The Neato will cost $399.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer

[angelheart]

Moderator Note:
The title has been corrected now that Hammacher has listed the price at $399.95 in order to prevent any confusion that might be caused by people who see the title but do not read the entire thread.

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I just got off the phone with customer service at Hammacher Schlemmer. I told him that I wanted to know when the Neato XV-11 would be available for sale from their company. At first, he couldn't find any information on it at all. Finally he found it. Supposedly it'll be available around August 20th...for $499.95 (or $499.99, can't remember).

Yes, that's a full $100 over the price we've been hearing for this robot.

He explained that this is a new product and they don't know how it'll act, etc. Because of their lifetime warranty, they have to sell it for that price.

I'm really disappointed. I'd really hoped to buy this as my first robotic vacuum. I was going to use a hefty chunk of my tax refund (which I recently got) to pay for it. I have a messy son and HATE vacuuming. I loved the Neato because it is so methodical and takes less time to operate. Plus, I heard that it doesn't get as messy after using it.

I'm still evaluating whether I want to buy it or not. And if I do buy it, maybe it'll actually be cheaper to buy it from Amazon and use SquareTrade for the warranty? Uuuuggghhhhh, this puts such a damper on its release for me.

(BTW...He said there's a chance that the price could be lowered before release, since that has happened before...but NOT to count on it.)

Just wanted to pass this information on, for what it's worth. I know it's hearsay so take it with a grain of salt. I know a lot of people here are hoping to buy it from Hammacher Schlemmer to take advantage of the lifetime warranty...now you have extra information to factor into your decision to purchase.

[Fraggboy]

You can't go wrong purchasing it from H&S. They have a Lifetime warranty! Granted, it might cost more than other retailers, but do they carry the lifetime warranty??

I've never dealt with SquareTrade, so I can't comment. But, H&S truly stands on their claim.

[angelheart]

I had a hard enough time justifying $399 for the vacuum. I'm having a much harder time justifying $499. Everyone I've talked to in person looks at me like I'm crazy and frivolous for even thinking of getting cleaning robots to begin with. (I just ordered a Scooba 380 from HS a few days ago, I should get it this week, woohooo!).

If I get the vacuum, I have to get my kids a cheaper bunk bed than I'd hoped. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions.

[sageman]

so how mutch is $399 compared with roomba in the us (i know i can look at price differences but i cant get all the info if you know what i mean

over hear i would pay £250 same as a 530 what a bargain and if i can get it from amazon and have to pay postage probably £50 for somthing like that its a 555 (bacicly a 560 or looks like it) still a bargain on my opinion

from what ive been hearing from neato on cat fur i will definitely get one if i can get a job but will probably still hold back and wait for people with 3-4 long fur dogs to say about pickup (i got 4 collies) so will need it lol
sorry im ranting a bit here lol

[Fraggboy]

I had a hard enough time justifying $399 for the vacuum. I'm having a much harder time justifying $499. Everyone I've talked to in person looks at me like I'm crazy and frivolous for even thinking of getting cleaning robots to begin with. (I just ordered a Scooba 380 from HS a few days ago, I should get it this week, woohooo!).

If I get the vacuum, I have to get my kids a cheaper bunk bed than I'd hoped. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions.

I'm going to be off-topic for a little bit, but it goes with what your dealing with:
We purchased a Cat Genie for our cats, and the price tag is pretty high (Over $400.00). People were like, why did you spend SO much on a glorified litter box? There's a reason why and I will share with you. People say, purchase a $10.00 cat litter box tub, and a $20.00 tub of cat litter. Sure!! You can, but I won't! Granted, those are cheap, but your always replenishing the cat litter. Your always touching the cat litter and inhaling the dust. I haven't touched cat litter SINCE we purchased it! We do have to purchase the cleaning liquid (I just refill mine with a solution I created. Shhhh). Anyways, a robotic vacuum is the same. You can get a cheaper vacuum, but YOU have to move it around the house, empty the bin, and move the cord from one plug to another. Having a robotic vacuum, you still have to empty the dust bin, and that's it (Hopefully on the XV-11. Might change when I get it). That saves a lot of time in my book, and I can justify that price. Your paying for convenience. I can't wait to get mine. We have 2 cats that shed like crazy and I am anxious to see how well Neato cleans it up.

