Reebok c5.1e

I purchased this machine as a mid-range exercise machine (cost £349.00), and was sold on the idea of a brand name and machine specifications.

I was struck by the specs of the machine, which included a whopping 20k flywheel, and a high end user weight limit.

The machine was easy enough to assemble,and really looked and felt solid - to be begin with. After a few months use, things started to go badly wrong. The pedals and plastic floor struts starting splitting - after only half an hour use every day.

To make things worse, Reebok customer service is amongst the very worst I have ever encountered (RFE Int Ltd). The agent there made a whole list of promises - none of which were kept - and I didn't receive the pedals for a long six weeks.

I was eventually offered a replacement machine - because the floor support was not available AT ALL - so I accepted a replacement. Now, this is where it got really bad. This machine squeaked like crazy - so much so that I had to stop using it. After another call to Reebok, I was offered yet another replacement machine, which I accepted.

This machine was even worse - there was a huge clanking sound coming from the flywheel, which steadily got worse and worse. The bearings also failed on the real axle, and the pedals split again.

I eventually decided to get a full refund from the original retailer (Connection Fitness). Do you know what they offered me by way of an apology? An insulting 5% discount on another cross trainer - which was more expensive than other retailers anyway. That's at least ONE customer who will never shop there again.

The moral of this story is an important one. Brand names DO NOT guarantee quality - the plastic was very low grade, the bearings were cheaper alternatives, and, worst of all, Reebok's customer service was truly shocking.