last night my husband changed the belt which he had just put on 3 days earlier, and I got through half of the living room today before it was off, again. I tried to write this up and send the comment from the website, but it would not send. I called the customer service number listed in Tennessee.

The first woman told me I need to purchase a part to raise the vacuum off the floor so I can vacuum the area rugs (I told her I wasn't paying anything else--that the rugs were 8x10 low pile and were not the issue). She said because of the enormous 120 pound suction, the vacuum just sucks it up and that makes the belt come off. Oh. So this vacuum can't be used across elevations from tile to rug, can't be used to vacuum over low area rugs, and can't be used under beds or furniture? What is all that power good for? She said she was sorry I was unhappy. I asked to speak with her supervisor. When she came on, she wanted to know if I had replaced the beater bar? If I had taken the vacuum in for all its maintenance? If it was still under warranty? If I understood it is the consumer's job to replace all these things, just like any other vacuum?

That sent me reeling. I mean, I have had several vacuum cleaners in my life, and only bought this one after giving up an Electrolux that needed a new hose for the power bar attachment. How I wish I had fixed that vacuum. I have never had a vacuum that breaks down as often as this. I have never been told it is the user's fault for the kind of carpet or area rugs or the way she vacuums. It isn't. The fault lies with this lemon of a product and the failure of the company to stand behind it. I was told I didn't buy it DIRECT because I bought it from my local Oreck store instead of the infomercial. Excuse me. The receipt I have shows I purchased it at the Oreck Clean Home Center. I was told I had to take it in for service. Maybe the company would pay for this, if my warranty is in effect.

The truth is, I don't want service. This vacuum is not designed well and will never come close to the hype they give it. It is a money pit. If you or anyone you know is even thinking of buying this, just know you are better off with a vacuum that you get at your local discount store that costs under $100 and you know will last you very well for probably 5 years. And I am going to look at the Dyson. I don't know which vacuum I will get next, but you can bet it won't be an Oreck--like the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!" This company will never get another penny from me. Save yourself the disappointment and the money--don't buy this defective product at any cost.

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Billing Department Incompetence
By -

I purchased 2 Oreck XL Air Purifiers and don't think much of the product. What I cannot stand is the terrible customer service Oreck provides.

I bought the Air Purifiers where I would have no interest for 1 year. Sometime after the product arrived I began receiving mailings from Oreck Direct telling me I had a past due bill. I was receiving 2 letters like this per day! What a waste of stamps and trees.

I sent payments, but the letters did not stop. I called and Oreck said I had no outstanding bill, but the letters did not stop. Finally, I escalated the issue and someone figured out that the tax on my original purchase was not forwarded to HSBC. Oreck/HSBC are not one and the same. They are business partners, but hardly much good at actually partnering.

So, Oreck Direct is to straighten this out, and my next months HSBC bill shows I owe $0, zip, nada; in fact, I have a rather large credit balance. I call them to say, no I have a real debt of about $300 and to please check their records.€ Par for the course, I must call several times to fix this mistake.

Three months later I start receiving letters from Oreck Direct saying I am delinquent on making payments and the entire bill of $600 must be paid immediately. Well, I had made some payments because of the tax letters and my bill now should only be $300. I'm wondering what's going on?

I call HSBC and a supervisor tells me she will work with Oreck Direct to let them know HSBC is still holding the debt that is around $300. She promises to call me back later that day; she never does.

I call Oreck Direct and they tell me HSBC closed my account and sent them back the unpaid debt. Oreck tells me to work with HSBC.

This two-headed monster of Oreck/HSBC will point back and forth at each other all day long, saying "Don'€™t talk to us, talk to them." Obviously they don'€™t talk to each other.

I insist on a conference call and felt a bit like the fly on the wall as the two representatives discuss the all the pratfalls of their business and the mistakes that were made. Finally, the Oreck Direct associate who had been so uncompromising when telling me to send them a payment NOW and then get my money back from HSBC, apologizes and says the situation is resolved. IF ONLY...

Today I received a call from a collections agency hired by Oreck Direct and they start in with the PAY NOW OR ELSE attitude.

