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Updated by user May 07, 2016

No contact as of 05/06/2016. I called another Kinetico dealer asking them if they would sell me filters for my K5 reverse osmosis.

They stated they would and quoted me a price over $200.00 for 3 filters. Again, I would think long and hard before I became involved with Kinetico.

Looks like I will selling a K5 and replacing it with a reverse osmosis that has filters I can purchase. Kinetico is a scam!

Updated by user Apr 15, 2016

I contacted Kinetico Inc. about this problem.

this was their reply to me. Notice Kinetico Inc. perceives itself as a, "mediator." The claim that dealers do not have defined service areas is not accurate. Call a dealer out of your service area and they will advise you that you have to deal with the dealer who installed your system.

This is Kinetico Inc's response to me, not my version of their response.

Hello Pete,

In the event of a customer complaint, Kinetico policy is to contact the dealer the complaint is against. Kineticosโ€™ position in these types of situations is one of mediation. They are provided the opportunity to review the complaint. They will provide us their understanding of the situation.

They are then given the opportunity to resolve the issue.

Should the customer choose to not participate in the problem resolution process, the customer is welcome to obtain service from anybody they choose. There are no monopolistic service territories. Being independently owned, the dealer will choose the areas in which they want to service.

You may even find other companies very near you that service Kinetico products. However; if they are not an authorized dealer, they will be directed to a dealer to get parts.

We have initiated the review process with KWS Inc.

We understand that you are not interested in a response from KWS Inc., but we will let you know if they want us to relay a message to you. Kinetico Incorporated Diana Spaliatsos (Kinetico Inc.

divorces itself from "their" dealers when a problem arises. To suggest this is an ethical company is laughable.)

Updated by user Apr 08, 2016

This company is a huge scam They reveal ALL the positives and purposely fail to disclose that every customer is going to be beholden to one dealer as long as they own the equipment. They are engaging in price gouging by making people believe certain filters are proprietary.

They sell said filter for $30.00 when it can be purchased online for $4.00. They will not contact you if you want advice about a problem. This is because there is no money to be made by telling the customer anything about how the equipment works (cycle of operation) I contacted an online chat from a different Kinetico dealer and the spokesperson outright lied to me. The dealer will communicate with a customer if there is money to be made, otherwise they ignore the customer.

None of this is speculation on my part. All of it is factual. It is akin to buying a new car at a dealership, driving it elsewhere and having said vehicle break down. the consumer takes the car to the nearest dealer and they tell them, "We cannot touch that car, you have to take it back to where you purchased it." A Ford dealership is a Ford dealership right?

Why isn't a Kinetico dealer a Kinetico dealer? Answer..this is how they control their region. They create "local monopolies." If the consumer was told this information up front, do you think they would ever buy a Kinetico system? I sincerely doubt it.

They are *** artists who prey on people who want quality equipment. It is wonderful until it is no longer working and suddenly the consumer learns the untold truth about how they operate.

Well, the truth is going to be revealed and I am going to reveal it. There is little worse than greedy *** artists.

Original review posted by user Apr 07, 2016

I purchased a Kinetico water softener and reverse osmosis (K5) in 2013. $5,000.00 later, it worked well until April 2016. On March 1,2016 I contacted the installer, "Dan the water man" in Placerville regarding the cost, availability and purchase of new filters. BOOM! Dan replied back within hours to my inquiry. I drove to Placerville from Sutter Creek and dropped about $170.00 for 4 filters. I have had that experience with "Dan the Man" annually since 2014. ( Yes, I have followed the maintenance schedule)

My water softener was not regenerating properly, so I sent "Dan the water Man" a series of e-mails at the same e-mail address he responded so rapidly to when I inquired about replacement filters. NOTHING! NADA! NO REPLY, CHANNEL CLEAR!

So, I am left with the following taste in my mouth ( no pun intended). "Dan the Man" replies rapidly when he can make money. He does not reply when he knows the unit he sold is still under warranty. I was even willing to pay for a, "service call" and asked how much that would cost me. NADA! ( Do you see a pattern here?)

