3M Recall (and why I won't be buying from them anymore)

[LynnInDenver]

So, we bought a 3M pouch laminator (TL901C) back in December. It's been fine for us, we've laminated score sheets and assorted for our collection of board games.

This week, I got an email from where we ordered it, that said there was a "recall for refund, stop using immediately" because of an overheating issue. (Melting lower cases, no injuries yet.)

Where I get into the annoyance is that they've set it up so that you have to call in. 3M is in Minnesota. I live in Denver. They specifically list hours of 8:00-4:30 central time. I work 8:00-5:00 mountain time, with a 1 hour lunch.

I tried calling the 800 number for the recall on my lunch break. I had to hang up, still on hold, as I ran out of lunch. So I sent them an email via their contact form.

While they've sent me the steps they'd like to see for recall participation in terms of evidence (cut cord, photo of model label with cut cord, invoice from purchase), they expressed that they'd prefer me to call them to participate in the recall. And that call volume means it's going to take longer than normal to get through to them.

Note: This is a $20 product. I've already sunk an hour into this. Basically, it feels like they don't really want to give me money back, they'd just prefer that I throw it away after providing the proof they need to show the recall is showing results, and let them keep the $20, which is why they've achieved my "do not buy" list.

So, thoughts, do I just send them the evidence and consider the money lost? Do I not give them evidence of the lamintor's destruction, and make noise that I need to be provided a better way to get that refund before I do so? I'm already at the point I don't want to sink more phone time in, and I work at a job that waiting on hold while I'm working is pretty much impossible. We are planning on not using the laminator and sourcing a (non-3M) replacement.

[Dartz]

Ignore it. It's not worth 20 quid if it's taking up that much time.

If it hasn't caused a problem, it probably won't. They're just covering their arse for liability reasons.

[Rajvik]

I have to agree with Darts with the caveat that if you continue to use it and something goes wrong, you know ahead of time that you can't sue them for damages

[LynnInDenver]

Well, our plan immediately is to replace it with something else. We try not to mess around with even voluntary recalls in this house. It's pretty much guaranteed that it won't be a 3M product, though.

I did send another email that basically said, "I can't do the phone thing, because it would literally require me to do things during working hours I'm either physically unable to, or forbidden to, so I would really prefer to do this electronically, or not at all." If they will work with me, I can work with them in terms of providing them the data that the particular unit has been destroyed. If they won't... I'll still destroy it, but they're not going to get any confirmation that it's been destroyed. Besides, I've already spent enough time on the phone getting it dealt with; it'd be more worth my time to just work through lunch than waste it being on hold waiting for a human.

[classicdrogn]

It sounds like they've already caused more than twenty bucks worth of hassle, to me. I'd say just replace it and don't get lunch at a restaurant while you're out shopping, or something along those lines.

[Bob Schroeck]

Agreed. The hassle is probably intentional, to discourage people from actually getting the refund (in the same spirit that rebates are often made as difficult as possible to get) while still leaving them a legal out ("We warned them! It's not our fault if they ignored us!") if someone gets hurt!").

[hazard]

Here in the Netherlands you'd be able to bring a long waiting time like this to the Consumer's Union. While it's understandable under some circumstances and has little actual legal power, the Consumer's Union has a surprising amount of influence for a non-government institution. I'm not sure if there's currently a tv program that highlights excessively poor service (we've had a number of them, at least one of them quite successful in the 90's), but if there is you'd be surprised how fast the threat of public awareness makes wheels turn.

There've been multiple cases of 'nothing happened after months of inquiry' followed by 'a high ranking manager handled the matter in a week' after the program asked what was going on.

[LynnInDenver]

Agreed.  The hassle is probably intentional, to discourage people from actually getting the refund (in the same spirit that rebates are often made as difficult as possible to get) while still leaving them a legal out ("We warned them!  It's not our fault if they ignored us!") if someone gets hurt!").

Heh. I wasn't the only one thinking that, then.

Hopefully I'll hear back on my email in the next day or so. Either they work with me in terms of the way I need to do it, or they don't get the confirmed record of which one is destroyed for reporting in on the status of the recall. It's $20, it's not going to break us to not get a refund anyway.

[zojojojo]

i would say to not do anything to it at all and not send them any pics for a while. replace the thing, sure, but wait a week or so and try calling them again (but don't spend more than 10 minutes on hold while you're eating)... you'll get through eventually, and you're not wasting too much time or effort in the meanwhile... when you finally do connect with them, then you can follow their (no doubt convoluted) steps. also, post about your travails on social media

--Z

[LynnInDenver]

i would say to not do anything to it at all and not send them any pics for a while. replace the thing, sure, but wait a week or so and try calling them again (but don't spend more than 10 minutes on hold while you're eating)... you'll get through eventually, and you're not wasting too much time or effort in the meanwhile... when you finally do connect with them, then you can follow their (no doubt convoluted) steps. also, post about your travails on social media

--Z

Yeah, it might be nice, but I already did an hour of that. Not really planning on even doing ten more minutes. Their hold music is the same "cribbed from the YouTube music library" tune, on repeat, punctuated with "your call is very important to us, stay on the line" every 2-3 minutes. I think the only hold environment currently worse is the one for the Confederate Freespacers.

[Black Aeronaut]

Eh. I wouldn't patronize them for products like that anymore, sure.

But I've yet to find their equal for high-endurance adhesive foam tapes. Shit works better than epoxy most times because it will actually give and flex without losing adhesion. And if you need to remove it... It will come off relatively cleanly without too much hassle.

Seriously, if you can point me at another product that does the same thing only better or less expensive, then I will buy it.

[LynnInDenver]

OK, been a week with no response email guaranteeing (or not) a refund if I do the submit electronically. And I refuse to keep trying to call. Into the bin it goes anyway.

And I agree with you, BA, in terms of what 3M is currently best known for. I'll be doing what I can to not bring more 3M into the house, even with that.

[Rod.H]

Dang at least here, 3M has a local office where if they'd pull this stunt on me I can drop it on their desk & it'd be escalated up the chain. I also kinda have to use their adhesive products due to them being the OEM supplier for it on many a thing I work on. Their statement that your never more then 10 foot from a 3M product's true as I use their duct tape, their command range - in off book ways, safety glasses, dust masks, paint, have blocks of post-it-notes, their adhesive bandages & micropore are in my first kits & the weather shields on me car's held on with their doublesided tape.

Though the one thing I don't have of their's is anything electrical.

[LynnInDenver]

Two updates. First, they did get back to me, but it took over a week. I decided not to respond; if they were serious about getting these off the market verifiably, it would have taken much less time. I'll still get it off the market, but at best they only have my inquiries to go by officially.

Second, we bought a Swingline unit to replace it. I sprung for the 12" version, since we've done enough laminating I wanted the flexibility to laminate larger pieces. And it will do pressure sensitive lamination as well as hot seal. I'm also happier with the "fit and finish", so to speak. Things are labeled in such a way that you can get things centered in the slot. Molding of the shell is cleaner all around. The select between hot and cold is a physical selector switch, not the membrane buttons between hot and hotter on the 3M unit. Overall, it feels like a much better piece of kit.

[classicdrogn]

Sounds like it. It's good that you were able to find a replacement that equals and even exceeds the original, at least.