TreadClimber Trouble

In March 2015 I was contemplating working on my health. We had a tax return come in and it was a nice bonus that paid off my credit card. On March 16, 2015 I purchased a Bowflex Treadclimber TC20. Top of the line; best machine out there that they had. I spent nearly $4,000 CAN on this thing.

On April 1, 2015 was the day it came; so I started to seriously think about my health, losing weight and improving my lifestyle to make healthier choices. My father and I spent over 4 hours building it. It was a struggle, but we managed. We set up the TreadClimber in my living room.

For the first week I used it every day. I loved the machine and--I'm not joking--within 3 days I could see the difference in my body. It was great, and I was in love. I could already see myself doing well, and powering through this journey. Hoping to reach a comfortable weight before meeting my in-laws and then continuing until I reached a more healthy weight for my height.

However, that didn't happen.

After the first week of use, it still didn't feel quite right, but I pushed that thought aside when I called them and asked about my machine. The customer support representative over the phone ensured me that the machine basically came "ready out of the box once assembled," and that I shouldn't worry.

One more week went by and I continued to use it, but my husband got sick with Shingles. Since I was taking care of him I lost track of myself and was at risk of getting Chicken Pox. I let the TreadClimber sit for 3 days and felt guilty. When I went to go back on it, I noticed that the hydraulic shocks were not going up and down properly and that the entire bottom treadles that I walk on weren't walking with my body or, again, going up or down.

On May 6, 2015 I called them again and explained what had happened. They sent me a Virtual Pivot and 2 Shocks. On May 12, 2015 they were shipped and arrived in the beginning of June 2015.

I first replaced the shocks and then tried walking on it again. It continued to show an error message (H15 or something like that; I'm sorry but I can't remember anymore). I then had to wait until my husband and I both had a Saturday off work. We sat in front of the machine and I dialed the customer service number for Bowflex. Turns out that they are closed on the weekends.

Later that week I tried calling Bowflex customer service to ask for the instructions on how to replace this part. When my call was answered and I explained everything, they asked if my husband was there. I told them that he wasn't because he was at work. The representative then proceeded to tell me that I cannot lift or handle that machine by itself. It is recommended that there are at least 2 people there to build or dismantle it; and he HUNG UP. So I decided to wait to call them until when my husband could be there with me to call them again.

2 weeks later my husband was allowed to have a day off of work during a weekday that I also had off of work. On June 18, 2015 I find my husband and I in our living room once again calling Bowflex Customer Service. I called and once again explained what part we were replacing, and the representative simply said, "Take a few bolts off the back, and you'll see the part that needs replacing. Call us back when you get there," and that was it. Furious at the terrible instructions, my husband started to try and remove some bolts. I called back and explained myself for the second time that day, only to receive something very similar and that, "if you have any problems, just call us back. We close at 5pm," My husband couldn't believe what had just happened. Twice I was pushed aside by these representatives. My husband took an entire day off work--our only stable and currently only income--to fix this machine, and he was not happy with the service we were receiving. Being nervous about taking this $4,000 machine apart without instructions, I refused to let my husband continue and I called for a THIRD time. Again, explaining the situation and desperately asking once more for INSTRUCTIONS on how to replace this part. The instructions were finally sent to me via email. No PDF file. My instructions were crudely created using the Window's Snipping Tool. It wasn't well done, but at least we had somewhat readable instructions finally. My husband and I spent 6 hours taking apart the Treadclimber, replacing the old Virtual Pivot with the new one, and then putting it back together. The instructions didn’t even tell us how to put it back together. “Step 25: Installation (re-assembling it) is the reverse procedure.” While doing all of this work on the TreadClimber, my husband and I became frustrated and angry and just at each other's throats. I don't think I've ever seen my husband so upset. This $4,000 machine almost ruined my marriage; this was when the TreadClimber started to cause negative energy and bad vibes in my house; and it never stopped after that.

Don't rejoice yet. Yes, we have the new part installed. Yes, we have put everything back together. But the final, and most important question has yet to be answered: does it work? I hop on it and try it out. It's still off because the one walking belt started to fray. I called Bowflex Customer Service and explained what had happened and the representative tells me that it's normal and doesn't affect it's functionality. (This was when I started posting on Instagram) So I used it for about a week--again, religiously like before when I had first got it; because I had promised myself this $4,000 machine wouldn't become a coat rack--and then it stopped working altogether.

At this point, I was so frustrated that I put off calling them for a week and ended up going on a mini one week vacation with my father to his best friend's house over 600km from home. It had been years since my dad and I had a road trip together so we were definitely due for a road trip together. But when I got back home, I knew the fun was once again over.

