I had a vita mix 3600 for years. It's designed with a small rubber glue connecting the 2 halves of the shaft, possibly as a safety feature which is designed to snap with too much strain. This leaves you unable to blend anything once it snaps. I purchased a new one which lasted for a year before it too snapped while blending a fruit smoothie. When the 5200 came out they stopped making blades for the 3600. So after what I consider a design flaw they remove replacement parts from the market in an effort to force consumers to upgrade. Their website alludes to a loyalty program but when you click on it there is none available. I emailed them on their website form to ask about this and received no reply. Exploiting customers financially seems to be the order of the day at Vita mix and when a company comes along that is not so aggressive as they - frowns all around.
