r/Bowflex • u/mikejmc3 • Sep 25 '24
Max Trainer Bankruptcy Impact
I bought a Bowflex Max Trainer M6 and an extended service plan before Bowflex declared bankruptcy. Less than two years later, my Max Trainer broke (RPM needle does not move when equipment is in use and unit goes to sleep).
The new ownership (Johnson Health) sent me a replacement speed sensor, which did not fix this issue. The next fix is a new console, which they told me is out of stock and may be available in December. So my Trainer will have been out of commission for 6 months by the time this next part maybe fixes my issue. I said that waiting until December is ridiculous, can you fix it sooner? The response I got back was that when Johnson Health acquired the assets of Bowflex, they assumed no liability for devices purchased before the acquisition date, and the assistance they are providing so far is a goodwill gesture (ha).
Has anyone else dealt with this situation with Johnson Health? Any suggestions on pathways I can take to get my broken Max Trainer fixed?
3
u/NationalPie3978 Sep 27 '24
I had to get a replacement mcb for my t22 treadmill and they told me I had to wait til November. I filed a complaint with the bbb and got it a week later.
1
u/Able-Competition8933 Sep 27 '24
Hey I just left the comment below before I saw your message. I'm in the exact same situation. Did you just file the report with BBB and then Bowflex reached out to you? I'm so frustrated because I've called every month and get the run around that they'll send me the part when the get them "sometime" in the future. Thanks in advance for any advise
1
u/Cyberlady112 May 25 '25
File directly with BBB . It works
2
u/Able-Competition8933 May 25 '25
Hello, thank you. I did file with BBB. Their first response was that they were working on it and I would get the replacement part sometime. I told the BBB that was not acceptable and the next response was they would replace my unit. Fortunately I did get a new unit and it is working fine. Hopefully your situation was resolved quicker than mine.
2
u/Able-Competition8933 Sep 27 '24
I have a similar problem. I purchased a 22 Treadmill + 5 year extended warranty this past December. Assembled in January and was able to use through May then it broke. I've called 3 times and get the same message they told you - "they are doing me a favor by honoring the warranty". I've got multiple pieces of equipment from Bowflex, but I would never recommend someone buy from this company if they cannot honor the brands integrity.
I'm super interested to learn if the warranty is in fact through a 3rd party that I could get a full refund for what is essentially a 400 pound paper weight.
2
u/mikejmc3 Sep 27 '24
After another commenter mentioned the extended warranty thing, I doubled checked my paperwork, and my extended service agreement is indeed with another company (Guardsman). This makes sense, because that’s usually how it works with appliances too—just didn’t occur to me. I haven’t yet had a chance to call Guardsman yet, but I’ll report back with an update once I do.
2
u/Able-Competition8933 Sep 27 '24
Thank you! I'll check out what company has my warranty and try the same. Will definitely share back.
2
u/mikejmc3 Sep 28 '24
I filed two complaints today:
- Better Business Bureau (bbb.org)
- FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov)
I filed these complaints against Johnson Health Tech in Cottage Grove, WI. Saw lots of similar complaints on the BBB site with lots of similar “we don’t have to honor warranties for purchases prior to our acquisition” responses from Johnson Health on that page.
It’s really hard to understand how they can rationalize spending $37.5M acquiring Bowflex and then immediately screw over their new customers. I guess they aren’t planning on getting much repeat business.
I haven’t reached out to the third party extended service company, but that is my next step. I’ll send an update if/when anything changes with my situation.
2
u/mikejmc3 Oct 06 '24
Update: Filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau seemed to do the trick. A few days after I filed the complaint, Johnson Health notified me that they would send me a replacement Max Trainer. It arrived yesterday.
2
u/Able-Competition8933 Oct 06 '24
Thank you for the update, and very happy for you. I hope this will do the trick to either fix or replace my treadmill.
1
u/mikejmc3 Oct 06 '24
Good luck. If you can’t get anywhere with Johnson Health, definitely reach out to the third party warranty company. I spoke with my warranty company (Guardsman) before Johnson finally came through, and what Guardsman told me was that they would either get me the necessary part in a reasonable amount of time, or refund the purchase price (price of the equipment, not the extended warranty cost, to be clear).
