Because of a favorable Consumer Reports review and a great price, I bought a Westinghouse
iGen2500 portable generator this past summer. It's quiet, seems well built and works fine. We live in Colorado and I subsequently ordered the high altitude carburetor kit from Westinghouse. While the generator seems good, my experience with Westinghouse customer service in trying to get a couple of simple issues resolved pertaining to the high altitude kit was simply the worst. Like, beyond comprehension terrible. My advice: If you think you might need to deal with customer service, don't buy Westinghouse.
Short Summary:
Westinghouse sent me
the kit with no installation instructions.
I could find no
instructions on the Westinghouse website.
I sent 7 emails and
made 6 phone calls to Westinghouse (and in response received 7 emails and 1
phone call from Westinghouse) before I received the installation instructions. 3 of my 7 emails were not responded to.
Long Summary:
1. I received the high
altitude kit, but it came with no instructions.
2. I went to the
Westinghouse website but could find no instructions there.
3. I emailed a query
to customer service, but received no response (this was mid-October).
4. 10/23 I called
customer service and explained that my email had not been responded to. I recapped that I had no installation
instructions for the kit. They couldn't help but said they would refer
the question to the tech dept.
5. 10/24 I received an
email from Engineering saying he didn't understand the question.
6. 10/24 I emailed
back asking for installation instructions and asked the minimum safe altitude
at which the unit could be run.
7. 10/25 I received an
email telling me that there are installation instructions and that the jet must
be changed if the unit is returned to sea level. No installation
instructions were provided.
8. 10/26 I emailed
back asking where I could get the instructions and reiterated the question
about minimum safe operating elevation. I received no response.
9. 10/31 I
called customer service and asked for this to be escalated to management.
The person said he would send me a link to the instructions and that there was
no problem running the unit at sea level with the kit installed; it would just
make less power.
10. 10/31 I received an email with installation instructions.
11. We were out of the country for most of
November. Upon returning I saw that the instructions provided were not
for my model. The instructions stated that the original jet must be
re-installed if the unit is to be operated at an elevation under 2,000
ft. On 12/04 I emailed Engineering and explained that I received the
wrong instructions and asked for the correct ones. I received no response.
12. 12/06 I called customer service and asked for
instructions for my model. Dan said he would check and get back to me.
13. 12/06 Dan called back. Although he said the installation
instructions for all the iGen’s would be the same, he said he would send me the
correct instructions for my model.
14. 12/06 Dan emailed
me a response that referenced included instructions but there were none in the
email.
15. 12/08 I installed
the kit (without instructions). The kit included three jet options--A, B,
and C. I guessed that Kit B would be the right one for 5,000 ft. of
elevation. The procedures in the instructions I received on 10/31 were of
no help; my model generator is quite different from the instructions.
16. 12/11 I emailed Dan that I did not receive the
instructions with his previous email. I said
I also needed clarification of the minimum safe operating
elevation with the kit installed because I had received three different
answers. The first (verbal) was sea level. The second (verbal) was
that there is no minimum--it would operate fine at sea level, although with
slightly reduced output. The third (written) was 2,000 ft., although that
was in the instructions for generators other than the iGen that I have so I
don't know for certain if it applies.
In the same email I
included the summary of my efforts to acquire instructions and install the kit
(numbers 1-15 above) and asked that my summary be forwarded to Westinghouse
management. I concluded by stating:
“My experience with
Westinghouse has been terrible beyond belief, starting with purchasing a kit
that came with no instructions, continuing through emails that were not
responded to, and phone calls and emails that often provided no- or incorrect
information. After all these emails and calls, I still have no instructions for
installing the kit.”
17. 12/11 Dan emailed me and apologized that
there was no link to the instructions in the 12/06 email he sent me, but he did
not provide the instructions. He did not
clarify the minimum safe elevation at which the generator can be operated with
the kit installed.
18. 12/11 Dan sent a second email that day that
included the link to the instructions.
19. 12/13 I emailed Dan that the kit instructions
he provided were the same (incorrect) ones sent to me 10/31. I explained in detail how the instructions
provided did not apply to my model generator.
20. 12/13 Dan emailed and said that they had
found the problem that resulted in my getting the wrong instructions and sent
me a link to the correct ones.
21. 12/14 I sent an email to Dan confirming that
I received the correct instructions.
Notes: After twice asking
for my experience to be shared with Westinghouse management, they did not reach
out to me.
I never received
clarification as to the minimum safe operating elevation with the kit
installed. The instructions for my
generator say the original main jet must be installed for operation at less
than 2,000 ft., so I am assuming that engine damage can occur without the original
jet.
------------- Krusehead
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