You will LOVE your Scooba. If you have tile, the Scooba will actually scrub the grout lines clean!! My mom loved when I brought over my Scooba to clean her kitchen and entry way. The first time you will have a disgusted look on your face when you empty out the dirty tank. What you could do is when you get the Scooba, charge it up for at least 16 hours. After that, mop your floor like you normally do. Let it dry, and run the Scooba. Then, when it's done, empty the dirty tank and see how black the water is. You will be amazed as how much junk the Scooba will scrub out of your floors after it's so-called clean!!

[angelheart]

I had a hard enough time justifying $399 for the vacuum. I'm having a much harder time justifying $499. Everyone I've talked to in person looks at me like I'm crazy and frivolous for even thinking of getting cleaning robots to begin with. (I just ordered a Scooba 380 from HS a few days ago, I should get it this week, woohooo!).

If I get the vacuum, I have to get my kids a cheaper bunk bed than I'd hoped. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions.

I'm going to be off-topic for a little bit, but it goes with what your dealing with:
We purchased a Cat Genie for our cats, and the price tag is pretty high (Over $400.00). People were like, why did you spend SO much on a glorified litter box? There's a reason why and I will share with you. People say, purchase a $10.00 cat litter box tub, and a $20.00 tub of cat litter. Sure!! You can, but I won't! Granted, those are cheap, but your always replenishing the cat litter. Your always touching the cat litter and inhaling the dust. I haven't touched cat litter SINCE we purchased it! We do have to purchase the cleaning liquid (I just refill mine with a solution I created. Shhhh). Anyways, a robotic vacuum is the same. You can get a cheaper vacuum, but YOU have to move it around the house, empty the bin, and move the cord from one plug to another. Having a robotic vacuum, you still have to empty the dust bin, and that's it (Hopefully on the XV-11. Might change when I get it). That saves a lot of time in my book, and I can justify that price. Your paying for convenience. I can't wait to get mine. We have 2 cats that shed like crazy and I am anxious to see how well Neato cleans it up.

You will LOVE your Scooba. If you have tile, the Scooba will actually scrub the grout lines clean!! My mom loved when I brought over my Scooba to clean her kitchen and entry way. The first time you will have a disgusted look on your face when you empty out the dirty tank. What you could do is when you get the Scooba, charge it up for at least 16 hours. After that, mop your floor like you normally do. Let it dry, and run the Scooba. Then, when it's done, empty the dirty tank and see how black the water is. You will be amazed as how much junk the Scooba will scrub out of your floors after it's so-called clean!!

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them greatly. It's nice to find people who support my robot purchases. I wish I could sell myself on cheaper models but in the end, it's worth it to pay for the ones that seem like the best fit. (I just talked myself out of getting a Dirt Dog.)

Three of the floors will be new this week...renovations start tomorrow. I'll be getting vinyl in the master bathroom and laminate in the master bedroom and living room. I know Scooba isn't 'supposed' to be used on laminate, but the installer is going to glue the seams to make them waterproof. If I can remember, I'll try to keep everyone here posted on my success (or possible failure) with using the Scooba with sealed laminate. Every room in my house is going to be moppable and I'm sooooooooooo going to enjoy not mopping anymore!

I really want the Neato but I still might not be able to justify its price at Hammacher Schlemmer. I may get a 7 day scheduling Roomba from there instead. I won't be happy though because I really want the Neato. I really hope the price ends up lowered but it probably won't be. I guess I have a few weeks to choose between a Roomba and Neato...but Neato's where my heart lies.

I am so tired of cleaning. SO TIRED. I clean for 3 to 6 hours a day on average. It sucks bigtime. I think it would be worth it to have robots to do at least those two chores for me. Those are two less things for me to do for years to come (hopefully).

Sorry for the rambling but I'm so tired and distracted lol.