The following is an edited email I sent to Mr. David Orek (like anyone in that company has the brains to actually forward an email) with the copy of the email I had to send to the collections agency:

To David Oreck: At the end of this email I am including a copy of an email I have been obligated to send to a collection agency because your billing department has repeatedly demonstrated that it cannot competently address or fix problems it has created. I do not want to repeat the full litany of missteps Oreck Direct (and HSBC, by association) have made, for that information is in your records. I will say that I have spent a great deal of time in trying to resolve the problem your business created. Your company has repeatedly offered me apologies and promises that the problem has been resolved, now only to find that you have turned my name over to a collections agency. As I explained to your employee D\_\_\_\_\_\_, I would like nothing better than to be done with your company once and for all, but you simply cannot get it right, but rather make matters worse. I won't use the product I bought from you because it reminds me of what a mistake I made when I established a relationship with you to begin with. To: F\_\_\_\_\_\_ G\_\_\_\_\_ with A\_\_\_\_ Collections This is a notice to dispute that I have an outstanding debt with ORECK Direct. Today you contacted me to collect on a debt with ORECK Direct. When I explained that I do not have a debt with ORECK and was advised me to send a written notice to dispute the debt. I have subsequently called ORECK Direct and I spoke with D\_\_\_\_. She reviewed my account and confirmed that I do not have a debt with ORECK Direct and that a mistake had been made when their computer sent you my information for collection. She said that they would recall the collection notification sent to you. My past dealings with ORECK Direct have been unsatisfactory and I have little confidence in their ability to carry through with promises. I share my opinion about ORECK's demonstrated business incompetence since ORECK has seen fit to invite you into my business. I want to stress that I DO NOT owe ORECK Direct any money. Please, let me know if you need anything else from me to prevent ORECK, through your company, from damaging my credit rating. Thank you. CC: posted to Oreck's Contact Us page on www.oreck.com

Last word on my Oreck Experience: I don't recommend the Company. And the product is mediocre, at best.

Any bets on whether Oreck will call off the dogs?

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Company That Does Not Stand Behind Its Product
By -

In September 2009, I purchased an Oreck shampooer brand new for $399 in Evansville, Indiana. After the first use, I took it back because there was no suction. They told me the shampoo bottle was in wrong and took in back, did something to it, and returned it to me. Two weeks later, I relocated to Florida. I used the shampooer for the second time, it gushed water everywhere. I called Oreck Corporate and they said in a roundabout way that they do not support their products and I would have to have it serviced locally. They gave me the name of the nearest store over an hour away. I took the shampooer there. The assistant manager claims they do not carry that product because it is a bad product, but it was the O-rings leaking. He fixed it, and I took it home. Once again, I went to use the shampooer and it gushed water everywhere (causing me to rent a rug doctor to clean up the mess). I returned it to the store an hour away (again). They said they had to ship it somewhere to be fixed.

When it was finally repaired, a month later, I was swamped at work and asked that they ship it to me. The Assistant Manager said he would. Two months later, still no shampooer. I called and the Assistant Manager claimed it was mis-shipped and he would find it. This was August. It is now January 2011 and I still do not have my shampooer after numerous attempts and unreturned phone calls from this Lady Lake, Florida store.

Today, I finally receive a call from the GM saying the shampooer had never left that store and claiming the Assistant Manager did not know what I was talking about - asserting me as a liar. We shall see if it is actually there this weekend.

I will never buy another product from Oreck again. I will share this on Facebook, create a website, Twitter, tell my family, and link it in because I have never been treated so poorly by a company before. Oreck - since you don't want to honor your supposed 30-day guarantee (because that is when I began complaining), you have lost a customer for life and I will make sure you lose some more.

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Refusal Of Service
By -

GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND -- I purchased my Oreck XL21 7 years ago. The company guarantees yearly check ups once a year for 21 years. They are supposed to clean and replace parts if need be. I have been taking it for 7 years into an Oreck store in Gaithersburg Maryland, the Kentlands Oreck store.