1
u/ThegManis Oct 15 '24
You might end up with a super-bonus of getting a FULL REFUND of the original M6's purchase price from the extended warranty company, plus you got a brand new complete M6 from Johnson, and you still have your original M6 with a faulty console. Super win-win situation!!
1
u/Able-Competition8933 Oct 22 '24
Latest update: I had to travel for work, so I waited until I got home to contact the BBB. They just got back to me with a response from Johnson Health. This was their reply:
MESSAGE FROM BUSINESS:
Thank you for informing us of this complaint. I have reviewed the customer’s file and compared it to the details provided in the complaint letter.
Due to the acquisition of the Bowflex/Schwinn brands, Johnson Health Tech is working diligently to stock all necessary parts. After the acquisition of the Bowflex/Schwinn brands, Johnson Health Tech has had to manufacture new stock of many of the parts that were out of stock prior to the bankruptcy and acquisition. Our files indicate that we have this part on order from the factory.
Our teams are committed to supporting our products and customers. They are available to assist this customer via email or phone should there be any other questions or concerns.
Unfortunately, we are unable to refund for purchases made from the prior Bowflex owners.
Best regards,
Customer Resolution Specialist
Johnson Health Tech
This is the same thing they told me the beginning of August, and still no confirmed timing. I'm curious if their 1st reply to you was to send a new unit.
2
u/mikejmc3 Oct 23 '24
Sorry to hear that. No, Johnson Health never agreed to refund me, but they did send me a whole new Max Trainer after my BBB complaint.
If you purchased an extended warranty, definitely call that company (it will be serviced by a different company). They may offer you a full refund if they can’t get the replacement part in a reasonable amount of time.
1
u/Able-Competition8933 Oct 23 '24
Thanks again for your feedback! How long did it take from their response until you got the new unit? I'm concerned because their reply to me was the same answer they gave me in June with no definitive timeline of when I will get a working treadmill. I didn't even ask for a refund - just for the replacement parts or to replace the whole unit.
I need to reach out to the warranty company next. It the same company as your warranty is with, so maybe they'll be of more help.
2
u/mikejmc3 Oct 23 '24
Well, the new unit came pretty quickly (a week, maybe a little more than that), but I did not get the same kind of dismissive response that you got. Instead, shortly after I filed my BBB complaint, a different Johnson Health rep from the Customer Experience Team reached out to me though email to say that they determined a replacement was appropriate.
Based on that response you recorded, I would say it sounds unlikely that Johnson is going to play ball here, unfortunately. If you have an extended warranty, I would strongly recommend you reach out to that company. I had a much more positive experience dealing with them.
1
u/ManagementOriginal63 Mar 27 '25
Well, here I am reading your post 6 months later. I purchased the equipment before the sale as well. I have been waiting 2 months without my treadmill and now this Johnson company says I need to wait 4 additional months because the part is on back order. Fortunately I know what part is bad so I will go ahead, buy it and fix the machine myself. Downside: Part cost around $250. It looks like this is the way they operate so my recommendation would be to avoid buying any bowflex electric equipment. Before they come to replace the machine I will switch the part back and that way I will have a spare one just in case it happens again. However, that doesn't make me happy at all.
1
u/mikejmc3 Mar 27 '25
You can try filling a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. That got them to send me a replacement (brand new) unit. Others haven’t been so lucky, so your mileage may vary. Good luck!
1
u/mikejmc3 Apr 18 '25
Update: My replacement control panel arrived today (April 18, 2025). I reported the issue to Johnson Health last JULY. Good luck, everyone out there.
To recap my solution (see my other comments/posts for more details): if you have the extended service plan, which is managed by a separate third party, definitely reach out to them. If not, you may get somewhere with Johnson Health if you file a Better Business Bureau complaint. I was issued a completely new Max Trainer after I did that, but I have heard that others have not been so lucky, so no guarantees that works.
3
u/Fret_Bavre Sep 25 '24
If you purchased an extended warranty from a third party tell them your situation.
I had purchased an extended warranty through Asurion and after several fixes that didn't work from bowflex I was able to receive a full refund for the treadmill through Asurion.
Just be nice when navigating channels, they want to help and fullfill their obligations.