Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had been looking for a new push mower for my mom and had decided on a ***** lawnmower. I looked up on the internet and found that Anderson Power outdoor equipment carried the ***** lawnmowers. I was looking to buy from a dealer rather than a box store thinking I would get better customer service. I was wrong. I had already had in mind what I was looking for and knew that Gerald J**** ***** Power Equipment in Augusta Ga had the model I bought(*********) and another model in stock that I was interested in(*********). Being that Anderson SC is about 35-40 min from my residence I told my mom that we would drop by Anderson Outdoor Equip since I was in the area due to a md appt. We went after my appt to the local store (Anderson outdoor Equip) and Steve was the salesman. He didn't seem very knowledgable about the 2 mowers I was inquiring about. I asked him if they had the ********* in stock. He said no and said this is all we have and won't order. I asked him how long was the warranty on two particular mowers they had in stock. He said all ***** mowers are 3 yrs residential and the commercial ones are 1yr. I told him I thought the 217 had a 5yr warranty and the 216 had 3 yr if they were residential mowers, he said no. After I told him that is what is on ***** website and info from Gerald J**** and ***** it was 3yr for 216 and 5 yr for 217 model. He asked one other guy and he said yes, that what I said was correct and he said why and the guy said they were different parts in the mowers that could provide me with a 5yr warranty vs 3 yr warranty. They had a 217 mower that I could of bought to get 5yr warranty instead of 3 yr. I told him that I was going to look at ***** real quick and if I decide to buy from them I would be back. My mom and I went to ***** and looked at the 2 mowers(********* and *********). They had both of the mowers in stock at *****. We discussed it among ourselves and thought it would be better to just go to Anderson Outdoor Equip and get the ********* instead of the ********* or ********* at ***** or Gerald J**** in Augusta) Only reason I was considering AUGUSTA was because I would be going right by the dealership in a few days due to an appt at the Augusta Burn Center( it is a 2 hr drive from my house)
  So we returned back to store that day on 3-6-2023 and told Steve that we had decided to get mower from them because we felt like a local store opposed to a box store would be a better option (service and warranty issues if they were needed, service dept on site)
  I purchased the mower, during the payment process I asked Steve was they going to give me one new in the box. He said No that one on the floor is yours. I told him I would like one in box. He said no we will put one together after you purchase this one. It take a day to put together. I said I still will take one in the box, he said we don't do that, we are not a big box store. Why I asked that is because the one on the floor had some paint off the side of the deck. I never looked at the blades or underside of mower because I thought I would get one brand new in box. They had mower in new boxes stacked in front of store. I thought then I have messed up. I should have never walked in the door to this store. These people are a joke. I should have purchased it at ***** and kept going. I noticed when I went to pay that the total was a little higher than I expected and I asked Steve once I got the bill and he said YeS you used your credit card and we charge you 2% interest for it unless you pay cash or with check. I said well I want my money back and you can keep the 10.98 credit card fee and I don't want the mower I will purchase elsewhere. He kind of snickered and said we don't do that, it's yours. You bought it pull around back and pick it up. LIKE I SAID I KNEW THEN FOR SURE I HAD MADE A BIG MISTAKE BUYING FROM THEM. I just let it go because I did not need to get upset.
  We brought it home and my mom cut the grass that evening and I was in the yard while she was cutting the grass. As usual we put the mower in the garage after she got done. Never looked at it again til my brother came and wanted to take a look at the new mower on 3-16-2023. He mentioned to me that he noticed a ding or dent that came from the inside of deck and said you need to call them and get another one. The blade may be hitting from the inside. I called them and explained the above and Phillip said Joe would need to look at it and he prob could go out to car when you drop it off and take a look at it and decide what they can do about it. I told him my concern was that the blade might be hitting the deck from the inside. We have never had any problems with any mowers that we have had like this. We do not have any uneven spots or anything in our yard other than grass and flat surface. We take care of our stuff. I did express my concern with Phillip about us not being able to load and unload the mower due to my mom's age and my health condition. He said maybe you can get your brother to load for you and bring it to be checked out. He also said Joe could come out to car and look at issue and decide if they would give me a replacement. I told I hope so cause if I would of bought it from ***** I could have returned it and got a replacement if was within 30 days. My mom and I had my brother load it and made a special trip to Anderson and was told to ask for JOE. When I went in store I asked for Joe and he came out, I asked him had he talked with Phillip about my concern and he said yes. I asked him if he wanted to come out to look at it and he said no you will have to leave it with us. I asked him about replacement and he said no we don't do that it's yours. If it needs deck or repair we will contact ***** and go from there. I said ok. I dropped it off at about 230 pm on 3-16-2023 and left it with them.
  Lo and behold I got a call on 3-17-2023 while I was on my way to the Augusta Burn Clinic at 820 am by Joe saying yes it was a ding on deck from the inside and that a nick was on blade like something like a rock was hit and caused ding and that it was ready to pick up. Nothing was wrong with mower. I said I figured that you were not going to do anything about it and it was a waste of time to bring back to you to look at and waste of gas.
  I was not planning on picking up lawn mower til Tuesday 3-21-2023 to save money on gas. I had an existing appt in Anderson and would drop by after appt to pick up mower. On Monday, 3-20-2023 at 916 am I received a call from Anderson outdoor Equip saying I needed to pick up mower because after 10 day they would start charging storage. I told the lady I knew mower was ready to be picked up I received a call from Joe Friday morning. I told her I would pick up on 3-21-2023 because I was not making a special trip to Anderson to pick mower up. I told her I would pick up after my appt and she said I would accrue storage fees if I didn't pick up in 10 days. I told her it would not be 10 days if I pick up on 3-21-2023. It would be only 4 days and only 3 working days.
  Lawn mower was picked up today 3-21-2023

