GERLACH'S POWER EQUIP & SVC

So a little background.  My husband had passed away the previous winter, so I needed to take over with the lawn maintenance.  The yard is less than an acre, some slopes on the one side.  I had never even tried a rider. Several family members thought a rider would be a good idea since I have fibromyalgia.  My brother in law came with me to give me some advice. This was the 3rd place that we went to.  I should have turned right around and walked out when we were there for 10 minutes before they even acknowledged us-it is not that big and we are both fairly tall.

My  brother in law had done some research and had pretty much decided which mower would be right for me.  Like I said Gerlach's was the 3 place, but they had one on the lot.  It was priced higher than the other two stores, but we would have to wait approximately 2-3 wks before I could get it at the other two.

It was delivered to my home, and brief directions given on how to run it.  I waited to my brother in law was there before trying it.  Well this Snapper mower that I paid over $1,400, plus an additional $500 for the bag-which was not in stock.  So I took the time to read the manual and listen to instructions from brother in law.  The rider had good reviews for the most part, though I am not sure how!!

This thing bounced around so much and I never felt in control of it, especially on the slopes.  It was very noisy-my neighbor actually complained.  Somehow I managed to get the entire lawn done--all the time feeling like I was going to  bounce off.  I had it on the lowest gear, and still felt like it was getting away from me.

When it was time to mow again my brother came over.  I tried it for about 5 minutes and just could not do it.  My back hurt for a solid 2 weeks after the first time.  He then mowed for me.  He had actually done landscaping and said that he agreed it was a "hard ride".

Over the next few weeks I tried to decide what to do.  I finally stopped in and spoke with several people.  I explained my concerns to each one, before I finally had Mitch come over. Because it was pass 7 SEVEN DAYS, it could not be returned.  That was posted in the store not anywhere else that I could see in the paperwork. Not much time at all. Also, I never received the $500 bag, nor any call to tell me that it was still not in. 

Mitch explained that  they could take it back and sell it for me on commission.  I would be fully refunded for the bag.  We discussed that they would send someone out to pick it up, place it on the lot, and let me know of any offers.  Then Mitch said that their normal commission is 25%, however, based on the short length of time and the fact that it basically was in new condition they would only charge 5-10% commission.  Taking him for his word, I mistakenly did not get this in writing !!! 

After about 2 weeks, I received a call that they had an offer.  It was considerably less than what I wanted, however, after discussing this with several people I agreed that if I didn't sell it soon, it would be left over the winter, and then it would be an older model come spring. 

After almost 2 weeks, I called inquiring where the check was.  A short time later that day they called and said I should have it in 2 days.  When I received the check it was for a lot less  than I had calculated, including the full price of the bag. I placed a call to Gerlach's to inquire about difference.  Well, I was told that the commission was 15%. This was not what I agreed to.  I requested to talk to Mitch.  He called me back and was very short.  Basically, telling me this is the amount and that he had said 15% all along.  Well, like I said, he said a range of 5-10%.  It is very disappointing to learn that a company that has been in business for this many years, actually had customer service like this. 

Of course, this is just my side of the situation, but it is sad that you can no longer take someone for their word.  I know I will not ever have any dealings with Gerlach's and hopefully anyone that reads this review will think twice about going there themselves.  Customer service was never what I would expect from a hometown business, I get better customer service at Home Depot or Lowe's. 

When they dropped off my snowblower, what I got was a snowblower that had the same poor running issues and a damaged machine. There was damage to the left side of the auger housing on my snowblower, which was not there prior to having it serviced. It looks as if it was either dropped, or run into with a heavy object. When I approached them about the lack of repairs and damage, their attitude was one of indifference. They offered to pick up and reevaluate the poor running and fix the damage, at no cost to me. When I arranged to have it returned, they gave me a time of approximately 11am. Upon calling them to confirm the time they told me it was going to be around 1pm time, and that the snowblower was still at the shop. I would never recommend this company for anything. They are completely unprofessional, and dont care about your equipment.

awesome service crew