Fantastic fan: Lifetime warranty no more.

[zedex]

Hi.. So i have been trying to get a thermostat for my fantastic fan and there is now no lifetime warranty. They will not honor the lifetime warranty, as the company has been sold to new operators.. So.. If you call up FF and try and get a part, you will now have to pay.
It has now be about 4 months trying to get a thermostat, no dice..
There you have it.

Any new product from FF is now a 2 year warranty, and i dont know what that warranty covers.

[crispyboy]

I just tried to purchase some parts for an older fantastic fan. Only the dome is covered under warranty.
The garnish and plastic cover that holds the motor in place have cracked in several places. The said I would have to buy the upgrade kit to get the parts. By the time I buy the suggested upgrade kit I might as well just spring for a new fan.
So with this information I plan on working on my skills of epoxying and fiberglassing some pieces together. If this doesn't work I plan on going to the Maxfan deluxe model next year. I like the idea of keeping the fan open and not worrying about the rain.

[pbearsailor]

The local RV repair place told me they had been purchased by Atwood. Sad to see this company change.

-steve

[Excella CM]

Too big to care.

Last time I called I spoke to an employee that said they'd just been sold and new "policies" were in the works. Not so fantastic anymore.

[DKDarrow]

I called them the other day for their advice on fixing the on/off switch on my 5 year old fan. Courteous and helpful with a couple of non-asked for answers on operation of my 2nd fan............Previously this company was privately owned and as the owner's grew older, they have decided to retire. So, yes, they sold their company as many of us have. There is no room in anyone's place to criticize the old management and compare them with the new. God bless..........Dennis

[masseyfarm]

I also found this out last week (no more warranty) when the wind broke the lift drive on my older unit.

I guess we should just be thankful we can still get parts!

I too will be looking at all options before I spend my money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a good warranty with just paying a small handling and shipping fee and I am sorry to see the change.

Those cheap eBay fans are starting to look attractive.

Dave

[DKB_SATX]

I was already leaning toward a MaxxFan Deluxe for the 28' trailer because of the way the lid works. I guess the warranty difference is no longer an issue so I'll go for function over (past) reputation.

[Drathaar]

If you don't get what you expect, vote with your wallet. There are other vendors.

[lsbrodsky]

I called them to get a conversion kit for reverse and they were very helpful. The price was very fair. I am satisfied with my transaction with them and have no need to look elsewhere.
Larry

[bredlo]

Originally Posted by DKDarrow

There is no room in anyone's place to criticize the old management and compare them with the new.

Pffft - ok!

I have no problem with someone retiring, but if I'm getting crap service I'll let everybody know about it, thank you very much. The least we should do is demand a product's quality stays high, and vote with our wallets if it doesn't. Going to a 2 year warranty says a lot about how confident they are in their quality.

Thetford did this after buying Wilcox-Crittenden a few years ago, discontinuing bronze products that'd been sold for literally a century... and replacing them with plastic ones that break in a year.

The icing on the cake is as soon as Atwood, Thetford, etc. catch on that we choose their competitor's products and service... these companies will simply buy the competitor.

[Excella CM]

Originally Posted by bredlo

The icing on the cake is as soon as Atwood, Thetford, etc. catch on that we choose their competitor's products and service... these companies will simply buy the competitor.

More likely is that a good product line will just disappear completely.

Remember when brake shops stood in front of their work? Now, wont even stand behind it.

[morgandc]

Sad times, but I could hardly believe that Fantastic stayed in business with the incredible level of customer service and warranty they had ...it was too good to make any money.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Only time will tell.

Have had great service in the past.

We all put up with the two year AS warranty, so we should be used to it if things turn sour with FF.

Bob

[bredlo]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

We all put up with the two year AS warranty, so we should be used to it if things turn sour with FF.

So true! It all comes down to what we're used to putting up with in the first place - then they just eeease it down from there.

[AndrewM]

My Fantastic Fan blew up last night at 3AM. Woke us up with the motor grinding. Then when I went to pull down the lid lever that whole assembly broke off. It was a tough night for my fan.

I read this thread before calling in and was scared. I purchased my fans 3 years ago and was sure that they weren't going to care at all. When I called in the automated Atwood man reminded me of only a 2 year warranty right before I spoke to the live service person.

I spoke with Sharon, and it was one of the best CS calls of my life. She didn't think twice about sending me a new fan assembly (new motor and blade) and also a new lifter assembly. She didn't even care that I couldn't find my original receipt or model number. I off hand mentioned the lid buttons that get rusted and she added the improved versions for all my fans without me even asking. We didn't get into specifics on the warranty, but I am deeply impressed with the warranty coverage I just received.

Hope it continues and other people feel the same.

[jcanavera]

Companies with life time warranties are getting slimmer and slimmer. Sometimes they are victims of their own success. Case in hand I owned a Ducane outdoor grill. When registering the grill new and with payment of $10, you got a lifetime warranty on all components. The grill itself was pricey but heck life time warranty. About 7 years into the ownership I have replaced two of the three burners, the plate that holds the briquettes, the briquettes themselves, and two igniters. Since then Weber bought Ducane and the lifetime warranty program is now gone. Weber took the name and now builds Ducane grills but nothing like the ones built by the former Ducane company. Word on the street was that Ducane couldn't afford the e warranty and even with their premium pricing and good quality hardware, selling out seemed to be the better direction for their owners.

Sad to hear of Fantastic Fan selling out.

Jack

[goshawks00]

Yes customer service is weak in the industry. My 54 FC came w/ a life time warranty to not leak. 56 years later it's still not leaking, but the floors sure rotted out........