Buying A Treadmill – 3 Essential Tips

Buying A Treadmill – 3 Essential TipsIf you’re buying a treadmill, chances are you’ve done lots ofresearch already. You probably know exactly what makes up a highquality treadmill and have an idea of which features you want inyour unit.But even with this knowledge many people still fall prey toslick treadmill deals that end up costing them in the long run. In order to keep that from happening to you, here are 3essential buying tips to make sure you choose the very besttreadmill for you. #1) Not All Treadmill Brands Are Created EqualI recently had a gentleman e-mail me asking for advice on whichtreadmill he should buy. He had narrowed it down to 3 choices:Choice #1: Brand A: 2.5 HP motor $999Choice #2: Brand A: 1.75 HP motor $899Choice #3: Brand B: 2.0 HP motor $1099He asked me which treadmill I would buy. He was clearly leaningtowards Choice #1. This was the natural choice for most people and it makes sense:get the most for the least. Or get the most motor power for theleast amount of money.However, my answer surprised him. I told him if it were mychoice, I would go with Choice #3: Brand B for $1099. Here’s why:Although the motor power is lower than Choice #1 and the priceis higher, Brand B makes an overall better treadmill. Why?Brand B has a reputation for making high quality treadmills andbacking them up with extensive warranties, including 10 years onthe motor. It can afford to give such lengthy warranties becauseit knows that it makes a quality product that probably WON’Tbreak down – even in 10 years.Brand A on the other hand offers a 90-day motor warranty. Whatdoes that tell you about the quality of parts?Although motor power is a good feature to consider when buying atreadmill – you have to be careful. Look at it in the context ofthe whole treadmill – including the brand.Not all treadmill brands are created equal. Some treadmillbrands use extremely high quality materials. Others well, don’t.Make sure to look beyond just the bare numbers when choosing atreadmill. Look at the whole picture to find the best treadmillfor you.#2) Don’t Always Believe What The Salesperson Tells YouGet it in writing. This isn’t to put down any salesperson – butthey are human. They do make mistakes, and sometimes this canend up costing you.I had another lady e-mail me asking for advice on choosing atreadmill. She’d narrowed it down to several and was leaningtowards one in particular (let’s call it Treadmill X).She had been told by a salesperson in the store that thisTreadmill X (for $899) came with a lifetime warranty on themotor.This lady was smart. She was looking at the whole treadmillpicture. The price was excellent. The motor power was average(1.75 HP). And who can pass up a lifetime motor warranty?But wait a minute.I was fairly familiar with this treadmill brand and knewsomething was off.This particular treadmill brand never gives lifetime motorwarranties – ever. Not even on their commercial treadmills. Sowhy would they offer a lifetime motor warranty on one of theireconomy treadmills?I voiced my concerns to her and wasn’t surprised to hear back acouple of days later that the salesperson had actually beenmistaken about the lifetime warranty.If she had bought this treadmill simply based on what thesalesperson said, she might have gotten a nasty surprise -especially since this particular treadmill brand is known forbeing extremely costly to repair.Don’t always trust what the salesperson says. Make sure to getit in writing before you buy!#3 Forget the Price Tag – Look at the REAL Price Of The TreadmillPrice is probably one of the most important factors when buyinga treadmill. But sometimes the price of the treadmill can bemisleading.For example, let’s say you’re looking at Brand A in a store witha price of $799. Pretty good price right? A much better deal than Brand B – sold online – at $999.But look closer at Brand A. Brand A only comes with a 90 dayparts and labor warranty so you need to buy added coverage. Youpay $50 for a 2 year extended motor warranty.So Brand A’s total cost is now $849 (with a 2 year motorwarranty)Brand B is still $999 (with a 10 year motor warranty alreadyincluded)Overall, you figure that Brand A is still the better deal sinceit’s cheaper.But look closer. You need to pay shipping costs for Brand A.Shipping costs from most stores usually run you about $150.Brand B, since it is sold online offers free shipping (mostonline treadmill sellers do).So Brand A’s total cost is now $998 (with a 2 year motorwarranty)Brand B is still $999 (with a 10 year motor warranty)With Brand A, $799 has gone to buy the treadmill, $50 has goneto buy the warranty and $150 has gone into shipping.With Brand B, $999 has gone to buy the treadmill (warrantyincluded). So which treadmill do you think actually gives you the mostvalue for your money? And don’t forget that many online treadmill stores don’t chargesales tax. The store that sells Brand A does. That technicallymakes Brand A MORE expensive than Brand B.So when comparing treadmills, make sure to consider the TOTALCOST of each treadmill before you buy.By keeping these 3 tips in mind when purchasing a treadmill:- Not all treadmill brands are created equal – Don’t believe what the salesperson tells you – get it inwritingand- Look at the REAL price of the treadmillyou’ll be well on your way to choosing the best treadmillinvestment for you. Good luck and have fun!