Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have had a Cat Genie now for nearly three years, and it is currently in need of its THIRD electronic processing unit in that length of time. It has taken to starting itself randomly without warning, the arm will not complete the drying cycle, and during the drying cycle, the hand dumps HUGE amounts of wet granules into the hopper, unless I am there to stop it, so needless to say, it is now unplugged all the time, and has been for quite some time. I have called Cat Genie customer service multiple times about this latest issue, have been through all their resets and diagnostics many times over, to no avail. Finally, I was informed that my only options are to purchase an entire new unit (at a generous $30 off, this is sarcasm, btw), or spend $162 (since it is six months past its two year warranty date), to have a rebuilt electronics unit sent to me. Now, if I had had the unit for a longer period of time, or if this were the first time the processor needed to be replaced, then fair enough. But I have not had the unit all that long, and this replacement, IF I replace it, will be the THIRD one in as many years. This is not, I feel, reasonable. During the time I have had it, I have also had to replace the Genie "hand," the water sensor TWICE, and assorted bits of its plumbing fittings due to leaks. When you pay nearly $300 for a cat litter box, you shouldn't have to be nickled and dimed to death starting practically from the time you get it out of the box. The least the company could do is inform its customers that they will essentially need to replace the "brains" and other bits every year, up front. Just to add insult to injury, trying to contact the company in the first place is a total NIGHTMARE. Whoever dreamt up their current hallucination of "customer service" should have their head examined. I have NEVER come across a system more designed to have the customer so boiling mad before they ever speak to anyone in my life. You have to call, go through a phone tree, and leave a message for them to call you back at THEIR convenience. It is impossible to get in direct contact with a supervisor because of the same procedure. They cannot simply transfer you to one to speak with. If you have a problem with your unit, you can waste an entire day or more trying to get anywhere, because they expect you to be at your machine when they call you back. Unless it's in your office, this isn't particularly convenient. Most people don't have cats that are willing to wait DAYS to be able to go to the bathroom again, which means that you then have to run out and buy conventional litter boxes and litter and find a place to put them, as I did. Yet another expense and inconvenience to tack on to the expense of repairs/replacement of what amounts to a piece of junk. As if this wasn't enough, I was told by the latest representative in "customer service" that the malfunctioning electronics could also be due to my lack of maintenance, which is absolutely NOT the case at all. I keep that thing so clean that it LOOKS brand new. Because I have several cats who use it, and I am meticulous to make sure my house doesn't smell, I clean it, including taking it apart per the instruction manual, about every ten days. It is never allowed to accumulate fur, it has never had a foreign object dropped in it, and it smells as though it's never been used. The water sensor is kept clean as a whistle. That's in addition to the periodic cleanings with Cat Genie's maintenance products. There is also the issue of how exactly, a customer supposed to maintain the electronic "brains" of the system in the first place. This is a product that in theory, is a wonderful thing. When it works, it is a wonderful thing. It has the potential to provide my cats with the level of cleanliness I want them to have. BUT. BUT. This great idea could not have been more poorly executed if they had tried, and the execution problems are compounded by the most inconvenient "customer service" department I have ever encountered in any business. Until they can get their act together, I cannot, in good conscience recommend this product to ANYBODY. Save your money until a worthwhile competitor comes along. The few days that it does actually work are simply not worth the inconvenience, expense and abuse you'll get for your trouble. The product is unreliable, customer service takes FOREVER and is at their convenience, not yours, and the company just simply doesn't seem to care about its customers' satisfaction in the least. It's a good idea gone horribly wrong.