PORTAGE, Mich. — A Portage man who ordered replacement parts for his lawnmower is frustrated with the company after it initially sent him the wrong items.
When the parts came in, he told FOX 17 he knew they were not right. But when he went to ship the box back UPS wanted $100, meaning he’d have to pay for the company’s error.
LAWNMOWER PURCHASE
Richard Bush bought his riding lawnmower in 2018. It may be the wrong color but it does the job.
“It’s a red one and I’m a Michigan fan now what do you figure of that one? What’s red stand for?” he said laughing.
You can tell by his gear and stickers on the mower that he’s a huge Michigan fan.
The 81-year-old stopped driving in 2013 due to failing eyesight. His rider gives him a little more freedom and now he uses it to mow three different yards.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
When he needed some replacement parts for the bagger, he opened up the manual, located the items, and called the company.
“And they put operators on and you talk to them you give them the part number you want and the things you want and they send you the parts,” he said.
The three parts that he paid for were $162 but when they arrived, they were not the right ones.
“So, I called back and told them that and come to find out they changed the numbers on the parts, and someone had figured out what they were so the second time they sent me the right parts,” he said.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
When he and his daughter went to UPS, they found out it would cost him $100 to ship the box back.
He was already out $162 and paid another $140 for the right parts. He didn’t want to shell out even more to send them back.
“Because I’m not the one who made the mistake, they made the mistake by not changing the part numbers on their products and someone had to figure it out,” Bush said. “They lied to me all the time. We asked for a PO order number to send the box back because it was their mistake - of doing the wrong thing - they told her they would and they didn’t do it.”
MTD COMPLAINTS
Apparently, Richard is not alone.
While MTD Products has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, that does not take customer reviews into account.
There have been 126 complaints with the company in the last year alone and customers barely give it 1 star.
The complaints cite several of the same issues Bush dealt with including product numbers changing, missing parts when orders arrive, and bad customer service.
DAUGHTER’S INVOLVEMENT
“I was frustrated for him but then when we went to the reviews finally after the UPS incident and I just looked at that and I’m like, ‘we have to do something,’” said Richard’s daughter Connie Ferris.
She says she gave the company her information after an employee said they'd send a pre-paid shipping label for the return. It still has never arrived.
“I really think it’s important that the average consumer really check reviews, talk to people, maybe call the shops where they first got the merchandise,” said Ferris.
FOX 17 INVOLVEMENT
The family contacted FOX 17 to get the word out, urging others to do their homework before spending money with any company.
“I don’t like people lying to me,” said Bush. “I don’t expect companies to lie to people when they order things and buy their product.”
MTD STATEMENT
A spokesperson with MTD Products told me:
We appreciate you reaching out to us on this situation. MTD's goal is always the highest level of customer satisfaction. Mr. Bush is a valued customer who has also purchased several items from us in the past. Our Customer Support team has been working with him to ensure he has the proper parts and can easily return those he doesn’t need. We will continue to work with Mr. Bush to resolve any concerns he may still have and make sure he has what he needs to care for and enjoy his outdoor spaces this spring!
PROBLEM SOLVED
After I reached out to the company, Mr. Bush got ahold of me saying he got a call from MTD this afternoon and was told it will return the $162 dollars to him and he does not have to send the wrong parts back.
He plans to just recycle them.