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  Please accept this letter as a response to the complaint submitted by Ms. **** ******** on March 21, 2023. Upon receipt of the BBB complaint, Anderson Power Equipment management investigated the allegations with employees having knowledge of Ms. ********’s purchase. Upon conclusion of that investigation, management is confident that Ms. ********’s complaints are without merit.

  
  It is evident from her complaint that Ms. ******** is under the impression that the ***** lawnmower that she purchased was not a new machine. That impression is simply incorrect. When a particular ***** lawnmower is sold, the mower is pushed back to our on-site shop where it is serviced (first ever gasoline added, first ever engine oil added, the machine is started to check engine operation, and the blades are engaged). It is company policy that every mower we sell is serviced before the customer takes it home to ensure that it is operating in optimum fashion. Servicing a machine all takes place inside the shop – the machine is never put into the grass. Once a ***** mower is sold, employees then replace it on the showroom floor with a brand new mower that is unboxed from a ***** shipping box and assembled. None of the ***** lawnmowers on the showroom floor have ever been used or even had fuel in them. Indeed, none of the mowers have ever been outside. The ***** lawnmower that Ms. ******** selected was a brand new unit in pristine condition. Our showroom is well-lit with overhead LED panel lighting. Any dents in the deck or paint imperfections would have been easily observed. Indeed, Anderson Power Equipment employees and Ms. ******** loaded the mower into Ms. ********’ vehicle, in bright sunlight. Ms. ******** intimates that she received a used machine by stating that she never looked at the blades or under the deck, "because she assumed she was getting a new machine." She did in fact, receive a new machine. If we were in the business of selling used equipment as new, we surely would not have been in business since 2004.

  
  Ms. ******** purchased the ***** mower on March 6, 2023. Ms. ******** reports that her mother used the mower that evening. Thereafter, on March 16, 2023, Ms. ********’s brother came by to look at the new mower and “noticed a ding or dent that came from inside of the deck.” As Ms. ******** notes, she brought the mower to our shop so that our mechanics could inspect it. Our general manager, himself a factory-trained technician with 40 years of experience and numerous manufacturer certifications, personally conducted the inspection. His inspection revealed two small dents in the deck caused by a projectile or projectiles striking the inside of the deck. The blades showed clear evidence of strike with a hard object. Photographs of the deck and blades were taken, and are attached hereto. During operation, it is not always evident to a user when the blades of a mower encounter rocks or other debris. Damage to the blades of the like shown in the photographs, however, can only come from a blade strike. Unfortunately, manufacturer warranties do not cover damage caused by the customer. That includes blade strikes.  As such, Ms. ******** was advised that repairs to the machine would not be covered under the ***** warranty.

  
  Finally, Ms. ******** complains that she was charged a 2% credit card fee. As interest rates have climbed, we made a business decision effective January 1, 2023 that we could no longer absorb all of the fees charged to us by our credit card processor. Since that time, signage advising of the 2% credit card fee has been posted on both entry doors and immediately in front of every credit card terminal. It is surprising that Ms. ******** did not observe the signage, especially since she came to the store twice on the day of purchase. If Ms. ******** did not want to pay the 2% credit card fee, we would have gladly cancelled the transaction and refunded her money in its entirety.
  

