Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hopefully this is available to non-subscribers:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2009/09/garry-ultra-light-vacuum-consumer-reports-review-best-vacuums-infomercial-dirt-devil-hoover-eureka-b.html

Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: The Garry upright vacuum is a lightweight . . . in more ways than one

- good for bare floors and pet hair - not so great at carpet cleaning.

Hello Severus:

Thank you.  The article came through fine for me, a non-CR subscriber.  Excellent review.  Seems garry vacuum takes a page from another vacuum maker when it comes to false claims embellished with hype and hawking.  Unfortunately, as CR shows a few minute demo is worth a 1000 meaningless words.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Not only that.  They copied the styling of that vac.

HARDSELL wrote:

Yes, tools on board!

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Tools are in the closet with the hand held on their copy.

Severus wrote:

Serves them right for copying Oreck.

HARDSELL wrote:

Right again:  Garry better off going bagless.  ORECK has the market cornered on 8 pound lightweight vacuums.  Then again, one bagless windbag for the vacuum industry is enough!

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

No authorized gary dealers either just like another infamous brand.  One garry vacuum customer spent $80 for the cost of shipping to and fro for service/warranty.  $40 to send the bad garry back.  $40 to get the new garry vacuum under warranty.  Another page right out of the infamous bagless windbag brand. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Now if Oreck could only pick up as much dirt as the bagless they might have a winner.  Thankfully we only have you as the single windbag on this forum.

CarmineD wrote:

And if you do not live in a major city you can haul the Oreck 100 or so miles then return and pick up after the repair.

HARDSELL wrote:

I may be the one bagged windbag.  But you are the bagless windbag.

Carmine D.

HARDSELL wrote:

I forgot you live in the backwoods country side of Tennessee!

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

HI CARMINE

Finally ...some info on the thing...but no more than we already didnt know..i expected to hear more from CR about this one....people who bought this vac cant get a response to their questions/issues......no service whatsoever......i feel CR should have addressed this issue.and made it known..makes me wonder why not? ..this is an important area and one that should never be lacking....service after the sale.

As much as i dislike dyson ...at least they do respond...eventually ....even if its useless info..and they are nice /..sending you to vac shops that wont touch them/dont want them.....useless warranty.

turtle1

CarmineD wrote:
The issue here if I recall correctly is that replacement of a messed up Garry -- no matter what the reason -- was to be free. The 80 bucks for shipping and "handling" is about the cost of a brand new on isn't it? If so, the whole is farce since a lightweight vacuum, decently packed and box shouldn't cost more than 10 or 15 bucks to ship via UPS Ground.

Venson

Hello Venson:

From the 10th post of 23 on the CR page with the garry comments, I excerpted this user's review:

"I don't expect  free shipping if I was using the product for 1 yr.+  However, to have to pay another $76 for shipping and processing after 4 months of use is quite a ripoff. "

I opined this is $38 to ship the old defective garry back and $38 for garry to ship the replacement.  Upon reading again, the poster says it cost $11 to return so the additional $65 is the garry charge for shipping a replacement.  As the poster says: a rip off.

Carmine D.

BTW Venson shipping and handling on an ORECK runs $25-$30 unless ORECK waives the costs as a special promotion to buy.  That's from the new plant in Tennessee, the city part not the backwoods part HS dwells in, to Las Vegas. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Once again your ignorance shows.  The factory is in the hills of TN.  I actually live a stones throw from Tom Oreck.

Once again HS you prove that my 5 year old grand daughter knows the difference between making a joke and ignorance better than you.   

WRT the shipping costs and garry repalcements, reading more of the posts, confirms Venson's view.  The $80 is for the replacement garry vacuum.  Have to wait to see how this plays out in Peoria.  I suspect garry will have to fine tune its verbage to get into legal conformity or risk legal actions.

Carmine D.

Pondering the garry vacuum warranty, it is quite a scam in addition to rip off.  Garry makes more money replacing defective garry vacuums than selling new ones and repairing in/out of warranty.   Doesn't give customers a warm and fuzzy feeling when dealing with new vacuum makers and their claims/technical jargon.   No surprise at all that these garry vacuums are not sold thru indy's.  Any bets on how long it will be in business?