On July 14, 2015 I called Bowflex customer service about the new issue of the machine just stopping mid stride--like I pulled the emergency string--and the recommended that I order 2 new Walk Belts. The representative informed me that I could still use my machine even though the old belt was shredding and coming off in long pieces; I just had to watch it and trim it every time. I firmly told the representative that I wanted instructions sent to me right away this time, and they sent it. When I received the email, I didn’t read it, but saved it for when the part would come in.

So I had my husband take apart the machine again to remove all the excess string that had come apart from the walking belt and I tried the TreadClimber out again. It still didn’t really feel right and I didn’t want to wreck it, so I waited for the new belts to arrive.

The new belts arrived on the last day of July 2015. In between this time, two different representatives from Bowflex had gotten in contact with me through Instagram. They noticed my struggle and tried to help me. They first offered to send me a one time free of charge“technician” to properly install the new belts. They told me that in a few days someone would call me to set up a date. I live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Turns out that I know the technician. My father used to work for his father. Daryl had not realised that he was calling me because my last name changed last year when I got married.

On August 1st, 2015 (the long weekend), Daryl the “technician” came over to fix the TreadClimber. Instead of being told he was replacing a belt, he was told by Bowflex that he was assembling a brand new machine from the box. Bad communication. Daryl doesn’t actually work for Bowflex. He owns YPC Fitness and Your Private Connection, and Sears pays him to install things like dishwashers and treadmills.

Daryl wasn’t familiar with the TreadClimber, so when I went to print the instructions they sent me to do this replacement I found out it was for the left side instead of the right. SO FRUSTRATING! From the beginning there hasn't been clear instructions on either end. Thankfully owning his own gym helped him to use his talents and know-how to attempt to figure out how to take the TreadClimber apart to put the new walking belts on.

Unfortunately once Daryl replaced the walking belt for the right side, he was unable to fully put it back together again. One key screw that holds the belts and spins them was entirely stripped beyond use. We were unable to finish adjusting, aligning, and tightening the belt. The machine was once again unusable and about to sit in my living room for yet more time.

After the long weekend I was once again in touch with a representative with Bowflex. Since Daryl and I were unable to fix the TreadClimber, they offered to send an entirely new bottom part. This meant that they were replacing essentially everything but the frame. On August 3rd, 2015 it was ordered, August 5th, 2015 it was shipped.

Bowflex then informed me that they have credited my credit card that I bought the machine on for $100. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be helpful or an insult. $100 doesn't really compensate over 4 months of a $4,000 machine not being usable. Doesn't even cover the interest my credit card has gained from the purchase... But I guess they're just trying to help...

The new assembly piece arrived on August 13th, 2015. On August 15th, 2015 I had my folks over for dinner and my husband and father once again attempted to take apart and fix the TreadClimber. Thankfully since we’ve now done this a couple of times, we’re a little bit quicker at it.

After two hours my father and husband were able to take the old part off and install the new one. Thankfully without any hiccups while doing so. The next test is to turn it on. I was told by the representatives before they sent it that it should work right out of the box after installation. We turned it on and let it run, but the walking belt on the left side (instead of the right side like on the old one) was the one moving over and unaligned now. I was heated and outraged at this point. My husband calmed me down so that we could enjoy dinner with my folks and assured me that he would look at it later on that evening.

That evening my husband and I lubed the new treadles and attempted to properly align and tighten them. After hours of adjusting, turning it on and watching it, then adjusting again, and watching it again, we still could not get it to the proper tightness or alignment. I was still incredibly angry and upset, but there wasn’t anything I could do until the weekend was done.

On Monday, August 17th, 2015, I called Bowflex again. I was unable to get in contact with the 2 representatives that I had been dealing with earlier so this new rep tried to help me. According to whom I spoke with, the new part was supposed to come "ready out of the box" after installing it. I told him that it clearly had not and explained all the hard work my husband and father had done that Saturday, but the rep insisted that I try tightening it again.

So now my husband was once again tinkering with it because Bowflex wasn’t being of any help.

“I'm done with this machine,” I shouted in my living room. My poor husband had been hearing all of this for the last month, “I have spent more time waiting for parts, and fixing it than I have on it to benefit my health. And if it needs this much replacing and maintenance then it's not worth my time or your (my husband's) time to take off work.”

When I had finally got in contact with the representative I had been working with earlier, I broke down. I explained how frustrated and fed up I had become and explained how all I wanted was the TreadClimber out of my house and a refund. I didn’t want to waste anymore of my time or my husband’s trying to continue to fix it.

Currently I am waiting for the phone call for when they will be coming to disassemble and take away the Bowflex TreadClimber TC20. After that I will receive a refund on my credit card up to 7 days later. For now, the machine and the second part and the boxes are all in my small livingroom and have almost made the area unlivable for the time being.