Choosing The Right Central Vacuum

Thinkvacuums.com is dedicated to customer service long after the sale is made. Our highly trained staff of technicians and customer service representatives are always here to answer your questions. We take pride in satisfying each and every Thinkvacuums.com customer. We do not work out of a garage and have been in business since 1957. We are the second generation, a family owned and operated business. We always have central vacuum consultants available to take your calls, or you may even speak to the owner himself. Also, our trained technicians are always ready to grab a phone and help a customer in need. We have always sent our customers an annual newsletter keeping them up to date on the latest products and trends on the market. This newsletter also contains coupons and discounted promotional items.

The first consumer publications on central vacuums came out in 2004, which means all machines were tested in 2003. This particular publication was generally not accepted in the central vacuum industry as accurate. There was a very small amount of vacuums tested at this time, therefore limiting the results they could have had. A lot of variables such as filtration type, bag or bagless style, quietness etc. were left out of the equation. This means any vacuums that were featured in this publication were not compared to all the other central vacuums on the market and can be misleading. Although the different consumer magazines can be a good guide to purchasing a good central vacuum, many individual needs are not taken into consideration. For example, if you have a child that suffers from asthma you may need a certain filtration. Another example would be the sound level of a central vacuum. You may need to install the unit in an interior closet, requiring a quiet unit. They also do not talk about the units track record of service or repairs. These are just some examples of individual needs that make an in-depth comparison chart a better guide when purchasing a central vacuum.

We were approached in the fall of 2009 by two popular and leading consumer magazines because of our unbiased, comprehensive and truthful knowledge of the central vacuum industry. They wanted the most of complete overview of the central vacuum industry so they could form their own opinion based on thousands of hours of research. They actually purchased the majority of the vacuums they tested. Seven of the 13 units that were purchased from us was tested for future publications. They choose our site to buy that day, and when we got that phone call we felt like we were on cloud 9.

When shopping or searching for a central vacuum unit you should be aware of vacuum units that are private labeled. A privately labeled vacuum unit is basically a vacuum unit that someone puts a sticker on and tries to push very hard due to a higher profit margin. For example, this is the equivalent of us taking a sticker and slapping it on any vacuum, making "Imperial Vac", "Empire Vacuum",  "Tony's Vacs" or some other fictitious name appear to be a real company. Anyone can put a crown on a vacuum and pretend to be a real company. There are a variety of problems that come with a privately labeled unit ranging from warranty issues, difficulty with service, companies going out of business etc. You should ALWAYS deal with a real central vacuum company, a company that you can contact, not a company that simply applied their name to a vacuum. When you purchase a privately labeled unit you will ALWAYS have to go back to that company, and ONLY that company for all warranty related issues. We have also heard complaints from customers that they cannot have their private labeled unit serviced locally. Local dealers "simply will not touch"privately labeled vacuums. Local dealers normally cannot get parts for these units and do not want to be responsible for any work that may violate the warranty agreement.

Many people also get stuck with a vacuum unit they cannot get replacement parts for once these "companies" go out of business. Being that no other companies carry these privately labeled units, you are forced to go back to them for parts, bags, filters, hinges, motors etc. At this point, you will have no other option but to pay their much higher prices for replacement parts. Once the company has gone out of business the customer is left stranded and often will have to replace the unit. These so-called companies often do not have insurance or liability coverage and will not assist their customer in these events.

If you're not able to find a particular company on our comprehensive comparison charts, chances are it's a private labeled brand. Buyer beware.

The only reason a company private labels a vacuum is to earn more money from an unsuspecting customer. These companies are well aware of the fact that you cannot shop this vacuum anywhere else, forcing you to pay whatever high price they give. There is, of course, a much higher profit margin for companies that sell their own private labeled line. Thinkvacuums.com would much rather give our customers more options so they are able to get the unit that best fits their needs and budget. Our customer service representatives will help guide you in the right direction, with many options and price levels. We are more concerned about our customer's satisfaction than our profit margin, so Thinkvacuums.com will NEVER private label a vacuum.

In all honesty, a privately labeled unit is nothing more than a fake company out to steal your money. You are forced to pay higher prices because NO OTHER COMPANY will have their unit making it impossible to shop. Secondly, if you ever need a replacement part you will be forced to go back to the company where they control the pricing. You will undoubtedly be forced to pay higher prices for these parts and/or repairs. So don't become trapped! If you're not sure about a company or unit, ask for that COMPANY'S (manufacturers) website and phone number. You may also contact Thinkvacuums.com for information regarding privately labeled vacuum units.