Carmine D.

From the CR Web site that SEVERUS posted:  Here's how/why the garry posters write $80 for a garry vacuum replaced under warranty:

As with the bags, free isn't exactly no cost. You'll pay to ship the vacuum back to the manufacturer and $40 for shipment of the new model. All that on top of the $40 you spent on shipping in the first place.

In fact CR's figure of $80 understates the garry shipping costs.  Why?  As poster 10 says, he paid $11 to ship back the defective garry.  So the new/replaced garry cost him $91 not $80!  Suppose the 2nd garry fails, assuming another $11 to ship back and and $40 shipping for replacement.  Now, the shipping cost for the original purchase [with 2 replacements] is $142 [not counting the $200/$249 initial price paid and the bags every 4 months for $10 unless the buyer cancels them.  Very expensive proposition. 

Question:  What happens to the returned defective garry vacuums?  Refurbs?  Or dump junk?

Carmine D.

I'm sorry if I can't feel ANY sympathy for the burned consumers. Even if I wasn't a retailer I would still feel little for them. It doesn't take much to question the validity of a product that was advertised such as this was. The Consumers FIRST and foremost requirement was to buy by PRICE. They got what the wanted most... a cheap vacuum. They did not buy for quality, service or warranty. Shark products are the same. AS sophisticated as people THINK they are, they still can't figure out TV ADVERTISING. An Ad Agency is commissioned to sell a product, why would they EVER tell anything negative about a it, yet people are still surprised when they are duped? I would have a little more sympathy if they were misled by Consumers Reports because they try to be impartial. I do have to wonder, with all the amount of faulty picks, when they too will be of little reliability to the consumer.

Dyson, garry vacuum, fantom, halo, shark, and others reinforce the legitimacy and credibility of the indies like you and others who post here regularly.  When vacuum consumers get duped by the big box retailers, marketeers like Ken Garcia and the halo [recall a poster here who thought he was all that said FROM VIEWING THE HALO WEB PAGE ONLY that halo would sell a MILLION of them] and garry vacuums inevitably end up at their local vacuum indy for advice and help when things go wrong.  Never ever fails. 

Like I always say here, the vacuum indies are the backbone of the vacuum industry.  Always have been and will be.  The big box rip off stores come and go, the fancy schmancy marketed vacuums come and go.  The vacuum indies like you are here to stay.  In part to clean up the mess these fly-by-night crooks, thieves, scammers leave behind.  Threy give the vacuum industry a bad rep, not the indies.  BTW recall that former halo admirer typically bad mouths and trash talks the indies.  Offers no proof.  Gives no names.  Just the same panned meaningless empty words that bear no resemblance to the truth.  He gives the vacuum industry a bad name by trying to make a living off it. 

Carmine D.

The Garry vac was intended to be a play on the public desire to get something for nothing. (The lottery is the same deal.)

To my mind, Garry's idea all along was to present a cheap knock-off of a more expensive, more popular vacuum. And in this day and age of information where it takes all you can do to sell a fairy tale to a two-year-old, grown folks with a little spending change appear more than ready to buy into the one Garry's telling.

If you suddenly appear out of nowhere as Garry did and then hit me with me with spiels like, "Buy it and if anything goes wrong I'll send you a new one," or "I'll supply you with free bags for the life of the machine," I begin to wonder. I never got why it seemed no one else did.

Venson

Hello Venson et al:

You were skeptical and doubtful from the get go.  I went back and read the 50 or so posts on the original thread for this subject.  While I initially thought perhaps former disgruntled ORECK employees [if there is such a thing] were behind the start up of the garry, I hit a brick wall when I posed this theory to existing ORECK employees.  They were in the dark and surprised by the similarities but it ended there.  Obviously it is not the case. 

There is/was however ONE technical element with the garry that intriqued me, tho I was and still am skeptical.  The tools on board operation and performance.  This is the edge that garry has over the ORECK IF the tools give decent performance.  I wanted to check the tools out for useful and practical performance.  That was the issue that would make or break the appeal of this vacuum over the ORECK, IMHO.  CR was not impressed with tool use and I'm sure I won't be either.    Which bears out the suspicion I had with this vacuum.  Too small a motor for decent tool suction.

