Who to buy a softener from?

[Tlhfirelion]

anybody have any suggestions on who to buy a water softener from?

Thank you.

 

[ditttohead]

Most online companies are nothing more that a guy and a computer relying on other companies to drop ship everything. I would stay away from them. If you are planning on the DIY route, check with some of your local companies and stick to Fleck, Autotrol or Clack based systems. Stay away from the Chinese Knock offs, and companies that use only a Fleck valve, but the rest of their equipment is soured by the lowest bidder. Unfortunately, this has become the norm as too many internet shoppers are only looking for the lowest price with little regard to quality or the company backing the equipment. Many of the local guys will be close enough to the internet jokesters, and you will have the local support.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Tlhfirelion]

Thank you for the reply ditto head. my local guys are either culligan (read way too expensive) or guys that know less than me, and I don't know much about plumbing. Lol. I think they make their money off folks who don't care to even try and learn about what they're buying, they just want a water softener. I've found a few helpful guys online but their recommendations are all over the map and so are their prices. Then the shipping charges get to be absurd so it's not affordable. It leaves your head spinning after awhile and you just forget the whole thing!

 

[_John_]

It's a pretty vile industry for a consumer. The "good stuff" costs dealers about what the POS units from the big box stores sell for at retail, and none of the "good stuff" gets to end users at reasonable prices with service.

Also, so many companies/dealers have to act like they have some secret to be able to sell you a product.

Shipping charges HAVE to be bad because there's a lot of weight and awkwardness to the equipment, I will defend internet retails on that one.

 

[Mialynette2003]

Not all internet sales companies are as Ditto said. I for one, own a water treatment company that takes care of local customers as well as sell online. I sell Clack & Fleck system and am in the process of opening an online store.

 

[ditttohead]

A few online dealers are very good, most are not. The online dealers that are good tend to be a bit more expensive, but they also aren't trying to sell quantity, they are trying to sell quality. Customer service also costs money, as does having your own inventory. SO many of the larger online resellers have no technical knowledge, just websites that they cut/paste from everyone else's site over the years, and they spend a lot of money on coming up first when you type into a search engine. That is why so many of these companies cant pay their bills to their suppliers.
Mialynette will do great with an online store, his knowledge exceeds 95% of the current online resellers!

 

[Paul Gatto]

A few online dealers are very good, most are not. The online dealers that are good tend to be a bit more expensive, but they also aren't trying to sell quantity, they are trying to sell quality. Customer service also costs money, as does having your own inventory. SO many of the larger online resellers have no technical knowledge, just websites that they cut/paste from everyone else's site over the years, and they spend a lot of money on coming up first when you type into a search engine. That is why so many of these companies cant pay their bills to their suppliers.
Mialynette will do great with an online store, his knowledge exceeds 95% of the current online resellers!

Hi Dittiohead,

Could you recommend some of the better online dealers? I'm just about to pull the trigger on a system purchase, and I don't want to end up with junk.

Thanks,

Paul Gatto

 

[GarytheWaterGuy]

Most online companies are nothing more that a guy and a computer relying on other companies to drop ship everything. I would stay away from them. If you are planning on the DIY route, check with some of your local companies and stick to Fleck, Autotrol or Clack based systems. Stay away from the Chinese Knock offs, and companies that use only a Fleck valve, but the rest of their equipment is soured by the lowest bidder. Unfortunately, this has become the norm as too many internet shoppers are only looking for the lowest price with little regard to quality or the company backing the equipment. Many of the local guys will be close enough to the internet jokesters, and you will have the local support.

Great advice, ditttohead! But it is true that there are several very good local companies that also sell online and provide quality products, support and great service.

 

[ditttohead]

Thus the word most. I used to supply many of the online companies, the vast majority of them should not be in the industry, they have simply found another market they can make a few bucks on. Many of the online companies have several store fronts in several industries, they do not stock anything, they rely on drop shipping, if you look at many of the addresses, you will find out that they are UPS stores, houses, tiny little strip mall locations, or they wont even post an address. Many of these companies will switch to any company supplier that will save them $1. It has gotten really pathetic that consumers are so easily fooled that they will buy a complex piece of equipment from an online company based solely on price. Imagine if we purchased our mountain bikes that way, Huffy would be the only bike available. Cars... Yugo would still be around, and every computer would be an E-Machine...

I referred the FireLion to a local company near him that has exceptional knowledge and expertise in the water industry and that would offer him a very fair price. And the guy I referred him to does not purchase from me, I just know that the end user will be well taken care of.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

I would buy a Clack unit from someone local...
I was told that CLACK had stopped everyone from selling
their products on-line due to the warranty issues that came up.
with local dealers not willing to warranty products that they had not
sold to tight-wads that saved a few bucks on the internet.......