Air compressor class action

[Bird]

Roy, in '95 I bought a portable air compressor from Sears that was made by DeVilbiss. It was labelled as a 3.5 hp. A couple of years later, I noticed Sears was selling the identical air compressor, but labelled as 4 hp. That was certainly no exception; it seemed that nearly all the manufacturers kept increasing the "labelled" horsepower of their electric motors.

Now I don't know and understand enough about electric motors, but when I bought a Puma air compressor from a company that specializes in compressors, it was labelled as a 6 hp, and the salesman told me, "Yeah, we call'em imitation 6 hp." Then he showed me another compressor with a motor that was easily at least twice as big and said, "This one is a true 5 horsepower motor." It was running a two-stage 175 psi compressor on an 80 gallon tank. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

He told me then that the manufacturers could get away with calling the horsepower of an electric motor nearly anything they wanted to call it. I guess they've finally found out they can't. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[fivestring]

To answer your question, it looks like quite a few are just taking advantage of the suit. In the end, prices go up for everyone.
It doesn't sound like the units malfunctioned or did not do their job.
It sounds like another lawyer trying to make money.

 

[oakwood]

dont know about anyone else, but it really appears to me to be an indication of how sick times are. people will do anything for a buc.

 

[jwstewar]

How is demanding that items be labeld appropriately going to raise prices? How is this any different then the Nebraska Testing of tractors? Manufacturers were mislabeling the HP ratings of their tractors. What are these manufacturers doing? Mislabeling the HP rating of their air compressors.

Lets put this in terms maybe you'll understand. The "Sell By" date on milk. Everyone knows that this is just the sell by date and that the milk can still be consumed the next day. What if they grocers started changing this date to the next so that they could still sell the milk. They then still have milk left so they do it once again until finally you by milk that is already spoiled by the time you by it and give it to your child who ends up dying from food poisoning. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif While this may end up showing an extreme example it is no different - it is a case of mislabeling. While true someone may not die from the mislabeling of an air compressor what may the next item be - what about your tie down chain of your tractor. It really isn't rated for 10,000 lbs, only 6,000.

I could go on and on, but hopefully you get the drift. May you always get what you pay for, as it turns out we didn't.

 

[fivestring]

I understand what you're saying. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

My question is:
If one's compressor did what one bought it to do, why would one file a lawsuit because of it being labeled wrong? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
In the end, all buyer's of compressors will pay a little more. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
In the end, folks still have the compressor that they bought and it is still performing the tasks it was bought to perform, regardless of the HP label. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[BB_TX]

The sad part of the class action suits. Once the money is divided up, the consumers get a few dollars each, the lawyers get millions.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> How is demanding that items be labeld appropriately going to raise prices?</font>
DeVilbiss and CH have both established settlement amounts ($50 coupons). Someone will be paying for this...the consumer.

 

[jpr62902]

Just so I understand, the manufacturer misrepresents the capabilities of its product and its the lawyer's fault?

By the way, last time I heard, it was okay to earn an income in this country.

And yes, the class action attorney may have earned a fee in the millions after he or she probably staked that much of their own money to put the case together (support staff, materials and experts aren't cheap).

 

[BillyP]

Spoken like a true attorney /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[jpr62902]

Well, thank ya kindly, Billy P!