In desperation, I contacted another Kinetico dealer in an "online chat." I did not say a word about "Dan.." The female I supposedly chatted with called herself, "Marion." There was a small pic of a pretty female on the chat. Somehow, I doubt Marion was the female in the picture. (DUH!) I wrote to Marion and told her all about my water softener not regenerating properly. Marion finally told me, "OK, A technician will contact you as soon as one is available." That was last Sunday. (It is currently THURSDAY) I guess the technicians are just swamped. Actually, I believe "Marion" was promoting her dealership affiliation and upon learning I was not in her domain, she decided nothing to be gained here, so just lie to get this guy off chat. "Marion" if you read this, "THANKS FOR NOTHING!" ( I also know you are not the lady in the pic, you...."

Well, I think I fixed the problem, but I have to wait and see. Do not forget the word, "I." That means, "ME" "ALONE" "ALL BY MYSELF" Let me ask any prospective purchaser of a Kinetico system this. If you spend 5K and are told the warranty is a 10 year warranty.... We stand behind our product , rah, rah, rah and received NOTHING when you encountered a problem, would you be HAPPY? I think not. So, my advice to anybody considering a Kinetico water softener or reverse osmosis is, "save your time, your money, emotional energy etc. and stay away from businesses like the one described. Oh yes, I must not forget. The sediment filter "Dan" sells for $30.00 can be purchased online for $4.99 at a water store in Canada. The part # for the 20" sediment filter is: 122****-V. ( Oops, Dan left the label on the filter)

Hey Dan, if you read this do not contact me. You had your moment to do the right thing. The train has left the station and you are not on it. Choo-choo!

Reason of review: Poor customer service.

Monetary Loss: $5000.

Preferred solution: My trust and respect for Kinetico is GONE! Put yourself in my shoes. Ask yourself, what is the solution to a non-responsive dealer? Thank You! .

Kinetico Cons: Repair service, Lieing via omissions of known facts.

Location: Sutter Creek, California

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Canaan End

The best way to determine the business ethics of a given company is via their response when a problem arises. KINETICO is an unethical business.

Once they received my 5K I ultimately received an unintelligible voice message about how their system never breaks down etc.

One can purchase other systems for less money and not have to wade through a school of scam artists who do have monopolies on various regions. You buy replacement filters through "YOUR" dealer or you find another who will hose you good for coming to them for replacement filters or parts, once they learn that they did not install your system.

The response from the Kinetico rep who claims that Kinetico takes on the role of a mediator if a problem erupts is an outright untruthful statement. It, in fact, is laughable.

Kinetico evidently has good water filtration systems as water filtration systems go. Problem is the consumer will never stop paying for proprietary filters and parts, because most of the filters and parts are only sold by Kinetico at a Kinetico dealer. Kinetico was smart to do this, but clearly they created a monopoly in doing what they did.

Enjoy your 5K Kinetico, because nobody I know or speak to about your products will ever purchase one.

To any potential consumer: I don't know how these people sleep at night! You were advised, so all I can leave you with here is: "Buyer Beware."

Guest

Sounds like you had several issues with the dealer. We live in Florida and have had a Kinetico system for 32 years.

The first lasted over 24 and now we are onto the second. Also, ANY COMPANY will give you the "best" about their product. And with our experience, Kinetico has been filled with the "best's". If you take a look at the other water treatment companies, they have double and triple the amount of bad reviews than Kinetico.

Thanks for the detail in your story. If i travel to California I will keep a look out for "maroon"...lol

Guest

Thank you for this post. We had a a Kinetico sales rep come to our home yesterday and we signed a contract for $8,000!

After reading this review, we are rescinding it.

Interestingly enough , the rep stated that you can not find a bad review about Kinetico. There was a tremendous pressure to get into this contract but concerns begin to grow on the hour.

San Joaquin Valley, CA

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1171387

Yes. They are all positives when selling you a system.

Once it is installed you learn everything they neglected to mention. They are scam artists, pure and simple.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1171391

Every company is going to be positive when selling you anything. The Kinetico brand has been around for nearly 50 years and has less complaints than the other water treatment companies.

I don't think they are scam artists...I agree that some dealers don't take the pride in customer service that others do, and this comment was definitely the case.

We have lived in two different states and had three Kinetico systems, and have only had a handful of service calls. Both dealers we worked with were fast, knowledgeable and had great customer service.

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