Below is a history of my complaints with Sunbeam:

Dear Laura L.:

Thank you for your response.

As was stated in my first email message to you, the voltage and electricity system here in Taiwan is the same as the USA and Canada. There is no need for a converter.

In the event, I have decided what I will do. I will return the defective product to the place of purchase in Vancouver, Canada, on my next visit there. They (The Bay) are a service oriented business and will refund my money and take care of returning the blanket to you.

You may be interested to know that I am not alone in my experiences with your products. Simply Google "Sunbeam electric blanket complaints" and you will see what I mean.

I will add my own story to these sites: two product failures involving Sunbeam blankets that failed in less than one year, subject to a supposed 5-year warranty which is inconvenient and impractical to enforce, and which involved 4 weeks of ultimately unsatisfactory communications with your service center.

Very truly yours,

Richard

Original Message:
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From: Consumer Services consumeraffairs AT spemail.esecurecare.net
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 20:06:12 -0500 (EST)
Subject: RE: Blankets - SUNBEAM HEATED PRODUCT STYLE 83E [Incident:
070105-000018] [Incident: 070118-000187] [Incident: 070126-000018]

Subject
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RE: Blankets - SUNBEAM HEATED PRODUCT STYLE 83E [Incident: 070105-000018]
[Incident: 070118-000187]

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Response (Laura L) - 01/27/2007 08:06 PM
Dear richard,

Thank you for your E mail. My name is Laura L and I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced.

As was stated in the first response to your first email: "All products which are sold in the United States and Canada are manufactured and UL approved for 110-120 voltage. We do not recommend the use of a converter with our products. Converting the electricity may cause the product not to work properly. Although it may be possible to use a voltage converter with one of our products, we do not recommend using them. We do not have any information on specific voltage converters so we cannot recommend that one be used. Use of this product with any other than the recommended power source and supply voids the warranty."

And as was stated in a consequent email to your further queries: " The blanket service center is unable to ship outside of the United States however, so in order to have the blanket returned, you must have a U.S. address for it to be sent to. Whomever lives at that address would then need to ship the blanket to you overseas."

Unfortunately, we do not have any service centers in your area that will be able to service you. I do apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.

Sincerely,

Laura L
Sunbeam Consumer Services

Customer (RICHARD) - 01/26/2007 01:40 AM


Hello Kelly,

Thank you for your message.

The product was purchased in Canada and I reside in Taiwan. The reason I am communicating with you about this is that the user manual states, in bold type, DO NOT RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE. I note too that at the bottom of that particular page of the manual, it states that the product is "Imported and distributed by Sunbeam Corporation (Canada) Ltd" and that there is a Canadian address, namely 5975 Falbourne Street, Mississauga, Ontario.

Now I am willing to incur the shipping cost of returning the product to you in the US, or to your Canadian address, but I cannot provide a US shipping address (and I don't see anything in the warranty requiring me to do that). You would really need to either return it to me here in Taiwan, or I can provide a Canadian shipping address.

I note again that this is the second product failure under warranty that I have experienced with identical Sunbeam products. I was willing to forget about the first one, but this latest failure--coming in id-winter--is very frustrating.

Finally, I note that the product is made in China, which is right next door, geographically speaking. Why not suggest to me that I return it there, and that your factory send me a new one back? That seems to make the most sense to me.

Very truly yours,
Richard