Pit Boss Help Needed

[Dennis B From RI]

Hello all,
I’ve been a big fan of this website and the products for years, but just joined the forum. I have a problem with my Pit Boss Brunswick Platinum vertical smocked.
I smoked a brisket on Father’s Day and when the smoker was in shutdown mode the pellet hopper caught on fire. Apparently the fire traveled from the fire box, through the auger and into the hopper.
I called Pit Boss last Monday and they confirmed that I registered the smoker on their website in 2021 so it’s still within the 5 year warranty. They sent me a link and took pictures of the damage and agreed the smoker needed to be replaced. They asked that I try to find my receipt and call them back.
I couldn’t find the receipt so I contacted Walmart. Walmart didn’t have a record of my online purchase that far back so I contacted my credit card company, but no luck. I did however find the shipping documents from when the smoker was delivered, but not the receipt.
I called Pit Boss back on Thursday 6/20/24 and informed them of my findings. The Confirmed that the smoker was in warranty and that it should be replaced but that they would not do so without the receipt even though I had registered it with them and had proof of delivery. When I aasked to speak to a manager I was told that none were available however they agreed with the decision.
Has this happened to any of you?
Have you been able to get resolution?
Please help.

 

[millerbuilds]

Welcome to SMF from North Texas. I do not have experience with the Pit Boss, but there are a bunch of folks out here that do.

Good luck,

- Jason

 

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

I would try again and hope to get a different person. You delivery receipt should be sufficient for proof of purchase plus you registered it which you usually need proof of purchase to do.

 

[Dennis B From RI]

I would try again and hope to get a different person. You delivery receipt should be sufficient for proof of purchase plus you registered it which you usually need proof of purchase to do.

After posting a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on Monday 6/24 and stating the same information as I did above, I received a call from Pit Boss yesterday 6/26 to discuss resolution options. They said it I could send them a picture of the smoker from 2021 when it was at least relatively new, they would honor the warranty (I’m not sure what that proves ).
I sent them the picture from my phone and they are sending me a Sportsman 5-series.
Problem solved, but it took the Better Business Bureau getting involved. It shouldn’t have taken their help to resolve this but I’m pleased.

 

[RobRandall]

Here's my opinion on Pit Boss customer service. Can't get a response period on-line. This is my fourth Pit-Boss product and never again. I had a smoker and grill for several years. The control board went out in the smoker so I decided time to upgrade both. Bought new pro-series both the grill and smoker. The control board on the grill went out within two months. You cannot do anything on-line with Pit Boss customer service. After being on hold for 45 minutes I finally got a customer rep. I showed him through my cell phone camera the control board had shorted out. He said we will get you up and running quickly. I'll send a new power cord and control board. Two weeks and nothing. My son was getting married at our place and I was responsible for feeding 125 people. I went online to Pit Boss parts replacement and spent $194 for a new control board and shipping. Control board arrived all the electrical hooked up however the control box did not come with a back housing and is too large to fit in the space of the original. Thought maybe I ordered the wrong one checked again, nope it is the exact part number the Pit Boss says to order for my grill. Pit Boss will not except returns on electrical componets even though it is 100% their fault and still nothing on the parts they promised to send earlier. Now I have $900 in a piece of shit pit boss product. They brag a big warranty and in reality it is a big outright lie. Never again . I hope everyone reads this before considering a Pit Boss purchase, extremely pissed off customer.

 

[voyager 663rd]

After posting a complaint with the Better Business Bureau on Monday 6/24 and stating the same information as I did above, I received a call from Pit Boss yesterday 6/26 to discuss resolution options. They said it I could send them a picture of the smoker from 2021 when it was at least relatively new, they would honor the warranty (I’m not sure what that proves ).
I sent them the picture from my phone and they are sending me a Sportsman 5-series.
Problem solved, but it took the Better Business Bureau getting involved. It shouldn’t have taken their help to resolve this but I’m pleased.

Relying on warranty is like relying on an insurance company--they will go to the ends of the earth to avoid paying out on a claim. They ARE a business after all.

Please forgive me if I sound jaded .....

 

[Vlad1054]

Hello all,
I’ve been a big fan of this website and the products for years, but just joined the forum. I have a problem with my Pit Boss Brunswick Platinum vertical smocked.
I smoked a brisket on Father’s Day and when the smoker was in shutdown mode the pellet hopper caught on fire. Apparently the fire traveled from the fire box, through the auger and into the hopper.
I called Pit Boss last Monday and they confirmed that I registered the smoker on their website in 2021 so it’s still within the 5 year warranty. They sent me a link and took pictures of the damage and agreed the smoker needed to be replaced. They asked that I try to find my receipt and call them back.
I couldn’t find the receipt so I contacted Walmart. Walmart didn’t have a record of my online purchase that far back so I contacted my credit card company, but no luck. I did however find the shipping documents from when the smoker was delivered, but not the receipt.
I called Pit Boss back on Thursday 6/20/24 and informed them of my findings. The Confirmed that the smoker was in warranty and that it should be replaced but that they would not do so without the receipt even though I had registered it with them and had proof of delivery. When I aasked to speak to a manager I was told that none were available however they agreed with the decision.
Has this happened to any of you?
Have you been able to get resolution?
Please help. I had a similar issue with my Pit Boss a while back and found that sometimes the real problem isn't just with the grill itself but with getting decent support. If you're tired of dealing with slow customer service, you might want to check out this 24/7 call center service solution — they specialize in handling support much better than what we usually get. As for your grill, make sure to clean out the firepot and check for any pellet jams; that fixed the temp swings for me.

I’ve had a similar issue with another company, and it can be tricky when they insist on a receipt for a warranty claim. In some cases, companies will accept alternative documentation like shipping documents or order confirmations, but it really depends on their policy.
You might want to try escalating the issue by contacting Pit Boss through social media or even through a formal letter. Sometimes, being persistent on public channels can speed things up. Also, you could look into getting a third-party inspection to verify the damage if you're still having trouble getting a resolution.

 

[mike243]

I had a rack cracked on mine when it was under a year old, said it was on back order, called about the time warranty was up, guy on the phone pulled up my info and apologized, it arrived 2 days later, luckily not needed anything else in the 7 years I have been running it.