Next time you are thinking about buying a power tool (especially a shop vacuum cleaner) from Black and Decker consider the following phone conversation:

Black and Decker Parts - this is Carol.

Oh, hi. I need a cloth vacuum cleaner bag for a shop vacuum cleaner model 35M - it's the cloth bag that fits onto the motor, you know, inside the unit..

Oh - I'm sorry but we don't stock that item. Have you tried Lowes or Home Depot??

Errrr, no, I thought it would be best to come directly to you, you are the manufacturer.

I'm sorry sir, but we don't stock any parts for shop vacuum cleaners.

Huh?

I said we don't have any parts for shop vacuum cleaners.

Buttttt . . . . where can I go to get parts for this thing. I did buy it ten years ago thinking that it would last a long time. After all it is made by one of the world's largest tool manufacturers!

Sir, I have had calls from people with a two year old shop vacuum cleaner and we don't stock parts for them either!

So it looks like I'm sort of s*** out of luck, huh?

I guess so - I'm sorry.

Thanks for nothing - I'll make sure to tell all my friends about this conversation - I'm sure they will want to know!!

So next time you are thinking about buying anything from Black and Decker call their parts "hot line" at 1-800-258-6003 and ask Carol, or whoever is left working there, if they stock parts for the thing you are buying - only make sure you ask about the model that is two or three years older than the one you are considering! You might think twice and head over to Sears!

Back to the index page (top level)

Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 by Bob Hewitt - All rights reserved