Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Shower Manager has a great product concept. To bad they have poor customer service and a product that has poor longevity. I purchased the product to solve an issue with my kids using up all the hot water. Approximately 9 months into owner ship the unit failed. After searching the internet Reviews I find that I am not the only one with the same complaint of product longevity and poor customer service. The following emails were between me and Shower manager. Email#1 "Hi, I purchased my shower manager in December or January ish time frame. It worked great until now. I have replaced the battery three times in a week now. It will work when a new battery is installed for a time or two then stop going back to full flow. I tried to do the magnet switch when it is not working mode and it won't beep. If I disconnect the battery and reconnect, it will reset and allow me to set the beep timer two three beeps.Then it works but won't go back to full flow after low flow timer of 5 minute. Please advise I would think the product should last longer than it has. My Name is ########## and my phone number is ###-###-#### Address is: #### ############ ## ########## ## ###### Thank You #### #### Please_provide_us_with_your_questions_and_your_phone_number. Email #2 sent by me 2nd notice On 10/22/2010 11:31 AM, #### #### wrote: I sent the previous email below and got no response. This indicated no customer service to me. Next if you won't respond, I will be forced to start placing nasty reviews out on the internet. It would be in your best interest to at least address your customers issues. I have not asked for anything free just advice as to getting it repaired. Poor customer service has put a many of businesses under. Ignoring customers is not in your best interest! I have personally talked good about your product and gotten you some sales. But I bet I can kill more than I have generated with the good old internet. Please respond. Sincerely, #. #### #### Email #3 finally a response informing me they have no parts and the solution is to spend another $85.00 to replace it. Mr. ####, Thank you for your inquiry. Having purchased your unit in December 2009, your 90 Day Warranty on the unit has expired. From what you describe, it sounds like the circuit board and/or motor is malfunctioning. These components are not replaceable as the internal housing of these units has been redesigned earlier this year. What we can do is offer a new unit at a price our biggest and best supplies receive on large orders, that is 50% Discount on retail price. We will forgo the requirement the malfunctioning unit be returned. You can go to our website [...] and on the ordering page place the word replacement in the coupon code box and press recalculate. Don Brunkhardt Shower Manager, LLC Email #4 At this point I was mad because they have no parts and after spending a total of $140ish less than a year ago they want another $85 total for another unit. I see a pattern here don,t you. On 10/23/2010 9:49 AM, #### #### wrote: Hmmm, I will have to think about it. If they don't last any longer than 9 to 10 months I can't see where I AM SAVING A DIME. Your warranty time is very short by most any ones standard. 90 day unconditional guarantee I understand in order to sell sounds great if you don't like it send it back with in 90 days. After freight for replacement you want another $85.00 that's over $200.00 in less than a year. If you can't do better than that then your product and company are not very good and I will be sure to let everyone know. May be I should put a how to build your own shower manager for free on the internet also. A step by step how to make your own. All anyone needs is a ¾ sprinkler valve $12.00, 24VAC plug in transformer, 555 dual timer rectifier, some resistors, caps, Regulator, thermal switch ($20.00). free step by step instructions. Less than $50.00 total to accomplish the same thing by shutting off the hot water or by using a Normally open valve to screw onto the shower head like you do. I have had cheap sprinkler valves last over 10 years now. If your product won't even last a year then it is JUNK. Think about it from my prospective and not your cut off the nose to spite the face for sake of making more profit prospective. Karma is alive and well I have thought about it and the answer is no way will I spend another $85.00 for a replacement. If you can't do better than that, I will make my own and share the instructions with the world all the while dogging you with not so pleasant reviews and links to a copy of this email transactions plastered on a URL. Please reconsider, I am no lawyer but I am a electronic/mechanical savvy person who can become a real pain in the ass. Do you really want to go down this road??? Sincerely, #### #### Email #5 they respond with this statement that really pissed me off. From: Don Brunkhardt [mailto:donb@ShowerManager.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 2:35 PM To: #### #### Subject: Re: Shower Manager Mr. ####, I don't know what road you are talking about, but we should remind you that our product / concept is protected by two U.S Patents and infringement of these rights are aggressively pursued through legal recourse. We will also retain a copy of this (and prior communication) email for publication of how not to pursue warranty replacement. No legitimate company would bow to badgering and threats made over the internet. Our offer for replacement at 1/2 the costs of retail will be withdrawn on 10/27/2010. Shower Manager, LLC Email #6 Now I am really P.O.! So the final email is a big let them know what it is going to be like. By the way they have not responded beyond this. Mr. Brunkhardt, Let me be the first to inform you that you cannot place a patent concept infringement suit against any person who is not profiting. Giving away technology or sharing ideas for free has nothing to do with concept infringement. You did not invent solenoid valve technology, the 555 timer, flow sensors and etc. So you can feel free to pursue any legal recourse you wish and get laughed out of any court and waste your time and money. You seem to miss the whole point here, so let me spell it out for you because you don't get it. First of all I got mad when your company did not answer my first email requesting help. After the second email request I get a sorry your warranty is up after 90 days on a product that has not even lasted a year. Your solution is to spend another $85.00 and there are no parts available to repair what I have. We already spent good money $140 with freight for a product that did not last even a year. Why would I want to give you more of my good money for another of the same that won't likely last a year? Duh... You Can stick your ½ the cost replacement offer where the sun don't shine! Your site claimed it would save me money....Yea right! I do not make threats, I will not badger you. I am well within my rights to tell the truth to the public by any means available. The story will be told as honestly as I can in all of my review postings. The informed decisions will be up to the customer after reading it whether or not to purchase your product. I think your product is junk if it won't even last a year and your unwilling to sand behind it for that long. What I get out of this the peace of mind knowing that maybe I save some people from the same grief. My advice for you is to either make a better product that will last a reasonable amount of time, or offer a warrant sufficient to allow a person to get their monies worth out of the product. Since you are unwilling to reach any form of reasonable negotiation, I will try to get some reviews out there first chance I get. It will take me a little time because I am busy with some projects, but be on the Lookout for the FREE step by step how to build your own shower timer with photos coming soon to a internet near you. I will be sure to give you honorable mention for inspiring me to produce them. Sincerely, Pissed off #### #### I figured out a way better deterrent for forcing my kids to not waste the hot water. I installed a Nice ¼ turn brass ball valve on the hot water tank outlet. I tell them that they have 10 minutes to get a shower. You won't have turn off the hot valve over twice because we have nice 60 deg. well water. It seems to be the cheapest easiest thing possible to do and it only cost about $10.00 and any one can do it. Just go to the Lows/Depot and tell them the type pipe and size you have. They have a ¼ turn valve with something called a Gator bite connection on each end. You won't even need glue just cut a place to insert the valve. Seriously the kids will get the point in a way they hate.