Why I hate the eOne Pump

Buyers beware!
If you are in the market for a grinder pump for your sewer waste; check for manufacturer and distributor’s warranty, what is being covered under warranty, and do you have to prepay with your credit card or certified cheque before getting warranty service.

READ THIS before you make your decision.







I paid $5130 for a eOne Pump; I am suppose to get 27-month warranty from shipping. At time of purchasing, I was told that the Environmental eOne Pump will last at lease 10 years. It ended up breaking down within the warranty period, but John Brooks, being the only distributor in Ontario, John Brooks demanded me to prepay them $4250 by certified cheque BEFORE they will take out the pump if it is still under warranty.

They would not want to take payment off my credit card. I had offered John Brooks to charge to my credit card, I told them that I am doubling my warranty period if I am paying by my credit card.
The manufacturer, Environmental eOne Corporation would not help you either. The company has only two distributors in Canada. The manufacturer is NOT prepared to take back their own product even when I offered to pay for the pairs. They refused to issue authorization to take back the pump, and let you being rib off by their only representative in Ontario. There are no written warrantly other than what was posted on their website which said nothing but you are getting 2-year limited warranty, or 27 months after shipping. You are on your own once you BUY their pumps.

I finally get it fixed; it took me six months without sewer to the house. Scarboro Pump fixed it by replacing two parts, a relay built inside the pump that was burned out, and the grinder that was being worn out when the relay broken and kept the grinder to run out.

The relay which is responsible to trigger the pump to turn on and off burned out and the pump malfunctioned. With the damaged relay, it won't trigger the pump to stop and kept running until the grinder part worn out. It should well be a manufacturer's warranty, but the John Brooks would not even work on it unless you prepaid them.

Customers calling for service, they will ask you for your credit card. John Brooks will qoute you $80 an hour for the service call, however, when you get the bill, they are billing you $80 per technician, that is, if they figure that they put two people on the truck, they charge you $160 an hour. They will not tell you that you will be charged for mileage from their Mississauga shop, plus toll if going on the ETR 407. This is in violation of the Consumer Protection Act.

This is what had happened to me:
I purchased an environmental grinder pump for my property from eOne Corporation of USA on about July 2007 from its sole distributor John Brooks Company Limited, located at 2625 Meadowpine Blvd, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 7K5. I paid $5130 for the pump at the time.



My house was on septic tank. The Town of Markham Engineering Department recommends residents in our neighborhood to use the eOne pump for hooking up to the town's sewer system at the time. The entire household waste water disposal has cost me over $10,000 for building permit and installation.



At time when I purchase the pump, I was told by both eOne Corporation and John Brooks Company Limited that the pump is designed to last 10 plus years with maintenance free; but the company offered a 2-year limited warranty, or 27-months after delivery.



I begin having problems from time to time with the pump since early 2009; from time to time, the siren came on, that the holding reservoir inside the pumping station was filled up to the top, it is taking “longer” then normal to grind and dispose the household sewer; I was not aware of the failing pump as it cleared itself after setting the siren off for 15-20 minutes, and I was told that it was normal.



I went overseas on business on about November of 2009, the pump stopped and sewer backup into the house while I was gone. John Brooks was called in for service. The caller (name not shown to block identity for her privacy) was quoted at $80 an hour and technician started charging time when leaving from Mississauga. When arriving, the technician went to the basement to toggle the switches, and told the caller that the pump was then working fine. He then turned around and handed her a bill for $1197.51. Mississauga is only about 25 km away; the technician came for less than 15 minutes and there is absolutely no reason to justify for charging this kind of money. Caller denied payment and the technician left. I came back just before Christmas and I did not have knowledge to the service call until later.



Towards the end of January 2010, the siren came off again. This time, I was present and I called John Brooks. At first, Jimmy Young, Customer Service at John Brooks referred me to Patrick Kelly (who I later found out his is in sales, old me toggled the switches turning the pump on and off and to get it going again. It works for a couple of days, and failed again! Due to the emergency, I have to call Patrick Kelly back on Sunday January 31st, 2010; I was told that he is in sales and I was calling his home number. Patrick Kelly told me to call back John Brooks during office hours, and it would cost me $65 an hour for technician to come on site for service.



I called on the following day February 1, 2010. I received a call from Craig Algar that he can come to service the pump the following morning. He confirmed to me that service charge is $80 an hour, and would take about a couple of hours to get it done. Craig Algar asked me to email him the address, model and serial number, and he confirmed his appointment on the following day.



When Craig Algar arrived on site, he spend about 15 minutes going down to turn off the switches in the basement, and took a quick look at the pump well outside. It was then I found out about the November service call from him. He left and told me that he had to order parts and may take a few days.



I then received an email from Paul Guibert. In his email, he wanted to charge me $401.80 for this service call, $1197.51 for the November visit. In short, Paul Guibert, Service Manager of John Brooks Company Limited (at 1260 Kamato Road, Mississauga, On L4W 1Y1) is asking me to pay $4250.05 prepaid by certified cheque BEFORE coming to pull my pump out.



John Brooks would need to be repaid them $4250.25 to pull out the pump BEFORE they know if it is cover under warranty.



Under the Consumer Protection Act in Ontario, John Brooks is in violation of the Act.



Here is a list of your basic rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002. For more detailed and specific information on any one of them, visit the Your Rights By Subject section on the left side of this website.

If you are sent goods you didn’t ask for, you don’t have to accept or pay for them.

In fact, you may use them or throw them out. You’re not responsible for an unsolicited credit card either – unless you buy something with it.

Pre-paid goods or services over $50 must have a written contract.

When some part of the contract occurs in the future (e.g. a gym membership), written contracts are required for goods or services worth more than $50. The contract must contain complete details of the transaction and full disclosure of any credit terms.

Contracts must be clear and comprehensible.

Vague language is discouraged in contracts. All required information must be clear, prominent and easy to understand. If there is a dispute over unclear language, it must be interpreted in favour of the consumer by law.

Misrepresentation is illegal.

All charges in a contract must be what they say they are. For example, a business may not add a $20 surcharge for a “tax” that is not really for tax. Make sure you understand what each charge is for and that it’s valid.

Sales incentives may not be false, misleading or deceptive.

A salesperson can offer you an incentive to help find other buyers, but the description of the incentive cannot be false, misleading or deceptive.

Consumer agreements must disclose all details.

If a company isn’t delivering on its contract with you, or if you encounter an aspect of the deal the company was required to disclose by law but didn’t, you have the right to cancel within one year.

Anyone who violates the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 will have to pay.

Individuals violating certain sections of the act are liable to a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment of up to two years less one day. A corporation can be fined up to $250,000.

Your Rights When You Buy Over the Phone

When you buy something over the phone, it’s important to note that the agreement can be cancelled if the company doesn’t disclose required information, including the full amount the company knows will be payable under the agreement.

The transaction may also be cancelled if you don’t receive a written copy of the agreement within 30 days of the billing date, or 60 days after you entered into the agreement, whichever comes first.

Review your credit card statements carefully to confirm you are only billed the amounts disclosed to you and make sure to dispute any incorrect charges immediately.