When I brought it in last week for its yearly checkup the owner refused to service it unless I could produce a proof of purchase. I was confused since the previous owners never once asked me this. I did not have a receipt from something I purchased 7 years ago but assured them I was in their computer system and to just look me up by the serial number on the machine. Indeed I was in their system and showed I had been in last year for a check up. However, that did not satisfy them and they refused to service my Vacuum cleaner as guaranteed in the purchase agreement. I called Oreck headquarters and they still have not gotten back with me, even though the lady on the phone said there should be no reason why the merchant shouldn't service the vacuum cleaner.

I have left 3 messages and wrote them an email and still nothing has been done. In the meantime I have been complaining to neighbors about this and come to find out a couple of them have had similar problems with Oreck. One of my friends lent me her Dyson's vacuum cleaner and I don't know maybe this is a blessing in disguise but I fell in love with Dyson's vacuum cleaner and just purchased it. If you are thinking about an Oreck keep in mind I had a lot of problems with the belt coming off too, but because they replaced it free I didn't sweat it. Save yourself a headache, buy Dyson.

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They Lost My Vacuum Cleaner
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

ST. CHARLES, ILLINOIS -- I brought my vacuum in for repair. Salesman convinced me to purchase a new one, and they would give me credit $100 for old one. I took this deal (shouldn't have but it did), because mine was really in good shape. He was going to destroy my trade in! I paid $800 for that thing. So I asked him if I could have it. He said yes. I asked him if he could fix it, he said yes. So I left the vacuum to be repaired and went home with my new one.

They never called me to tell me it was finished with repair. I lost track of time and didn't pick it up for five months.

Now here is the problem. When I picked it up, I did not get my vacuum. I got someone elses. I knew because it was in bad shape AND more so it did not match the serial number that was on my repair receipt. I called many times, they claim that the one that I have was a newer model so I made out on this deal. He could not find mine, he said it must have been given to someone else.

I called the 800 number, she told me it should never have been repaired because it was a trade in. HOWEVER their salesman let me have it and accepted the job of repairing it. Plus she claims it was destroyed, they the salesperson did not understand that it was to be repaired. I was flabbergasted. Now they are lying. How did he not know, he wrote me up a repair receipt.

The salesman refunded me the repair cost and I left them the vacuum. Now whatever the story behind this is, the problem is that they lost my vacuum cleaner and offered no reasonable solution to me the customer. Honestly Oreck Company, I feel we pay way too much for these vacuums so that your people can ignore serial numbers and not give people reasonable solutions when you screw up.

For the amount of money we spend on your products we should get top quality customer service. What did I learn from this, as other people have said, their service is terrible, they are not worth the money we pay. I could have gone to Target and bought a vacuum for a lot cheaper. I will never recommend one of these items, nor will I ever buy another one again. I will not take another item to them for service, I will take it somewhere else.

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Review From An Employee
By -

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE -- I thought I would share with all of you one company that is outstanding, genuinely cares about their products and most importantly cares about their customers. Yes, that company is Oreck Corporation. That's right, the vacuum cleaner people. You have probably heard of them, you may have even seen one of their infomercials on television, or perhaps you have seen one of their Customer Care stores near your home. I will be upfront and honest with you. I am now an employee of Oreck Corporation. A few months ago I was fortunate enough to join the Oreck family team, and if you are not familiar with the Oreck story, I encourage you to visit [our website] and read one of the topics, or even better yet, do a little web search on Oreck Corporation and read about the incredible hardships the company has managed to survive over the past few years (namely hurricane Katrina). Read about the incredible things they have done for their employees, how truly amazing their products really are, and perhaps most importantly how well they treat their customers.

I have worked for several companies over the years both good and bad. But I have to say, bar none, Oreck Corporation is hands down the best I have ever seen or even heard about. Everyone at our company (and I mean everyone) takes extremely great pride in what they do for the company and for our all too valuable customers. We manufacture some of the best products in the world, right here in the great USA at our Cookeville, Tennessee plant utilizing about 90% US manufactured materials (as much as practically possible these days). Assembled by some of the most awesome people that you could ever meet, who take great pride in hand assembling and preparing each and every product that goes out of our doors (these people are truly unbelievable). I work in our corporate offices in Nashville, Tennessee sitting near some of the most remarkable, motivated and truly caring people that I have ever met. Each day these people do everything they can to improve our company, improve our products and improve the experience our our customers.

