Ryobi tools are popular for their affordability and performance, but what happens when a product malfunctions? This is a personal account of a frustrating year-long journey navigating Ryobi Customer Service in pursuit of a functioning lawnmower.
In May 2023, a new Ryobi lawnmower, purchased from Home Depot on a Spring sale, worked flawlessly. However, by June, the mower stopped working due to a power connection issue, despite functioning batteries. The first call to Ryobi customer service (after a significant hold time) resulted in instructions to take the mower to an authorized service center 45 minutes away. Upon arrival, the service center was overflowing with similar Ryobi mowers suffering from the same issue, suggesting a potential manufacturing defect. The owner anticipated a month-long wait for replacement parts from Ryobi.
Months later, in October 2023, the service center owner contacted me, stating he was no longer working with Ryobi due to their poor communication and difficult business practices. He advised pursuing a refund directly through Ryobi. Multiple calls to Ryobi customer service throughout October resulted in broken promises of callbacks and conflicting information. Finally, in November, after speaking with several agents, a replacement mower was confirmed and shipped. However, the replacement arrived refurbished, missing batteries, and was not usable until Spring 2024.
Alt: A broken Ryobi lawnmower sits unused in a garage, symbolizing the frustration of dealing with faulty products and poor customer service.
In June 2024, the replacement mower exhibited the same power connection problem as the original. Contacting Ryobi customer service again, a supervisor named Rennay promised to “try her best” to secure a refund after receiving proof of purchase. Despite follow-up emails and calls, Rennay eventually stated a refund was impossible because the mower model was still in stock. Further attempts to understand the next steps and request a replacement were met with silence.
Alt: A frustrated customer talks on the phone with a Ryobi customer service representative, highlighting the difficulties in getting a resolution to a product issue.
Subsequent calls to Ryobi connected to various agents, each offering different solutions and often leading to disconnections. Finally, a Tier 2 agent insisted on sending a shipping label for repair, requiring the customer to package and ship the heavy mower, despite the previous unsuccessful repair attempt. The conversation ended abruptly with another disconnection while being transferred to a senior agent.
This experience highlights the significant challenges faced when dealing with Ryobi customer service. Lengthy hold times, unresponsive agents, broken promises, and a lack of clear resolution processes have resulted in a year-long struggle for a functional lawnmower. This account serves as a cautionary tale for potential Ryobi customers and urges Ryobi and Home Depot to address these systemic customer service issues. For this customer, the resolution is to share this experience to prevent others from encountering similar frustrations. A $600 lawnmower remains unusable, and Ryobi has lost a customer, potentially along with their friends and family. Ryobi, it’s time to do better.
