Primo Water Bottom Loading Water Cooler by Black & Decker
From Primo Water Corporation
Primo is proud to offer this innovative water dispenser from Black & Decker. You will be able to drink fresh-tasting bottled water without the hassle of lifting and upending heavy bottles. The cutting edge design features a hinged door and a sliding drawer in the cooler's base. Simply place the bottle onto the drawer, affix the pump, and the bottle slides unseen into the base of the cooler. Like all of Primo's innovative coolers, this model features a stainless steel resorvior that keeps the hot water HOT and cold water COLD, as well as a child safety lock on the hot dispensing button. The combination of a high flow mechanism that cuts dispensing time in half and buttons on the top of the cooler eliminates the need to bend over while the dispenser fills your glass. In addition, this cooler contains an exclusive LED display with a programmable temperature control, a digital clock, and an indicator that lets you know when the bottle is near empty. This high-end cooler would be a great addition to any kitchen, gym, or office! Shipping available to the 48 Continental States ONLY! 15% restocking fee for all refused/returned items
- Amazon Sales Rank: #246984 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: Black & Decker
- Model: 900142
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly...
I bought this B&D bottom-loading water dispenser two weeks ago.
THE GOOD: It was exactly what I was looking for--great stainless steel and black look, the convenience of a bottom loading unit means no more lifting 5gallon bottles, cold/hot water spigot, and an attractive LCD screen that duals as a night light in the kitchen. For the first week, it was the best thing going.
THE BAD: After one week the realization that I had a lemon hit me when the hot water spigot stopped pouring water. This is a major problem, because we bought it needing the hot water as a convenience for my infant's nighttime bottle. But, after getting it on sale at Target for $159, I was willing to go through a little hassle with customer service to get the unit going again.
The UGLY: After spending 30-45 minutes on hold, the customer service rep had us open the top lid to access the resevoir and pour water inside. This seemed to fix the issue and we replaced the top cover and went to bed happy.
Well, the next day it stopped working again and we realized that was because the top resevoir had simply gone dry and the pump wasn't getting new water up to it to feed the spigot.
This time we decided to return it to Target for a new one. Well, turns out that we threw out the box after believing the unit to be fixed so Target couldn't even do an exchange.
Another call to B&D customer service, another long wait time. Rep tells us she can't refund or replace the unit, but that a manager will call us.
Several days go by with no returned call. Another call, another long wait. Rep tells us the same thing, but that we should call Target to confirm they can't take it back. At this point, I go online to review sites like Amazon (which I should have done first) and it turns out many people have had the same issues with this unit and B&D has failed to fix the problem.
We call Target and they again tell us they cannot return/exchange it without the box so we call B&D again. Another long wait, and the rep tells us that someone will call soon. My wife angrily explains that if she doesn't get a call back within the hour, she's placing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Miraculously, the rep says "hold on" and within 10 seconds the manager who kept avoiding us gets on the phone.
She says they will refund the purchase price of the unit. I'm waiting and will update this report if they do not send it. Long story short, this could have really been a wonderful appliance, but shoddy worksmanship and even worse customer service completely ruined the experience.
My advice: Steer clear of this product.
Needs Replacement Part Every 6 Weeks
We bought this because it looks nicer than a top-loading cooler, and it worked well, until the plastic cap that seals the water bottle broke. Mine broke after three months (a few days after the date at which I could still return it to the store). I called costumer service for a replacement and they tell me this cap is only supposed to last 6 weeks on average. They will send a free one while under warranty (two years) after which you'll have to pay $2.75 for every cap. They won't send out more than one while under warranty unless I pay for it, so basically I am supposed to call them every six weeks to request a new one, and then wait for a 3-5 days without a functioning cooler for it to arrive. Who needs this kind of hassle? Not me, I would have bought a top loader if I knew beforehand.
Does not work and tastes bad
This water cooler would not make cold water. We called customer service, and they had us taking the whole thing apart. It felt like they were reading from a different owners manual, telling us to remove things that were not there, or were in a different location. After 1/2 hour, the cooler still did not make cold water. Customer service said they would have a technician who puts these together, call us. We waited a week, and still NO CALL. Customer service is Primo, not Black and Decker, which I have heard here at amazon.com that they have horrible service.
The water tastes like synthetic tubing. It tastes aweful. We have taken this dispenser back. It tastes aweful and is not cold!