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  Please accept this letter as a response to the complaint submitted by Ms. **** ******** on March 21, 2023. Upon receipt of the BBB complaint, Anderson Power Equipment management investigated the allegations with employees having knowledge of Ms. ********’s purchase. Upon conclusion of that investigation, management is confident that Ms. ********’s complaints are without merit.

  
  It is evident from her complaint that Ms. ******** is under the impression that the ***** lawnmower that she purchased was not a new machine. That impression is simply incorrect. When a particular ***** lawnmower is sold, the mower is pushed back to our on-site shop where it is serviced (first ever gasoline added, first ever engine oil added, the machine is started to check engine operation, and the blades are engaged). It is company policy that every mower we sell is serviced before the customer takes it home to ensure that it is operating in optimum fashion. Servicing a machine all takes place inside the shop – the machine is never put into the grass. Once a ***** mower is sold, employees then replace it on the showroom floor with a brand new mower that is unboxed from a ***** shipping box and assembled. None of the ***** lawnmowers on the showroom floor have ever been used or even had fuel in them. Indeed, none of the mowers have ever been outside. The ***** lawnmower that Ms. ******** selected was a brand new unit in pristine condition. Our showroom is well-lit with overhead LED panel lighting. Any dents in the deck or paint imperfections would have been easily observed. Indeed, Anderson Power Equipment employees and Ms. ******** loaded the mower into Ms. ********’ vehicle, in bright sunlight. Ms. ******** intimates that she received a used machine by stating that she never looked at the blades or under the deck, "because she assumed she was getting a new machine." She did in fact, receive a new machine. If we were in the business of selling used equipment as new, we surely would not have been in business since 2004.

  
  Ms. ******** purchased the ***** mower on March 6, 2023. Ms. ******** reports that her mother used the mower that evening. Thereafter, on March 16, 2023, Ms. ********’s brother came by to look at the new mower and “noticed a ding or dent that came from inside of the deck.” As Ms. ******** notes, she brought the mower to our shop so that our mechanics could inspect it. Our general manager, himself a factory-trained technician with 40 years of experience and numerous manufacturer certifications, personally conducted the inspection. His inspection revealed two small dents in the deck caused by a projectile or projectiles striking the inside of the deck. The blades showed clear evidence of strike with a hard object. Photographs of the deck and blades were taken, and are attached hereto. During operation, it is not always evident to a user when the blades of a mower encounter rocks or other debris. Damage to the blades of the like shown in the photographs, however, can only come from a blade strike. Unfortunately, manufacturer warranties do not cover damage caused by the customer. That includes blade strikes.  As such, Ms. ******** was advised that repairs to the machine would not be covered under the ***** warranty.

  
  Finally, Ms. ******** complains that she was charged a 2% credit card fee. As interest rates have climbed, we made a business decision effective January 1, 2023 that we could no longer absorb all of the fees charged to us by our credit card processor. Since that time, signage advising of the 2% credit card fee has been posted on both entry doors and immediately in front of every credit card terminal. It is surprising that Ms. ******** did not observe the signage, especially since she came to the store twice on the day of purchase. If Ms. ******** did not want to pay the 2% credit card fee, we would have gladly cancelled the transaction and refunded her money in its entirety.
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/30/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ********

  in the statement at the end the business said they would have refunded my money for the mower and I would be socially assent the 2percent fee while in fact that is a lie. They refused to refund me my money for the mower after I said something about the 2 percent fee. Like I stated before he snickered and said it is yours. That’s is before the mower ever left there premises. However, if they can live with I can but they are wrong. As stated before I wanted one in a box before leaving and we would of never had this issue or if they would have refunded my money for the mower like they said they would and me absorb the 2 percent fee we would not be having this discussion. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/30/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** ********

  in the statement at the end the business said they would have refunded my money for the mower and I would be socially assent the 2percent fee while in fact that is a lie. They refused to refund me my money for the mower after I said something about the 2 percent fee. Like I stated before he snickered and said it is yours. That’s is before the mower ever left there premises. However, if they can live with I can but they are wrong. As stated before I wanted one in a box before leaving and we would of never had this issue or if they would have refunded my money for the mower like they said they would and me absorb the 2 percent fee we would not be having this discussion.