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I purchased a complete RainSoft system approximately 1 yr. 3 months ago. After about six months I called their service department to find out why my water was not any better than it was prior to the system being installed. The technician came and found that some substance from the original installation had become lodged in one of the valves.They repaired it and the units performed fine from that point. It was useless for the first six months.
I called for my annual service about 3 months ago and they came out and performed the annual service. Three weeks ago I started getting an alarm on my unit saying it needed service on the valves. I called to find would what to do about it and they said that maybe the technician had not reset the system when he service it.
I went through the settings and could not find anyway to reset it. I called again and the operator told me they didn't know how to reset it and would send me a manual that would tell me how to do it. I received the manual and could not find any information showing how to reset it.
I called again and the operator said that they would have to come on site and work on it to the tune of $125.00 for the first half hour. I informed the operator that it had been serviced about 3 months ago and the recommended service should be annual so there shouldn't be an additional charge. They said there would still be a charge so I scheduled an appointment to see what they would find wrong.
I would not recommended RainSoft products or service to anyone. They call every week wanting to come for service and to sell salt. Their service charges are way to expensive and they charge three times for salt that can be purchased from Home Depot or other sources at a reasonable price.
I am currently researching if there is any legal means to get a refund from RainSoft and have their equipment removed.
 Comments (14) |  |
| 1. Written by Carol 10-28-09, on 27-10-2009 23:42 yes I hate rain soft also, the service is horrible. They charge you $52, try $ll8 and then they put a gas fee on there. And then the serviceman charge me another $200 for what he said was parts the system is falling apart. I wish I never heard of RS,it a peice of junk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| 2. Written by rain soft service oh please, on 23-10-2009 21:33 I myself purchased this rain soft system and they try to get you on all this service call charges for a 54.00 dollar part they want to charge 150.00 to install it. i have already told my friends and neighbors dont buy it. service calls are overpriced for something that has this great warranty.(WRONG) |
| 3. Written by Alan, on 19-10-2009 13:18 To RainSoft Rep In New York: Lies number 4 and 5 - RainSoft reps are trained and certified via the EPA? Really. Please provide a link, or something to substantiate your ridiculous claim. Nor are they trained and certified by the Water Quality Association, which provides neither training or certification of salespeople. By claiming you work as a representative of RainSoft, you simply embarrass yourself and the credibility of the company you supposedly represent. RainSoft offers decent equipment. Maintained properly, it should last for years and years. Is it unique? No. Is it better than the other major brands (Culligan, Kinetico, Ecowater)? No. It is, however, the highest priced system among these brand leaders. Just shop and compare, don't take my word for it. And yes, there is maintenance involved with these systems. Do you change the oil in your car? Does it ever need new tires? How about the battery. Spark plugs? Air filter? The point is that your system should be checked out annually, much like your A/C and furnace are checked at the beginning of the heating and cooling seasons. The filters in your drinking water system will require replacement. Did they clog? Good, because that means they're doing their job. Educate yourselves, people. And be honest about your intentions before posting here. |
| 4. Written by Kateali5, on 16-10-2009 08:19 The last time I talked to Rainsoft I informed them not to call me anymore and I would be taking care of the system myself. I also went into the settings and found that all of the settings were set up to the maximum settings. This would cause the system to require maintenance earlier. I inform Rainsoft that I would use the system until it was no longer usable and then take it to the nearest landfill for disposal. |
| 5. Written by Kateali5, on 16-10-2009 08:19 The last time I talked to Rainsoft I informed them not to call me anymore and I would be taking care of the system myself. I also went into the settings and found that all of the settings were set up to the maximum settings. This would cause the system to require maintenance earlier. I inform Rainsoft that I would use the system until it was no longer usable and then take it to the nearest landfill for disposal. |
| 6. Written by Karl, on 16-10-2009 06:57 If you are going to purchase one of these systems..BEWARE OF THE COSTS...most of the time you will have to finance the system..if you use THEIR financing, be prepared to pay 18 to 22 percent in interest.. If you are going to purchase a system..hold off as long as you can..you'll see that 6995 drop down to 3995.. |
