Paula Y.

I bought a $400 Stamina rowing machine to get some indoor exercise due to long winters. The first one I bought had to be returned to the store and exchanged, after a one hour long assembly, because when you tried to pull the bar it would jerk instead of a smooth pull. I should have known then this was a bad product. Then I used the second one for a few months and it started to get noisier, weird clunks when in use. During the time I was using the machine I started to use it with my 13 year old son. I would let him use the machine for 15 minutes while I stretched to get ready for my workout. I was right next to him every time he used it. One day while I was on the machine I pulled and the strap would not retract. I called the company the next day and they immediately knew it was the spring box assembly. I looked online and found a lot of people had this problem. She told me I voided the warranty when I let my son use it. I explained he was not a small child and did nothing wrong to cause the problem. It says in their manual to keep children away from the rower. It does not say an age limit for use or that it would void your warranty. I am trying to teach my son healthy habits, he did not abuse the machine at all. Then she told me the part would be my responsibility. So I said "fine, order me one." and she then let me know that they were backordered and she could not order it and I would just have to keep calling until it was available. I called a bunch of times in two months before I could get one ordered. Realizing how easily this part broke and how hard it was to get a replacement I ordered 2 of them at a cost of $35 a piece. And let me tell you it was a pain to replace. And it does not work as well as it did when I first used it. I am going to use it for a while and see how the replaced part holds up. But seeing as how I have another replacement spring box I may try to put that one in and see if it works any better. But I know one thing I will never buy a Stamina product again!