Generac Power Systems, Inc.

Initial issue involved the warranty start date for my whole house standby backup generator. I the owner registered and obtained generator product activation code prior to completing installation unknowingly that the warranty period starts when you obtain the activation code not when you enter the code during initial generator startup. Due to the complexity of the installation the generator startup didn’t occur until 18 months after obtaining the activation code resulting in 18 months of warranty time loss.
Generac customer service personnel are reasonable people and will help their customers when they have legitimate issues with the product and service of the equipment they sell. After providing the necessary proof that the generator was indeed activated and started for the first time 18 months after finishing the installation Generac happily reset my warranty start date so I have my full warranty period again. Considering how many total units Generac builds and sells each year the percentage of units with issues is relatively small. My opinion from reading hundreds of customer reviews in many cases I believe customers are too quick to state the equipment is junk and customer service is bad.

Review: I purchased a Generac Power Washer in November, 2012. When I began to use it for the first time in May, the hose broke and the spray wand was leaking. I contacted Generac's warranty department and requested replacement parts since the product was under warranty. The first girl I spoke to took down all of my warranty information and told me the items would be shipped. Two weeks later, when I had not received the items, I called again. I talked to [redacted] who told me my warranty information was registered, but there was no record of parts ordered. She assured me she would put a rush on these items and I would be receiving them ASAP. Weeks and weeks went by, and no parts. I called [redacted] at extension [redacted] at least twelve times over these past four weeks. Only once did she return one of my calls. The items were on back order and on back order again and again. Finally at the end of six weeks, I was so fed up with not getting any response from her, and calling other people only to be on hold at least 25 minutes and get nowhere. Somehow I finally got her on the phone and she told me she had been calling me back every time and not gettting an answer. She was insistant that she tried to call me. I did not receive calls from her. I have an answering machine and I am most always home.Desired Settlement: I want this to be documented so that Generac will change their business practices. I should have had my calls returned. I waited six weeks for my power washer parts - half the summer. This is unacceptable to me.

Business

Response:

Generac Power Systems would once again like to apologize for the problems that [redacted] experienced with the purchase of a Generac Power Systems power washer. We have reviewed the internal process on how the parts order was handled which brought to light some improvements that can be implemented in and effort to stop this from happening again.

Generac Power Systems has also reviewed the commentary regarding the lack of follow up calls from our customer service department. The case notes indicate that numerous return calls were made to the phone number provided however noboday was available at that time to answer the phone nor were we able to leave a message that we called. Generac Power Systems under no circumstances deliberatley avoided talking with [redacted].

Once again we would like to apologize for the problems that [redacted] experienced and appreciate her letting us know of the problems she has experienced.

Regards,

Generac Power Systems

Consumer

Response:

Generac did not try to contact me as they stated. I have an answering machine. There were never any messages left. There were never any phone calls that I left unanswered. I was waiting for them to contact me because I wanted my parts. Several times I called them and left my phone number. There is no excuse as to why they couldn't call me back. They had the correct phone number.

Business

Response:

Generac Power Systems has previously responded to this complaint and have again reviewed this complaint with our customer service department that was speaking with [redacted]. At this time the complaint appears to be going back and forth regarding the lack of phone calls and communication between the two parties.

The only explanation that we can come up with is that Generac was calling an incorrect number given that [redacted] has stated that she has an answering machine that would have captured every phone call from Generac Power Systems. Generac Power Systems did not at anytime avoid or intentionally not return a phone call from [redacted].

We apologize for the poor customer experience that [redacted] has experienced and cannot offer her any additional explanations as to why she was not being communicated properly with by our customer service department.

Regards,

Generac Power Systems

I have a Generac 7000EXL that has less than 40 hrs. run time on it. I recently fired it up and found out that it was not putting out enough watts. I took it to an authorized Generac service center and they informed me that they knew what was wrong with it but that the parts were no longer available to fix it. I checked the web myself and sure enough, the parts are not out there. I find it pretty sad that you can't get parts for a generator that is ten years old. I wasn't aware that they were disposable. I will never get another Generac. I just purchased another brand.

Review: I purchased a 7500E GP series generator in October 2014. There are serious discrepancies in the owner's manual for the generator, several having potentially serious consequences for me and my family (as well as other purchasers). I requested replacement of the unit with a unit from a series (XP) with more reliable instructions and therefore more likely to perform satisfactorily. I reported this information in a letter to the manufacturer's president on November 24, 2014 and in a followup letter dated January 6, 2015. The company has not responded to my requests. See attached copies of the referenced letters.Desired Settlement: Exchange of GP unit I purchased with a 7000E XP unit.

Business

Response:

A copy of the response Generac has sent to Mr. [redacted] is listed below along with an attachment addressing each one of his concerns.

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

Review: Hopefully, you can help with a problem I am having with Generac Generators along with their repair company, Warshauer Generator.

In August, my wife and I decided to purchase a Generac Generator since we moved back to New Jersey just before Hurricane Sandy and the storm that followed. We were without electricity for about ten days total.

We contacted an authorized Generac installer who quoted a fair price and helped with the permitting process.

After the permits were approved, the generator was installed near the middle of November. The generator was set to do a self diagnostic test once a week on Thursdays. It completed it's diagnostics successfully every week showing a green light until Christmas day.

Just before going out for the day, I waited for the generator to do it's test and noticed that it ran for 30 seconds three times, stopped and showed a red light. I contacted the installer and asked if it was safe to leave the generator in that state. He assured me that it was and said that he would be down the 31st with the repairman.

The installer and the repairman came that day and ran some tests. The repairman then stated that he would have to contact Generac and do some more tests.

The repairman came back the 7th of January did some more tests and said that he had to order parts from Generac and would take about two weeks. I spoke to Generac that day, because the repairman told me to call and ask that the order be expedited. The customer service rep stated that it was the job of the repair company to do that and there was nothing that she could for me. I then followed up with an email.

On January 13, I received a call from Generac Customer resolution who stated that she was going to check into the matter and get back to me. After approximately a week later, I tried to calling her and got her voice mail. In it, she stated tsat she would call back by the end of the day. She never did. I tried calling back two more times over the course of the next week with the same results. Bare in mind, that the installer was also in touch with the repair company as well as I. All to no avail.

Fast forward to today with the snow coming down sideways, I contacted my installer who contacted Warshauer and was told be them that they were at the mercy of Generac since it was under warranty. I, again contacted Generac and spoke to another customer service rep who stated that he would see if the items could be expedited and would get back to me by the end of the day. I called back later that afternoon and got his voice mail and so far I haven't received a callback. I contacted my installer again and he stated that the Generac rep told him that the part was on back order and would not be ready for shipping until the 4th of February. If they ship it that day, it would take about another two weeks to receive it and have the repairman come to install it. My installer asked if they could take the part off one of the completed generators in the warehouse and they said no. He then asked if Generac could ship a whole new generator. They, again said no.

If everything goes as Generac told me, the generator will have been inoperative for at least two months.

It is my hope that you can speak to someone from Generac or Warshauer and have the generator up and running. I'm sure that there are generators in their warehouse that could be swapped out, or, at least scavenged for the parts.

Regards,

Generac Case number: [redacted]

Generator Serial number:[redacted]

Generac telephone number: ###-###-####

Customer Resolution Rep: [redacted] Customer Service Rep: [redacted] Generator: ###-###-####Desired Settlement: Timely Repair or replacement of the entire unit

Business

Response:

Good

Afternoon,