Carmine D.

I recall in the infomercial that garry beat out an ORECK on pick up of candy pieces on the rug/floor.  ORECK failed miserably according to the garry demo.  This intriqued me especially when HS raised it as an issue to support his persistent claims that ORECK fails on the clean up of these big pieces like M&M's and cheerios  I opined that the garry demo used an ORECK with a disconnected the belt [hence no brush roll action].  I verified this by using an ORECK with a belt/brush operation working properly and one without.  I duplicated the garry results in the ORECK w/o the belt connected and posted to HS and others here.

Carmine D.

My husband thought he was doing me a favor and ordered the Garry Vacuum.  It was not even three months old and the motor went in the machine.  After fighting with the customer service people for over a week, I will finally be receiving a new machine at no cost to me.  I had the machine for 91 days when I finally was able to speak with a supervisor.  My free replacement warranty ran out on the 90th day.  They wanted me to spend $50.00 for them to ship out another unit and then pay the additional shipping to send the broken machine back.  What a hunk of junk!  I should have opened it right away and sent it back during the first 30 days!  The customer service people are all located in India and when you ask them where they are located they lie and tell you California.   The only thing that helped me out was the fact that I told them I was contacting the BBB in California to file a complaint against the corporate office in California.  I am keeping my fingers crossed!

Hi ChrisH,

Wow -- quite a story. I wish you a good result.

Venson

Hello ChrisH and others who own a garry:

Would you mind checking and posting the country of origin for the garry vacuum, please.  It should be on the serial number sticker/plate of the vacuum.  Thank you in advance for your time and response.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
I believe they are currently made in Cookeville, TN.  Previously in LA.

Hello HS:

Your belief is completely wrong.  There is no halo and wings on the garry vac!  

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Guess you are right.  Garry is a newborn and Oreck is dead.

HS:

One out of 2.  I am right.  BUT, halo was dead and ORECK breathed new life into it! 

Not true for garry.  It will fade away along with another vacuum maker.  The question IS which will be first?

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Halo is on the respirator.

No HS, people on respirators should use a halo! 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

HI CARMINE

Reguardless if the G-vac did great with its hose.....its still has many years of solid hard use years to endure, to even come close to  what you get with an ORECK....you can take an ORECK and use it in a commercial setting all day...everyday...take home and use it  everyday and it wont miss a lick......will work flawlessly for many years under xtreme use/abuse.......a great vacuume with a rep to match.

BUT have you seen the latest BOB THE ANSWER MAN infomercial.....for the NINJA  mixer/processor.....hmmm looks like a garry motor could be under the hood/cover of this one...what do you think?

turtle1

Hi 'turtle1'

Agree with you on ORECK.  All the benchmarks of a leader.  Product recognition.  Product reputation.  USA made.  Leader in lightweight uprights in the industry.  Best return policy in the vacuum industry if not completely statisfied. 

Carmine D.

retardturtle1 wrote:

Oreck should last.  No dirt gets in the vacuum to wear it out.  Now if it pulled dirt out of carpet it would likely fail real soon.

Ever notice those commercial uses.  Carpet with little more nap than a piece of wood.  Can't recall seeing an Oreck used in deeper pile.

HARDSELL wrote:

HS your argument falls apart based on the huge size of the ORECK paper bag.  One of the largest dirt containment capacities in the vacuum industry ever, if not the largest.  Especially in view of the fact that ORECK weighs 9 pounds, only one third of most full size vacuums on the market today.  Now, if referring to the itzy bitzy capacities of dirt cups on your fave brand, then I fully agree with your logic.  I suspect users grow so tired and weary of dumping the small dirt cups so often that they buy a cheapie disposable for every day use.  Relegating the overpriced bagless brand with a 5 year limited warranty to a storage closet.  Guaranteed to last a lifetime like the belts and filters.

Carmine D.

