BEWARE - Ordering from DR Power

Looking online to find a decent price on a wood splitter. Don't need a commercial grade, not interested in the inertia splitters - fast doesn't matter to me and I see from those designs their weak point is the gear engagement to the spinning fywheel. Nice idea maybe but needs to be implemented without mashing the gear to a rack. Don't trust it. I do trust the proven tech of hydraulic systems. That is something I can fix if it breaks.

DR Power has a portable 5 ton hydraulic splitter with a sale on it, on their website for $419 all in, which is a good splitter price. Significantly less than most others and looks to be made OK, with a couple things I can improve on it - like a table that catches the split wood. Maybe I can rewire it to operate with a foot pedal & relay or the like (after I examine their implementation). Big company, 2 yr warranty, mostly good reviews though not a lot of them.

Their splitter page said shipping in 3-4 days. I have wood waiting to be split; like to get that done before the weather sets in. Well aged softwood log sections from a neighbor for the Franklin insert and a lot of mesquite for the smoker. So I ordered it on 11/9.

Beginning on the day I ordered it, they used the email I gave them to be used for shipping updates, to spam me a couple times a day. I did not authorize that.

Mixed in with their spams, comes an email on 11/13 - the last day they promised to ship it - saying "Thanks for the order, hope your sales experience was a positive one. Are you completely satisfied? If so please post a review on our DR page (link)." IOW Don't post if we have pissed you off. "Welcome to the DR Family".

Three hours later comes their email saying it's delayed. "We do apologize for the delay, your order should ship out within a few business days or even sooner!!" Oh boy - that excites me and makes me all warm and fuzzy with the double exclamations. But it's a lie.

I called up their CS - DESIREE says splitter parts not in yet, shipping to me expected by 11-30 from WI warehouse, card charged then. The machine HAS NOT BEEN BUILT YET - they don't even have the parts on hand. Yet they promised to ship it "3-4 days after your order." Again - "your card won't be charged until we ship it."

11-25 I see my bank account was just charged by DR Power. So I call them up to get the tracking number. Sandy says now it will be 12-8 or later to ship. They still don't have the parts. I said then why have you charged my account. "Oh it's not really charged they just put a hold on the money." BULLSHIT. That's the same as being charged on this end - the money is now inaccessible to me. And they STILL don't have the parts. They want to be sure I have $419 to pay for it before they lift a finger. Further, Sandy says "It's not our fault if we can't get the parts." MORE BULLSHIT. I said, then why did you promise to ship it in 3-4 days; didn't say it wasn't in stock and delivery is really tentative. I finished by saying "Do the best you can, expedite if possible, and have a good Thanksgiving." I'm certain that went in & out her ears but don't want a provider who has done nothing but disappoint, finish on a negative note. If she has the chance, might delay my order even more.

Yesterday their web page said 10-15 days before delivery. Now they are saying 6-9. Purportedly if I order it today, their claimed worst case is they will ship it before they ship the one I ordered 18 days ago.

I'm getting P.O.'d with DR Power, considering demanding my money back. "Done Right" my butt.

And it's perfectly clear why they advertise so much. On TV, in every magazine you pick up, on media like Youtube. They don't have any repeat or referral business so have to blitz the ad channels.

BEWARE AND DON'T EXPECT GOOD CS OR KEPT PROMISES FROM DR POWER. And this is my LAST order from them - if I even let them complete it. Meanwhile they are spamming me a couple times a day. When I'm done with them their SPAM will be caught by the junk filter.