|
|
|
|
|
|
HomeHealth ProductsCold TherapyThermophore Joint/Arthritis Pad 14" x 14" |
|
|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review: ( 15 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 35 found the following review helpful:
 Quality Downhill & Manufacturer Warranty worthless---See Update -Replacement also broke in 6 mos! Apr 29, 2011
By Justitia
UPDATE: Amazon reimbursed me when manufacturer wouldn't honor warranty -- so I bought a replacement with the old style manual switch -- figuring the new auto-switch might have caused the item to stop working after 6 months. Well, I am lying here in bed with the replacement unit which just abruptly stopped working -- again just about precisely 6 months after purchase -- just like the previous one.
As indicate in my initial review below -- my first Thermaphore lasted 7 years. Now I have purchased two in a row -- each of which lasted 6 months with the manufacturer not honoring the warranty.
Read what happened on the first go around. And I see that others recently have had the same experience. Clearly Thermaphore has gone to seed and able to dupe its customers who believe it is the same quality from years gone by.
Please! Please! -- do not buy this product! Send a message to Thermaphore -- they cannot capitalize on their good name at the expense of consumers while they turn that name into mud.
Put Thermaphore out of business! Don't buy their products!
No wonder there is so much overt outrage being expressed at big business and its greed. It's been a long time coming. I can't believe that I am on that band-wagon now.
_______
I purchased the 14x14 autoswitch Thermophore on November 8, 2010. It was my second one.
The first one was not the auto-switch but the older style regular switch purchase 7 years earlier. I replaced it because the switch lever (that turned on and off the heating pad) had popped out of its "socket" and when pushed back in would not stay there. The pad itself worked just fine. It was almost certainly my fault that the switch lever popped out as I use it while in bed and I could have easily rolled on it when asleep. (The switch lever is designed to only keep the pad only when you hold the switch lever down. So if you fall asleep -- as I often do -- the switch lever pops up automatically and turns on the heating pad.
The first pad was absolutely wonderful. It created moist heat -- something I need for my back which occasionally gets bulging discs. (Once one disc actually herniated.) I am a woman and for many years lifted weights (not the cause of the disc problems) and occasionally would strain something and when I needed to alternate hot and cold, this was the item I would used for moist heat.
In the last couple of years, I have not been able to workout and have begun to develop arthritis in various parts of my body. I use the heating pad almost nightly.
So when the switch on the first one broke, I was happy to order a new one. I saw that now Thermophore had an autoswitch version -- so I ordered that -- and loved that feature.
SO WHAT HAPPENED!?
As I said, I ordered the new one with auto-switch on November 8, 2010. I use it almost nightly. Last night I was using it and right in the middle of heating the heating mechanism stopped working. The autoswitch still said ON but the heating element inside the pad was not heating.
This was slightly over 5 months and therefore 6 weeks past the return window for defective merchandise. Amazon said to call the manufacturer as the item had a year warranty and was covered. Amazon gave me the phone #.
I called and this is what the manufacturer said:
a.I needed to return the item ***at my own expense and effort*** -- find packaging to put it in and so forth.
b. Upon receipt, they would look at it and decide whether its failure was due to a defect. (It obviously was as it stopped working right in the middle of a heating cycle.)
c. Then if they so deemed it was a defect, they would send out a replacement by the cheapest and slowest method possible.
d. Even if they found it defective, they would NOT reimburse me for my shipping expense.
Since the shipping expense for me (UPS) would be over 25% of the original purchase price, that was a little preposterous. As I need to use it nightly, I could not go without a heating pad for the 4-6 weeks process that this could take. Which meant I would have to order another one immediately and perhaps I would end up with 2 because Thermophore would deem the first one defective.
I explained this to the Thermophore representative and she said, basically, "tough", *that was the manufacturer's warranty.
I told them I would file a complaint with Amazon-- and again, she didn't care and basically said again "tough."
I am a long time Amazon customer (over 10 years) and I buy everything I can through them. Amazon offered to take care of the matter for me and arranged for me to get a replacement at minimal extra cost (as the price had gone up since I purchased it.)
I decided not to go with the autoswitch this time -- hoping that that was the cause of the defect -- but it is not clear.
If this was not such a great pad -- and all the positive reviews are correct -- the complaints, though valid, are from individuals who had a different idea as to what the heating pad could do -- not that the heating pad did not work superbly.
Manufacturers are increasingly producing cheaper and lower quality versions of their products that break down rapidly and the manufacturer imposes conditions on their warranty that do everything to deter the customer from actually exercising their warranty right.
Though my time is worth much more than the time to post these explanations (I am an attorney) and certainly more than what I have to do to get my warranty honored, I have decided to make it a campaign to publicize the behavior of manufacturers who exploit the online market in the way they that they do.
My hope is that others will follow suit and will force manufacturers to clean up their act or go out of business. I consider these actions an important public service.
So Thermophore -- take a look at this incident and see what you ought to do to change this kind of customer experience. Your reputation is on the line -- and thus -- so is your business' viability.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Great for arthritic knees Mar 22, 2010
By Susan L
The Thermophore heating pad was recommended by my physical therapist. It heats up quickly, and is much hotter than a traditional heating pad. It automatically shuts off after about 20 minutes. I think it has helped reduce the stiffness and swelling in my knee joints. I generally use it before going to bed and find that I sleep more soundly. I have less morning stiffness too. I would recommend this pad for anyone who has found that warm, moist heat helps relieve their arthritis symptoms.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Thermophore Heating Pad Review Mar 29, 2010
By Sandy Eggo
This is the ONLY heating pad we tried that actually got hot. The cheaper store brands were junk and we returned them all. The quality and performance of this heating pad is awesome.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great Pad! Jun 28, 2007
By S. Hooks
The heat this pad puts out is outstanding. I especially enjoy the size and the automatic turn-off feature. A great buy!
VERY NICE PRODUCT! May 23, 2012
By sdebbie694
I have a lot of joint pain and this product is wonderful in easing my pain the moist heat makes my joints in my hip less painful iam not totally pain free but it does help a lot! its wonderful for the joints in my hands and shoulder it greatly helps my pain there and makes my hands and shoulder more moveable! I love this product! and will buy another one or maybe two!
See all 15 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