The Garry vacuum is now available for sale through HSN.

http://www.hsn.com/infomercial/garry-ultra-light-vacuum-with-steam-mop_p-5698872_xp.aspx?webm_id=0&web_id=5698872&sf=hw&dept=hw0108&ocm=HW|hw0108&prev=hp!sf!dept&ccm=HW|hw0108

Thanks Scott for the heads up. 

I watched the video.  It is well done by Kali and Saul.  But a few things to note.  800 units for sale but only 300 sold despite Kali's pitch that they wouldn't last.  $199 plus $25.95 shipping and handling.  Plus an extra $25.95 for a 2 year protection plan from HSN.  Why would you need if garry has a lifetime limited warranty?  Bags are $9.99 for 8.  For the shipping and handling.  The steam mop won't stay up with the head wipe on.  Note Saul and Kali hold it/lean it up against furniture when not in use.  The mop wipe came off in the first demo and Saul repositions before doing the second demo.

Clearly Saul and Kali and garry market this knock off against ORECK, the industry leader for almost 50 years.

Carmine D.

PS:

Kali errs when she says the mop takes 1-2 minutes to heat up.  Saul says 30 seconds like the ORECK Steam It.  Also note the v shape mop head.  Reminiscent of the BISSELL stick vac head.

CarmineD wrote:

More Carmine fluff.

Take a pint jar and call it Dyson.  Take a gallon jug and call it oreck.

Submerge each under water for 5 seconds.  Wait. We have to put a lid on the Oreck and make a small hole in the lid.  Which will fill first?

HS:

The only fluff in my ORECK bag is the dog hair that my $199 ORECK sucks up into the bag along with the dirt/dust from the rug.  Something a dyson DC07 pink for $399 [before discounts] could never and still won't do.  Based on your analogy, dyson to a pint and ORECK to a gallon, which should consumers buy?  The pint size for $500 plus or the gallon size for $199 plus?  Dyson made in malaysia, ORECK in the USA. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

I would take the pint that will fill rather than the gallon that doesn't fill because it leaves the filth in the carpet.

The oreck is sitting on top of your carpet and not deep cleaning.  The motor is too weak to turn the brush if it sinks in the carpet.  High RPM does not relate to power.  Usually just the opposite.

HS:

The ORECK gallon and one half size bag capacity fills because the ORECK doesn't work properly.  Now, that's a new and different perspective on the effectiveness of vacuum operations and performance on rugs.  Do you have any more observations like this one to post.  It's right up there with paying $600 for a dyson vacuum that can't perform as well as a $60 HOOVER TEMPO. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
By your own admittance it does not deep clean on medium or higher pile carpet.

HS:

No, your words and interpretation not mine.  ORECK deep cleans better than many of the current brands that are much more expensive.  Note the grooming of the carpets after using ORECK vacuums.  They can't groom without deep cleaning too. 

My point that you missed is that if you use an ORECK daily, as it was made to be used, deep cleaning isn't an issue.  Why?  As I explained already it takes surface dirt and dust 5 days to embed in the backing of rugs.  My point is true for all vacuums that are used daily and properly.

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:
You can groom a carpet with a carpet rake.  They do not remove any dirt.  Why not buy a better vac that does not require daily use?

No HS you can rake a carpet with a rake, you can't groom it.  Groom, my friend, implies cleaning also.

I vacuum daily.  I have to vacuum daily because I have an English yellow lab that sheds year round and a dear Wife with allergies and sinuses.  My 9 pound ORECK for $199 does a yeoman's job.  It's over 2 years old, works like a charm and my dog and Wife don't run for cover during operation.  Dyson's notorious clutch ratcheting sent all in the house for cover.

I contemplated the HOOVER bagged Platinum lightweight [rated number 2 by CR] with companion canister for $299 in June 2009.  My dear Wife and I liked the ORECK performance on rugs and floors much better.  As I said for higher pile, the HOOVER probably is better.  For medium to low and floors, the ORECK is better.  I have 75 percent floors and 25 percent medium loop pile wool rugs.  And assorted area rugs mostly berber.  ORECK is primo.  Why change if you're happy and satisfied.  I'll upgrade my ORECK as I mentioned already.  Sales should be coming soon for the Holiday season.  I'll buy a new ORECK AGAIN.

Carmine D.