Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hi,

Which? magazine has just made a preliminary announcement re the Sebo D series vacuums.  Bags being my preference, I was pleased to read that the D series sports a 6-liter bag (about a gallon and a half).  The airbelt is a little wasted on me as I've never had problems with marring furniture.  However, if it will keep the machine itself from looking like it belongs in a second-hand shop for a few years I'm all for it.

Which? plans to test the D series soon.

The story is here: http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/07/new-vacs-with-bumpers-to-protect-your-furniture-219804

Venson

Hey Bud, I read your review already and was very impressed with it. The D4 Premium is already on You Tube by a UK buyer (not me.) Whilst I trialled the D4 I didn't like the associated weight of the tubing and then the ET-1 floor head. Been there before with my own older K3 Premium model. However the D4 is well made and designed as you say like all of the D series. I don't think the Miele S5 is any lesser than its design though - the difference is that now, instead of using a canister with a long cord and no way of automatically retracting it, you can now have it with the D series. The U.S website has also just been updated with tons of videos and well worth looking out for. However it will take them some time for the D vacuum to be added to that site.  I'm pretty sure in time Miele will respond with the same amount of cord in a bigger cylinder vacuum. There's also a couple of videos from www.sebo.de with the Felix (white computer generated) but gives buyers the general idea.

I would be cautious about SEBO at the moment. Some shake ups in the company and their Multi-Level-Marketing program didn't seem to pan out very well. I have no documented proof of anything but people in the business are talking and their account people are bailing out or being let go. Anyone with more concrete information please post.

Lucky1 wrote:

For 10 consecutive years German electronics' retailers voted SEBO number one for a series of assessment criteria that includes among others such measures as product quality, sales, service and parts availability, reaction and resolution to customer complaints etc. etc.  It has been 4 years since SEBO received the award from the German retailers.  Too long perhaps by SEBO standards.  I suspect but don't know for sure that this may be at the root to the latest management and executive shake ups. 

Carmine D.

Lucky1 wrote:
I think it is rather dangerous to speculate about your caution unless you have hard evidence where a company is concerned. There are no indications that SEBO are going to go anywhere; the U.S market has been good for SEBO through Windsor Industries and commercial field. Perhaps the U.S management are concerned about sellers in the U.S that are not registered with SEBO U.S that can invalidate warranties. The U.S seems to get a better guarantee cover with 5 years and an additional 3 years added with low cost charges. In the UK the story is different where warranties and guarantees are concerned. If a buyer chooses to buy a second hand SEBO from EBAY, the full 5 year guarantee is not covered and in most cases if the machine has already been registered the 5 years guarantee will not additionally cover. Most owners don't register their SEBO for the guarantee as their reliability is second to none but if you try to register a second hand machine, SEBO UK usually only register the machine for a year. It is a possibility that people in the business and their account are being let go - but that has nothing to do with the actual company, but rather the amount of money that private companies are buying from SEBO. After all if the machines aren't selling it wouldn't be cost effective to buy in a new range from a private dealer's point of view.

Having worked in similar work line ups, if the targets are not being met then there may be a push to bail out.

I have had two experiences dealing with Sebo directly. Once 10 or so years ago and once for my D4. The first dealing was when I bought an Air-Storm vacuum with a Sebo power nozzle. The nozzle with the replaceable brush strip. I could not get one from Schoettler Enterprises, so I called Sebo direct. I explained my situation to whoever answered the phone and was transfered to a gentleman who listened to my story and told me that he was familiar with the power nozzle that Schoettler Enterprises used on their vacuums. He sold me a brush strip directly from Sebo and sent it to me within a few days. I think about that experience from time to time and it just amazes me that someone actually took the time to listen and get me the correct brush strip for my vacuum. I don't remember the price of the brush strip, but it was not expensive.

The second experience with Sebo was buying my D4. I ordered it from Achoo Allergy over a weekend and while I received an email thanking me for my purchase, I never received a tracking number. Then since I spent $900 plus on a vacuum from a website I had never dealt with, I started getting worried. The gentleman at Achoo Allergy promised to get the tracking number for me, but did not get it in a timely fashion. His excuse was they were out of stock and ordered directly from Sebo. Their website said they were in stock when I bought it. Anyway I decided to write Sebo customer service and make sure I was dealing with a legitimate Sebo Dealer and could they give me a tracking number. Other than my name and address information, I had nothing else to give them. I really did not expect to get a reply back with the little information I gave them. Well I received the Sebo a few days after that so the the tracking number was not important. The point to this story is this, I did get a reply from Sebo customer service with the assurance that I was dealing with a legitimate internet dealer and that I should have received my Sebo by now and if not to please call them. They furnished the tracking number as well. I will bet if I had tried that with another large vacuum manufacturer, I would still be waiting for a reply....

I think Sebo is here to stay and with their excellent website and customer service, they should be a very formadable player in the world of vacuums. I also agree that german engineering for vacuums is very impressive.

Bud Mattingly

Having just conversed with the MD of SEBO UK, the U.S have a new dealer and sales system in place which is probably the cause of the speculation. More details may follow.

CarmineD wrote:

Hello Carmine

Must agree...the germans know their stuff. Have worked on a few Sebos and the quality is excellent on the ones ive seen and used at  the shop. Their customer service

and parts dept are top notch....  many could learn from them.

turtle

For now, the D4 is rare around the Portland OR area. Our major vac chain, STARKS VACUUM, does not stock them because (supposedly) SEBO vacs are at present having trouble meeting UL specifications. Starks does not carry any Lindhaus vacs either, claiming parts are difficult to get. At present, I do not know of any other chain here carrying the D4 vacuum.

vacomatic wrote:

I don't believe SEBO will ever be more than a niche seller in the US market.  And ever so slight.  Despite the quality and high visibility of of famed and reputable buyers and users. Same is true of Lindhaus.  In part I believe the result of the huge influence of big box retailers and vacuum  brands which cater to their whims with disposable inexpensive vacuum products.  Rather than repair, just replace every few years with new.  Keeps the wheels of the big box retail economy humming.  ORECK is trying, IMHO, with its launch into BB retailers to do both markets.  Disposable and repair venue.  With its prices and products and net work of ORECK stores for repairs and parts, it just may very well succeed where others have not.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

I agree. Even here in New York where you'd expect to find everything not a lot of vacuum specialists carry Sebo or Lindhaus. Most of the vac shops are pushing Riccar, Simplicity and Miele. Were I to have bought a Sebo I'd find myself making a trek into Manhattan most likely to get bags quickly. I'd been eying the C series canister for a long time but easy access to consumables was an issue that influenced me to pass on buying.

Venson