Vitamix makes some of the most top-of-the-line blenders on the home appliance market. They are quite expensive with the household line ranging from $250 all the way up to $720. People use them for a variety of recipes for blended drinks and food of all kinds, from soups to smoothies and even blender muffins.
After spending that much money, any customer would want to make sure that their machines are kept in pristine condition. So, it is no surprise that at the first sign of defect, Vitamix customers were pretty upset. Vitamix recently issued a notice informing customers that their expensive blenders were producing black flecks that would end up in the blended food and drinks. It was an issue that was happening to at least one of their customers and this customer decided to file a class-action lawsuit against Vitamix. They won in a manner of speaking as Vitamix decided to settle. So now, any Vitamix machine that is experiencing the same problem is eligible for one of two options:
- The customer may collect a $70 Vitamix gift card
OR
- The customer may request a free replacement blade assembly.
The law firm behind the suit is called JND and they explained their plaintiffs’ complaint. They alleged that some of the blenders had defective blade assembly top seals and as a result, they deposited flecks of polytetrafluoroethylene into whatever food or drink was being blended. While it was agreed upon by both the plaintiffs and Vitamix that these flecks were harmless, the issue lies in the price of the blenders. They argued that they simply were not worth their high price point due to the defects.
For more details on the settlement, the terms were posted on blendersettlement.com in early January. Part of the claim allows Vitamix to forgo any admittance of wrongdoing. This includes denying that their products are defective in any way i.e. design, manufacturing, and engineering. It also allows Vitamix to maintain that their consumers did not suffer any injuries or any losses of any kind.
Scott Tennant, the director of communications at Vitamix, claims that Vitamix agreed to the settlement in order to put the matter behind them and move forward with their company mission. He insists that the material used to make their blender seals is FDA approved.
So, who qualifies for the Vitamix gift card? Anyone who purchased a household or commercial blender model that has a blade assembly between the years of 2015 and 2017. To collect, you must file your claim before September 28th, 2018.
Be aware that only blenders that qualify will be reimbursed. Every blender does not experience the fleck defect so Vitamix is not aware of the precise number of affected blenders. However, they expect the number of affected users to be quite small.
Vitamix was supported by Consumer Reports, the website that provides unbiased reviews and ratings for thousands of products every year. They reported that they put more than ten Vitamix blenders from their household line through rigorous durability testing and they have never seen any of the flecks that were mentioned in the lawsuit. The Consumer Reports’ tests included things like crushing ice 45 times in a two-day period and even then, no flecking occurred.
Our advice would be not to swear off of Vitamix blenders just yet. They have a great reputation for products with superior quality and this lawsuit seems to only be affecting a few.
Listen Up Vitamix Owners! You May Have Money To Collect! is republished from www.bestjuicerpicks.com
No comments:
Post a Comment