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Thread: Terrible Powermatic Customer Service

  1. #1

    Terrible Powermatic Customer Service

    I'm at the point I don't know what to do. I bought a new Powermatic 2013B Bandsaw last year in July. About 5 weeks ago, it got to where it would trip the break when I attempted to start it. I called in a electrician and he determined that the motor is going bad. I called Powermatic and explained the problem and the steps I went through to determine the cause of the issue. The technician said no problem, he'd email me a form to complete along with some documentation requirements which I have done to his satisfaction. Again, no problem. It's been a month today since I met the warranty documentation requirements and still no replacement motor. I've had great difficulty in getting any answers let alone satisfaction from Powermatic. I've called the next guy up the ladder twice and left messages with no communication from him yet. The first guy called me Monday and said that he thought they had a motor in inventory when he put the request in back a month ago, but has just found out there is no replacement motor to ship to me. He said he would see if they could pull a motor off of a new machine, but then he called back minutes later wanting to know if I could find someone locally to rebuild the bad motor and that they would pay for it. There is no one within a 100 mile radius of here that rebuilds single phase motors and besides that, I think I'm entitled to a new motor or better yet, since they've made a mess of this, a new machine. I've emailed and called him back today explaining there is nowhere here to have the motor rebuilt, and I have yet to receive a response.

    Is there anyone out there who might know who I could contact at Powermatic to get some timely satisfaction? At this point, the 5 year warranty from the 'Gold Standard' is pretty worthless. And, I'm desperate. I need my saw back up and working. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
    Last edited by Lyn Baker; 12-13-2017 at 4:26 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    It’s a bummer to hear you’re bad experience. I have a 2013 from about 6 years ago, 3 phase motor though.

    My advice, besides what you’ve done, would be to keep asking for the person’s boss, and the boss’s boss, etc. Run it up the chain until someone does something. Assuming you took down somone’s name who failed to do what was promised, throw him/her under the bus to the boss.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Porter,TX
    Posts
    1,520
    Shame something like this is happening to you,but it looks like to me that no one at PM wants to deal or do anything for you.Hope you have keep a log of all your emails sent,all the phone calls with all of them name and comments that they gave you.I would search the internet,PM website and just go to the top as far as you can and let that person know how you are being treated.Maybe also call the place that you purchase it from,maybe they can give you a contact number and a name.As much as what these machines of any brand cost you would think service would be better.Shame on PM----Carroll

  4. #4
    Do you have a Facebook and/or Twitter account? Often times comments posted there get a response.

  5. #5
    I have new powermatic 3520b lathe. The VFD went and I had the same problem. Either drive the headstock 120 miles or have an electrician do it. It was my brothers wedding, and I was making the centerpieces. So i was panicking, they didn’t help me at all. They sent me a new VFD and i paid an electrician to install it.
    I was very disappointed with powermatic. They wouldn’t budge at all. Don’t expect them too.

  6. #6
    Wow. These stories are not encouraging. I expected better from a high end company like PM.
    Sounds like the bean counters have taken over ANOTHER reputable firm.
    Sad. Sad. Sad.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    943
    Just providing another view to the conclusion about Powermatic service. I have owned a Jet 8" HH Jointer for 5 years; once very recently. At this point, Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton (JPW) are the same company so I believe that the number for Powermatic is also the support number for Jet. The service I got was prompt, onsite, and high quality; provided through a third party that JPW contracts with in the Northern Illinois area. The last call I made was, in fact, for a suspected motor going bad. The JPW rep did insist I went through several steps to eliminate problems but, in the end, JPW authorized the service company to come onsite and install a new motor. In the end, the service tech found another problem which didn't require a motor, but the point is that the service provided was very responsive and complete. Obviously you have no choice but to keep pushing JPW to replace the motor. Just though I'd relay a positive response to give some hope that it truly is motor availability that is the problem.

  8. #8
    Yes I do and IG as well. I have several woodworking friends and acquaintances throughout the country and they are all just as perplexed as I am.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Lyn Baker View Post
    I'm at the point I don't know what to do.
    Wow, what a typical story to hear when a vendor fails its basic responsibilities. If any consolation, I have heard some bad service stories even when Festool is the vendor in question.

    Fewer and fewer woodworking machine companies are left that you can really trust when something goes wrong. It is all smooth sailing when you buy though.

    Is it an option to rent a replacement (any brand) in the meantime and attempt to recover the cost back from PM later?

    Simon

  10. #10
    Glad to hear you've had a positive, concise and quick outcome with them. My rep has never mentioned any kind of a service center that could help me out. I live in the Ozark Mtns of north central Arkansas and I guess I may be just close enough to the Nashville TN area that I'd be served by their main headquarters. I can assure JPW that I will reconsider any equipment purchases going forward as it involves them. I'm extremely disappointed.

  11. #11
    Since experiencing this problem, I've done some research on JPW. They have some major employee problems it seems. From the posts I've read from former employees the moral is terrible, the pay is barely adequate and upper management is unresponsive. Posts from upper management are all about creating greater profits for stakeholders/shareholders. Little mention of what they actually do to make that happen. I will be careful about purchasing equipment from them going forward. About two years ago I was in the market for a larger joiner. It was either Powermatic or Felder/Hammer. I bought the latter and have been very pleased with the machine and the handling of the purchase through Felder/Hammer.

  12. #12
    I've received an email this morning from the service technician. He says they are going to go ahead and pull a motor off of a new machine, test it, then get it in the mail to me. He didn't say when though. I'll be calling him later today to see if I can nail him down. With that said, I've got two thoughts about this turn of events: 1) what will the story be for the unlucky buyer who gets the machine from which they are robbing this motor; will he/she know any of this (I'm sure they won't), 2) has JPW let things go this bad with customer service and parts replacement for a reason? Why would they not have an adequate supply of replacement parts in inventory? Are the owners of JPW robbing all the value out of the company as they drive it into possible bankruptcy then dump it? We've all seen this scenario before.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Deep South
    Posts
    3,970
    I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Grizzly would have had the motor in stock and would have shipped it the next day.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Sacramento, CA
    Posts
    2,005
    Quote Originally Posted by Art Mann View Post
    I'll bet a dollar to a doughnut that Grizzly would have had the motor in stock and would have shipped it the next day.
    Ha! Dont be so sure of that. It took Grizzly months to fix the issue I had with one of their oscillating edge sanders being out of square with its table. Bought it brand new and the whole process was documented here too.

    These companies dont control as much as they pretend to. They are all at the mercy of the chinese companies that manufacture all the parts they use in their machines.
    If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Bucks County, PA
    Posts
    198
    I'm surprised to hear this. I own many Powermatic tools and while I have rarely needed it, I have had nothing but excellent customer service from them over the years.

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