Can You Trust Paper Shredder Ratings?

It has become more popular for web sites to offer places for customer feedback on the products they either like or dislike after purchase. While this may discourage sales of some products, it is better to have the customer ratings to weed out the less than worthy products than to have a higher volume of unhappy customers and a long line at the customer service desk! Complaints about customer service in general have risen because of the tendency to hire people who have only been trained to keep the dissatisfied at bay rather than providing quality service to aid the customers and promote a more positive environment for all involved.

Ratings about paper shredders can be found on store sites, office supply sites, manufacturer sites, blogs and more. The lower ratings on paper shredders seemed to be primarily from the personal type shredders. For the most part, the complaints seem to be that the shredders are listed to have a higher capacity input than they are actually capable of. This is poor advertisement on the part of the company who makes or sells the shredders and makes the consumer shy about buying future products of the same brand.

Ratings from the public can be a valuable tool for the consumer. If you do decide to voice your opinion to rate a paper shredder, please make it as detailed as possible to help the person understand exactly why this product was not up to par. It can also help the company that made the product see where the major flaws are so that improvements can be made in the future to provide a better quality product.

Poor ratings include everything from paper jams, lower capacity input, to overheated motors and waste receptacles that crack easily. A few complained about the power switches, but only a few. The negative ratings did seem to focus more on the regular household personal paper shredders, which are meant only for light use and low volume shredding. While it is a good idea to check the ratings and feedback, keep in mind that these small machines were meant for small volumes and short run times. If you neglect to read the instructions and try to overload the capabilities of the shredder or run it too long for the small motor to handle, there is certain to be trouble. Is it really fair to blame the manufacturer and call in a warranty complaint because of your own neglect? Unfortunately, there are people who will try to blame the company instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. But for the most part, checking the ratings of any home appliance, including the paper shredders is a great idea. It is better to be forewarned than to be shocked and disappointed after your purchase.

One complaint about personal, inexpensive shredders is that they break easier. They tend to be made with plastic gears, which is why they are inexpensive. So it is more important to treat them gently. Above all, remember that gears need lubrication to continue to operate smoothly.