William P.

Our Cuisinart FP-8SC Elemental food processor's plastic work bowl top failed shortly after its warranty period expired. A piece of plastic broke off and was chopped and blended into our casserole. The failure wasn't detected until one of our guests pulled a sharp piece of plastic out of his mouth. Obviously, that dinner party ended poorly! I was embarrassed to have subjected my guests to the risk of injury from the Cuisinart product failure, and the waste of having to throw the casserole out uneaten.

The Cuisinart's work bowl and motor base were not in need of replacement since it saw only occasional use in the short time we have owned it. I wrote to Cuisinart asking for a replacement top (cost $16), but they refused because the product was just out of its warranty period. They somewhat cynically offered a 20% discount on a new Cuisinart purchase, perhaps hoping to profit from our misfortune. Of course, I would never buy from a company who won't stand behind its products and instead hides behind its warranty policy.

Our previous Cuisinart lasted for decades. Our satisfaction with that food processor led us to buy another to replace it. I know that manufacturing defects occasionally surface in all companies' products. The test of a good company is how it responds when a customer is subjected to the embarrassment, inconvenience and risk of injury caused by a manufacturing defect in one of its products, whether in warranty or not. Cuisinart failed this basic test, deciding that $16 was too much to spend for customer satisfaction, loyalty and its reputation for integrity.

Lensabl charged me a $25 cancellation fee after THEY canceled my order for Maui Jim lens replacement. After they found they couldn't do the job (they didn't have the tools!), they told me I could order another pair or pay the cancel fee, which they said would cover frame return costs. I said I didn't want the frames back, so save me the ship fee and toss the frames. They said "Sorry, company policy."

I'm not sure how Lensabl's policy makes for satisfied customers, and why I should pay for Lensabl's failure to fill my prescription. Still, if Lensabl can't see past changing their own policy, I'll go with EyeBuyDirect.com next time.