DuroStar DS7200Q Diesel Generator review: Product not as advertised and Poor Quality 1

Our DS7200Q Diesel Generator arrived on 7/21/2011 we immediately removed it from the packaging. Our disappointment began when we discovered that the generator did not have the fuels shut of valve that the advertisement stated and that there was no additional cooling fan in the unit, but we decided we could get by without these features as we still felt it was a good value and the consumer reviews on the Max Tools website indicated this was a good reliable generator.

The generator was "broken in" here at the office as recommend by the manual, serviced, then taken to the jobsite and put into service. It ran for 2 days and quit. This is when our nightmare began. We contacted the Service Manager who told us that we would have to have a mechanic look at it, that he would send us any parts necessary but that the company would not accept returns. He also told us that we were mistaken and the there was a fuel shut off as well as an external cooling fan and that "we must not know what were looking for". We very unhappily complied and contact a diesel mechanic who discovered the valve adjustment screw was broken. We once again contact him and he sent us the screw and a few days later the gasket. The mechanic installed the screw, adjusted the valves and we thought we were good to go. This time the generator ran for 4 hours. We once again, we had the valves readjusted and it restarted. This time it ran for 1/2 a day. Upon inspection we discovered that it had a crack in the fuel line. We had the fuel line replace and fired it back up. It ran for approx 10 hours when it idled down and died. We contact the service department again, and were told that we needed to have a mechanic determine what parts were needed and that they would send them. Once again the unit was inspected and found that the exhaust system bolts had vibrated out and that the exhaust was venting into the cabinet and causing the unit we assume to overheat. The cabinet is now partially removed, the bolts are tightened, the valve screw replaced, the valves are adjusted, the oil is changed, the fuel line is fixed and it still will not produce more than 100 volts.

We contacted the customer service department again on 8/15/2011, in hopes that they would "make it right" after all that we had been through. The website does state that they have a 30 day return policy and 8/15 was the 30th day. We first spoke to Anthony who was less than sympathetic to our issue. He said that he would have to talk to Andrew and get back to us. I called back and spoke directly to Andrew and said that at this point we just wanted to return the generator. I told him that if we were not given some satisfaction, I would dispute the charge with my credit card company. He said that he could not authorize the return that it would have to be approved by his sales manager . The same person I spoke to earlier in the day. The next call was to the sales manager from myself and a rep from Wells Fargo Bank (my credit card company). I had hoped that with the 3rd party involved, he would be more inclined to work with me rather than against me. I was surprised that his customer service skills were just as bad as they had been on our previous call. He told me that he would take the generator back but that we would have to pay the shipping approx $250.00, the policy states that the free shipping that we were offered when we purchased the unit would be deducted from our refund, and we would also be charged a 15% restocking fee. UNBELIEVABLE! While I understand policies I also know that there are extenuating circumstanced that mat require deviation from those policies. Especially since the generator did not have all of the features that were advertised on their website
As of now, we have a $1000.00 generator that is useless, a $500.00 mechanic bill, and no viable resolution to this issue.