Don't be fooled by some of the high priced marketing gimmicks of some of our competitors, Oreck products and service are 100% top notch, grade A, and you will be pleased with every experience you have with us! Guaranteed!

Finally, something positive to say about a company, a company that really does produce quality and a company that really does care!

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Poor Performance - Worse Service/Support
By -

HAWAII -- Here is what we sent to Oreck:

Mr. David Oreck 5000 River Road New Orleans, LA 70123 REF: refusal to stand behind manufactured product. Aloha Mr. Oreck: My wife and I are on our 2cnd Oreck Vacuum machine purchased here in Honolulu. The first one functioned pretty well and we had no real complaints. The second one, however, has been a problem from the start. When we first began using the machine it seemed very heavy and hard to push. We took it to the dealer and were told there was nothing wrong with it – it must be our carpet. So we took it home and tried again. I called and questioned the dealer again and was told the carpet must have a high humidity and that is making the machine hard to push. So for nearly 2 years we have struggled with the “light weight easy-to-use Oreck” and felt more and more that we should have returned it right away. A few weeks ago we had the occasion to take the machine in to get a bag replacement and the technicians did something to the machine and when we brought it home it worked unbelievably well\! But, within 2 weeks it was back to the old push problems. Again we are told it is working properly. It appears that the unit is not functioning with the belt properly. The wooden roller has scorched and turned black on one end and the machine simply does not perform well at all. I am aware that we did not purchase this machine from your factory. Instead we purchased it from your authorized dealer. Nowhere in your advertising do you advise clients to purchase from the factory in order to receive satisfactory customer service. But that is the latest reason given us for your representative refusing to make good on your product. I have attached the sequence of emails to date and am going to ask you a personal and very simple question. “Do you really back your products with pride and confidence? Or is the satisfaction guarantee phrase a platitude to create easier sales?” I find it hard to believe that a family proud company with the heritage you have in the community is willing to allow even one client – clear over in Hawaii – to conclude that Oreck cannot be counted on for integrity. You will see from the email and the attached receipt that we simply want our money back. 2 years of struggle is enough. I wish the machine would work for us but am unwilling to undertake having a machine serviced every few weeks just to keep it operable. I await your response.

Never got a response or follow up.

We got a real vacuum and the amount of dust, dirt and grime it has cleaned out of our carpets shows that almost everything gets "by an Oreck" Oreck.

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Very Disgusted Customer
StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 1/51

COOKEVILLE, TENNESSEE -- I am upset because I purchased this vacuum and spent over $300 for it, and it should have had all the features compared to the cheaper vacuums. It worked fine until I got new carpeting, which was somewhat higher than my old carpeting, and I went to use the vacuum and I couldn't push it. The brushes were too low, and they have no adjustment on it to raise them.

So I called a Oreck dealership and the guy said yes, they are aware of it and they made up an attachment to put on the bottom and for us to come up and buy it. So we did, needless to say, that didn't work, it is still very hard to push. I wrote to Oreck Corp and they had no intentions of resolving it. All they said was we have some vacuums out now and that I could go in and trade it in for an upgrade. I told them they should have put on the box that it only could be used on certain heights of carpeting. I told them they should make it right with the customers that had this problem with this vacuum but all they said was that the vacuum was not defective. I told them that I didn't say it was defective, I said it doesn't work on my new carpeting.

Stay away from this company and don't buy any of their products, they don't back them up.

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Oreck Rating:
Star Star Empty star Empty star Empty star
2.1 out of 5, based on 10 ratings and
25 reviews & complaints.
Contact Information:
Oreck
1400 Salem Rd
Cookeville, TN 38506
1-800-989-3535 (ph)
www.oreck.com
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