| 7. Written by RainSoft, on 25-09-2009 10:05 Good morning. My name is Mark Vance. I am the Chief Marketing Officer for AWTP, LLC. We are the parent company of RainSoft. I wanted to post a comment today addressing some of the information presented in this thread. RainSoft has been in business for more than 56 years. We have a long history of working with our independent, authorized dealers in an effort to provide the best quality products and service to homeowners around the world. As a member of the Water Quality Association, we along with our dealers are bound by the WQA's Code of Ethics which specifically addresses the issues raised in many of these posts. We do not, never have and never will, condone or encourage unethical sales or marketing practices. It would be my hope that every dealer deal directly, proactively and positively with each and every customer concern, however, I know that we don't always meet customer's expectations. We're trying hard to get better at that, however, I would say we still have an opportunity to improve. Now, specifically regarding the comments made by "John" and "RainSoft Rep in NY." First, "RainSoft Rep in NY" speaks only for himself in this thread. Would I have addressed legitimate consumer complaints the way he or she did. Certainly not. As with all manufactured mechancial or electronic equipment, there are bound to be problems. The issue is how you address them when you are made aware of them. I would like to invite anyone who has a problem with their RainSoft system to first contact their local dealer and let them know. If, however, you don't get the level of service you feel you deserve, then I invite you to reach out to us at " " If we can help, we will. Period. As far as the comments posted by "John," please accept this invitation to contact me directly at our Dealer Support Center. I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you personally. I might actually learn a few things from you, however, I would say that I too am familiar with our training and dealer support and I wouldn't characterize it as you have. Are our dealers dedicated to growing their businesses and providing opportunities for sales and service professionals? You bet! Are they assertive? Most certainly. Do some sales representatives get overly aggressive at time? Yes they do, they are human beings. Do we condone the actions highlighted in your comments or the overly aggressive sales tactics discussed here. No we do not and when we hear about it, we work with the dealer to understand the impact on the customer and his business. Again, I welcome any comments at " " Thank you all for your time. Sincerely, Mark Vance |
| 8. Written by John, on 23-09-2009 19:52 Looks like another defensive Rainsoft sales rep. I worked at Rainsoft corporate (Aquion Water Treatment) and was appalled at the tactics used to stick customers with these oversized turkeys. They mainly sell to elderly people and foreigners, using scare tactics ("You wouldn't let your grandchildren drink that water, would you?"). A few years ago, the West Virginia Attorney General filed suit -- all customers in that state could opt for full refunds on their units. This was in response to a dealer who claimed that it could filter out mustard gas and anthrax. Once you sign on the dotted line, you have three days (more, in some states) to rescind the contract -- many dealers make it as hard as possible to contact them during that period. And, many dealers try to install the units BEFORE the end of the rescission period. You're better off buying a $500 unit from Home Depot, and paying a plumber a couple hundred dollars to install it. And, I've sat in on a few Rainsoft University classes -- great way to learn how to talk someone into buying (and financing) something they really don't need or want. Just my 2 cents worth. |
| 9. Written by rainsoft rep in ny, on 20-09-2009 00:03 ok im seriously furious, i dont know why you people have to come on here and bash us especially with remarks that are false. do you like presenting falsified information to the public? bill, all of the demonstrations take an hour to an hour and 15 sometimes longer depending on questions and conversation. we say that too you 2 times once when we get inside your house and on the phone. stop telling people your waste. so you wouldnt buy from us because your lack of attention? debbie its unfortunate that your system had problems, you find me a product that works 100% all the time for 100% of its customers? it just doesn't happen, service for the first year is free on any purchase so what if it breaks then.. we fix it for free. and last and the worse offender of all gaetano, you just basically stated several bold face lies. they do not call you and say "you need a tune up" the computer on your ec4 system tells you when you need something fixed, we don't call you everyday saying oh this needs fixing and so does this to make money. if that were the case, then we wouldn't offer a free year of service, that would make no sense whatsoever. and whats this ridiculous notion of spending 105 dollars on salt. a 40 lb bag is like 3 dollars. so lie number 2. number 3 how can you insult the integrity of the company. all of our employees and trained and certified via the EPA and the water quality association. Why would we all need college degrees to test your water at home? its not like our training is skimpy and uninformative, we go through rigorous training to do our jobs. also i don't know where you can come off saying that we need a college education. You made so many grammatical errors, I hope you don't talk like you type or we would all be in trouble |
| 10. Written by katali5, on 24-08-2009 07:59 Thanks, Bill for the comment. I hope other consumers take heed to my experience. Since my first complaint I have had additional problems. My UV lamp went out on the system and my call to Rainsoft yielded another cost of $255.00 dollars. This included another UV bulb @ a cost of $130.00 and a service call of $125.00 for the first 1/2 hour. I found a company on the internet that sold me a replacement bulb for $82.21 including shipping. I replaced the bulb myself in 5 minutes. I wrote a complaint to Rainsoft but it has never appeared on their website as I knew it wouldn't. I also filed a complaint with Home Depot who had recommended Rainsoft to me. They were sorry but couldn't do anything as they were not associated with the Rainsoft company. Since then, I had a call from Rainsoft trying to sell me salt. I informed them that I would be purchasing my salt elsewhere and to not call me anymore. I received a call the very next day again wanting to sell me salt. I again informed them to *** their calling list. The woman on the line said okay, she remembered talking to me the previous day. She said again that she would take me off the calling list. We'll see what happens. Al Platt, Tampa, Fl |
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