Wanda Technology - Wandatech.com Cheaply made parts for patio umbrella Irvine, California
I purchased a patio umbrella from http://factorydirectpatioumbrellas.com in the spring of 2009 & was very pleased with it for about 5 months.
The umbrellas lower support arm is connected by what they call the lower support arm connector cap. Basically it is a small, plastic vinyl piece that connects the top of the umbrella to the main frame/pole. My first question is why isnt this piece metal? Why do you use a plastic piece (that is so easily broken) to connect the 2 most important parts of a patio umbrella?
This cap broke after 5 months of use. I called Wandatech & ordered 2 replacement caps. They arrived 3 weeks later. It is not easy to replace this piece and it took hours for me to get it all back together. Unfortunately, I was setting the umbrella back in the base when the umbrella leaned forward & I lost my balance. The umbrella fell to the ground & I heard a crack. You guessed it. The new plastic connector cap had broken.
At this point, I feel that Ive wasted a lot of money because the manufacturer is too cheap to make such a critical part out of a stronger material such as metal. When I called Wandatech.com for assistance, the man stated he didnt know why the engineers make it in plastic. There was no other offer of assistance. So beware when you consider buying products from Wandatech.com or any another retailer that sells the Sorrento offset umbrella. I spent over $800 buying the umbrella & various accessories from Factorydirectpatioumbrellas.com. Neither company has tried to assist me with this problem.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
MR.EWOOD
CORONA,California,
United States of America
product update
#2UPDATE Employee
Wed, November 10, 2010
The model referenced in this report, the "sorrento" has since been updated with a new metal part.
like many manufacturing companies we are constantly evolving our products to make them better, more durable and of a better value to the consumer. We offer an extensive line of products ranging in price and size, and each model is updated when changes are needed.
as to this consumers inquiries, we have no way to validate or deny his claim of being told "I don't know" in response to his questions, however as a rule if a member of the team cannot answer a question they are encouraged to offer to research it and respond at a later date.
like most manufacturers we are in business to make money, this is done in manufacturing by building an item at a lower cost than it is sold. sometimes a piece may be made from a more affordable material initially and, such as with this unit, at a later date it is determined that a different material is needed. these are called updates, and improvements, and occur in most industries.