I purchased a router from a company, whos name i wont mention until this issue is resolved.

I bought the biggest and best one ( cost just over R4000), so i thought, took it out the box and ran it, it sounded alright. So i "thought" it was fine.

I then put it into production within a week of purchasing it, however it stopped working, pulled the trigger the light came on indcating that it had power, so i unplugged the unit and returned it to the distributor, the workshop formean came out and took the unit from me and went to test it, a few minutes later he cam back and told me there was nothing wrong with it. So i took it back to my workshop and tried it again, it seem to work ok, finished doing what i had to do and packed it away, in the mean time i have purchased 2 other routers and mounted them under the table, so i havent needed to use the expensive one. Most of the work i have been doing requires the routers mounted under the table, but last week i had a some work which required the use if a hand router, so i took the router out the original box which it has been stored in since the last time i used it and tried to use it, click click, light on but the motor would not turn so i returned the router to the distributor again this time a little better prepared.

i must admit the first time the joke was on me and everyone found it rather amusing that the machine didnt actually have a fault, Well, after being made a fool of in front of the staff at the counter, this time i knew what was going to happen so i got my assistant to film the machine in the workshop while it wasnt working, i made a point of changing extention cables to show them it wasnt the cable and plugged in a blower which worked fine, then plugged the router back in and filmed the trigger being activated and the the machine still not working, i also made a point of filming the bottom of the machine because the lights under the nachine where on indicating there was power to the machine. I am sure the guys on all the forums especially the green machine ones are gona love this video and add more fuel to why they only use festool products and not the blue one.

I drop off the router, a week later i get a call to collect my machine, i arrive at the counter and request my machine and want to know what they repaired, the lady behind the counter asks me if i use and extention with the machine, i just know where this is going, so i tell her, no, so just as i expected she then tells me she needs to call her boss. So i tell her i want to speak to the workshop manager instead because i would like to know what was wrong with the machine. They call the workshop manager and he tells me there is nothing wrong with the machine, THEY BANGED IT ON THE COUNTER SHOOK IT AROUND AND PULLED ON THE CABLE, (that is how they test intermitant faults on machines) and the machine still works and it doesnt cut out, this time not laughing at me. So i go to my van and collect my phone which has the video footage, when i get back he tugs on the cable and tells me there is nothing wrong with the machine. I switch on the video and show him the video. while watching it he can see i am pulling the trigger but the machine is not switching on and i do this about 10 times, at that stage he asks me if maybe there is no power so as i knew this was going to happen, i unplug the router and plug in the blower to show ther eis power on the extention, i then lift the router in the video so you can see the work lights under the machine are on, suddenly now they sit with a mouth full of teeth because i dont think any customer has ever been so prepared, including myself, because i have been bullied on numerous occasion before by these people. and their excuses and blaming my staff for damaging the tools etc, heard it all.

This is not the first time i have returned brand new equipment out the box, i purchased a bandsaw and 2 weeks later the led light packed up they had to supply parts so i could repair it. i also purchased a smaller router and returned it because there where loose parts and the bit holding pin would not secure the shaft so you could replce the bit, anyway i didnt want to get into a argument over it so i have just learnt to live with it and now use 2 spanners to replace bits, even though one of the selling points is the handy one hand bit bit changing facilty.

My question, if i retrun a product within the six months of purchasing a product for a problem, they tell me there is nothing wrong with the machine, yet when i try use it again a few months later and it still has the same problem, what claim do i have?

I do realise that i should have insisted they replace the machine but at the time but after the embarressment at the counter i just left. Trust me when i purchase something now and it makes a little buzz or doesnt sound 100 % correct it goes back and gets replaced. The last visit to builders express i made them take 3 machines out the boxes before i was satisfied with the one i took, it wasnt because i was being difficult, the brand new machines all had faults, which is actually quite sad considering there is suppose to be quality control checks before the product leaves the factory.