Dissapointed ShopSmith owner

ron_s · Post by **ron_s** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 2:59 pm

I am a little upset and dissapointed with Shopsmith. I purchased a user manual for my Shopsmith 10ER from Shopsmith direct. When I got it I found out it was a reprint and it was very hard to read! It looked like it had been photocopied many times over, fonts are out of focus, pictures hard to see, etc... I must say though that the customer service rep I talked to when I called to complain was very nice! Long story short she went above and beyond but in the end I decided to keep what I have and see if I could figure out what I want to know. Then las weekend I find a site that has everything I bought and then some! I not only was able to download a user manual but I also have parts list and user manuals for things I don't have! I also downloaded Shopsmith Shavings 1-10 and it only cost me time! Sure wish I had not wasted my hard earned money with Shopsmith, as the files I downloaded look exactly like the ones I payed $16.00 and change for at the Shopsmith website! In my opinio Shopsmith should not be selling such an unreadable owners manual for the 10ER unless they spent some time on it to make it more readable!

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:29 pm

I want to defend Shopsmith on this issue and I tried to write a message doing that, but I really can't. If they are going to sell a 10ER manual, it should be something better than a printed version of the poor photocopied manuals that are freely available at many different sites. They could just link out to the document repository at OWWM.com or the 10ER Yahoo group.

kalynzoo · Post by **kalynzoo** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:03 pm

I do hope someone from SS reads your posting and responds directly to you. However, in case it is missed I would suggest notifying SS directly by mail or e-mail with your complaint. I would hope they refund your purchase based on poor quality of reproduction. I do understand charging for something in public domain, as they are saving you search time. I don't agree with the charge, I thing supplying service manuals should be good customer service, and the charge should be postage, but I understand the charge. However, if the product, the manual reproduction, is of poor quality and less than usable, there should not have been a charge. I'd be interested in following the outcome of your complaint.

riot_nrrd · Post by **riot_nrrd** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:24 pm

Customer - I want you to send me a manual. I'll pay for it.
Sales - No?

If they printed it for you, collated it, and bound it up (even it is just with a staple), it cost them time and effort to do so. If you asked for a manual, you got one. I understand being frustrated with the readability, but this is a manual printed in the early 50s - there was no digital press back then, so no ability to just run you off another. I doubt there is a case of original 10ER manuals sitting around in Ohio. And if they went and created an updated one, how much do you think that would cost? Lets see, probably 300+ hours of typesetting and design, just so they can sell one every few months? That's not cusomter service - that's financial suicide.

Did you look for a copy online at all before you ordered one? Did you ask them if they had them online? Did you ask for a free copy? Or did you just ask to purchase one and they accomodated you?

Most manufacturers today have their manuals online... but that obviously was not always the case. The fact that Shopsmith even has their older manuals available in any form (for a fee or not) is much better than most. Try to find a manual for GE, Sony, or pretty much anyone else prior to about 1985, and you won't have a lot of luck - or if you do, you'll be looking at blurry microfiche prints.

Sorry, but I gotta side with ShopSmith on this one.

RiotNrrd

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:41 pm

As Shopsmith users we all are unusual consumers. There are very few manufacturers of consumer equipment (table saws, etc) that was sold in 1950 that are in business today let alone offer Customer Service on that same 50-60 year old equipment.

Yes, I am disappointed, too, at the poor quality document you describe. In my opinion, you should have sent it back for a refund (based on its poor quality and lack of readability). But you did not. I assume you must have needed it bad enough that you did not want to give it up.

Maybe, now that you have found this free online bonanza of documents, you should send Shopsmith a copy to replace their worn original.

Notice, however, that OWWM doesn't have any of the Shopsmith manuals. All you find there are Yuba and Magna vintage documents.

Not too terribly long ago, OWWM had some Shopsmith documentation. That does not exist there anymore,

ron_s · Post by **ron_s** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:35 pm

Well I decided not to return the Owners guid because with some squinting and good lighting I could figure out some of the things I wanted to know. To be fare the customer service person I originally talked to told me she would replace the manual for me and that she would personally look at it before it shipped out. The next day she called me back to inform me that every manual would be the same because they all come from the same file. She then went on to tell me that if I sent my copy back she would refund the purchase price and 1/2 the shipping cost! I guess thats a lot more than any other place will do! I just knew that without anything to look at it would be almost impossible for me to figure out what some of these parts are for, so I kept it. It was not till later the next day that I stumbled upon OWWM! Thats when I really wanted to kick myself and got upset with Shopsmith. They do have an owners manual there plus a lot more! Shopsmith did print it for me and punch holes so I could could put it into a three ring binder. Don't get me wrong I love the machine, things work out right I will be buying my fathers later this spring, he has a Mark V. I did do a lot of searching before buying but never found the OWWM site until long after I purchased and recieved the manual from Shopsmith. I can't complain about there customer service reps, my only complaint is that what I got from Shopsmith is for the most part unreadable. Trust me I did download every file from OWWM site that I could get my hands on and I now have .pdf backup files!

ron_s · Post by **ron_s** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:43 pm

I forgot to add that I did email SS this past weekend so we will see what they are willing to do.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:55 pm

ron_s wrote:I forgot to add that I did email SS this past weekend so we will see what they are willing to do.

A call to their 800 number would be better/quicker!

------------------------ · Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:18 pm

Having been the owner of a handful of ERs and Es, I am surprised that Shopsmith even offered a manual for these "Magna" machines. Due to safety issues I was under the impression that nothing is offered for these machines. My hat is off to Shopsmith for even offering them, let alone offering you a refund. There are documents to be found online due to the free labor of SS owners around the world. (even a couple of mine are out there). Shopsmith even provides this forum for the free exchange of ideas and help. We here all love the Shopsmith machines and most are eager to help you with any questions you may have.
welcome to the forum
Mark

kalynzoo · Post by **kalynzoo** » Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:02 pm

Thank you for your updated posting. I find reassurance of my positive feelings for Shopsmith knowing that they offered you a refund.
Welcome to the forum.

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