Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

While this product initially makes a good impression, its luster quickly fades. Worse, the manufacturer then fails to stand behind its product, opting instead to let its retailers deal with defective units. Consequently, I don't know which deserves less stars, the product or its manufacturer. The Good Out of the box, the unit sets up easily. The display is bright and pleasing to look at. The barometric pressure reading and moon-phase icon are nice touches, but I quickly found that I stopped looking at these data points during my quick glances at the display unit. The range seemed acceptable, but I didn't push it - the outdoor sensor and the display unit were no more than 25' apart, and separated only by an exterior wall and some windows. The Bad I purchased the item in late May. I live in the Midwest, so the daily temperatures at the time of purchase ranged from the 50s to the 70s. Both the indoor and outdoor temperature displays operated flawlessly while the outdoor temperatures remained mild. Things began to go haywire in October, when the average daily high temperatures were only in the 50s and 60s. I noticed that the outdoor temperature stopped updating. There was no indication on the display that it had lost contact with the outdoor sensor; the outdoor temperature simply remained at 62F, even though the actual outdoor temperature was going up and down. I brought the outdoor sensor inside, put fresh batteries in both units, and then followed the steps in the manual for re-syncing the indoor unit with the outdoor sensor. When they were once again in sync, I moved the outdoor sensor back outside, but closer to the display unit so that they were now only 4' apart, and separated by just a window. The two units stayed in sync for about two days. Meanwhile, the outdoor temperatures averaged between the 30s and 50s. When the outdoor temperature once again stopped updating on the display unit, I contacted AcuRite's customer service via online chat. The customer service rep I chatted with told me to replace the batteries in both units (again), and to go through the sync process (again). She even emailed me the sync instructions (which are already in the manual), and encouraged me to follow-up if there were any further issues. One week later, I responded to her email to report that the outdoor temperature had once again stopped updating on the display unit. When I had received no response after four days, I sent her another email asking her to respond. When another two days passed without a response, I called AcuRite's customer-service line (the online chat option has since disappeared from their website). This call was made just yesterday. The customer service rep I spoke with yesterday did find my name in their system, but she could not find any notes entered by the rep who conducted the initial online chat. Consequently, I had to start from the beginning in explaining my issue and the interventions taken to date. She recommended - wait for it - that I replace the batteries in both units and restart the sync process. I was furious, but I agreed to go through the sync process because none of what had gone on so far was her fault. So I did the sync steps while she was on the phone. When the outdoor temperature did not immediately display on the indoor unit, she said that it may be defective because both the indoor and outdoor temperatures should display as soon as the units are powered on (the outdoor temperature has always taken 15-20 minutes to display on the indoor unit). This is where things got crazy. The AcuRite rep asked what the return policy is at Amazon, to which I responded that the return window closed nearly five months ago. She recommended that I call Amazon and ask them to work with me because my unit is defective. If - and only if - Amazon refused to replace the unit - I should call back and AcuRite "would see if they can do something." I asked how long the warranty period is. The answer? ONE YEAR! So despite the fact that the unit is guaranteed to be from defects for one year, the manufacturer will only replace it SIX MONTHS AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED if the retailer refuses to to replace it. This is the craziest thing I have ever heard. And, quite frankly, I am looking into filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Believer it or not, she said that my having to go through Amazon for replacement of a defective unit was my fault because I had chosen to purchase it from Amazon rather than buying it directly from AcuRite. She said AcuRite would "go broke" if they had to replace all the units that were purchased from third-party retailers. How about making non-defective units that don't need replacement in the first place? The good news is that, because Amazon has some of the best customer service around, they actually agreed to refund my money for the purchase of this unit. The agent initially balked, citing the return window and offering to give me AcuRite's toll-free number. When I told him what had transpired on my call with AcuRite, however, he put me on hold for a few minutes and then came back and said they would refund my money. Don't be surprised if Amazon stops selling AcuRite products. I know I would if I was Amazon's purchasing manager. Save yourself the frustration, and buy another brand.