[Fraggboy]

If you have pets, search the current CHM issue with the Roomba's. Pet hair enters the gearbox, and will eventually stop the motor and could possibly melt the gears. Member Vic7767 performs the CHM mod with sealed bearings to prevent this from happening. So, if you have pet(s), and get a 5xx Roomba, be prepared to have Vic either mod it for you, or he has instructions if someone is inclined to do it..

[joeygil]

Guess I'll wait for Bed Bath and Beyond, as they have a decent return policy.

[angelheart]

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/78434?promo=Home-Care-Robotic-Vacuums&catid=402

That's the alternative to the Neato that I was considering. HM doesn't list the regular model numbers. Does anyone recognize it?

Gosh I hope they end up lowering the price on the Neato, I want it sooooooo badly!

[poconogal]

All I can say is that if Neato is what you truly want, then get it. If you don't, and get Roomba instead, you will not be happy, and the money spent for the Roomba will be somewhat of a waste. And I wouldn't pay any mind to what others think about your buying robots to do this work. They are a great time saver, and your time is worth plenty! Those that protest usually end up buying one in the long run anyway, LOL!!! Even my 80+ year old mom expressed an interest in a robotic vacuum!!! Of course, I then bought her a Roomba 535. Having said this, I love my Roombas, they do an excellent job of removing my 3 Dobermans' hair from area rugs, and I don't find maintenance on the Roombas to be all that difficult. Sure, I need to empty the dust bin. Since I have equipped my Roombas with AeroVac bins, I only have to clean my brushes once in awhile, and even then, there's very little to clean. And of course, every 2-3 months, I remove and clean the CHM. I also remove all of the build-up around the rest of the robot at that same time. A way to eliminate cleaning out the CHM is to have the mod done by Vic, mentioned above by Fraggboy. When I have the money, I plan on having the mod done. I also would like to buy the Neato, but I'm not convinced that it will do a good job on the dog hair on rugs, after reading a review done, along with a picture, of plenty of cat hair that it did not remove, having ONLY a rubber beater brush, and no bristle brush. I will probably still purchase one, but I plan to wait, give them time to iron any bugs out, and make whatever improvements necessary or desireable, like adding a bristle brush. In the meantime, I have my Roombas, Scoobas, and Dirt Dog too!

[poconogal]

http://www.hammacher.com/Product/78434?promo=Home-Care-Robotic-Vacuums&catid=402

That's the alternative to the Neato that I was considering. HM doesn't list the regular model numbers. Does anyone recognize it?

Gosh I hope they end up lowering the price on the Neato, I want it sooooooo badly!

Since it says that it has Lighthouses, it should be a model 570, because model numbers below the 570 no longer support lighthouses. But, since iRobot sells the 570 for $449, and HS is selling this one for $399, it can't be a 570. I seem to remember reading about people who purchased that Roomba from HS and found that what they received really did NOT have lighthouse capability, even though it stated that it does, which would actually make it a model below the 570, I'd say the 550, but iRobot no longer sells the 550.

[sageman]

555 is the same as the 560 so maby the 550 would also look the same as only an extra 5

[robotreviews]

I just received confirmation from someone at Hammacher that the Neato XV-11 will be $399.95, and it will be available for pre-order starting early this week.

Regards,
Craig

[joeygil]

Great news! Thanks Craig.

[angelheart]

I just received confirmation from someone at Hammacher that the Neato XV-11 will be $399.95, and it will be available for pre-order starting early this week.

Regards,
Craig

Seriously? I was just told from someone there yesterday that it would cost $499.95 so they can cover their lifetime warranty in the price!

I REALLY hope that my information was wrong and yours was right! I've never wanted to be wrong more.

If you're right, I think I'll go with the Neato. Like someone said, I probably would be dissatisfied with anything else since the Neato is what I really want.

[angelheart]

I just received confirmation from someone at Hammacher that the Neato XV-11 will be $399.95, and it will be available for pre-order starting early this week.

Regards,
Craig

Did you talk to a regular customer service representative?

I just contacted Hammacher Schlemmer about another product I'm interested in, and decided to check in on the Neato again as well out of curiosity. She had a hard time finding it (like many of their products, it didn't show up by its real name). Once she did, she said it's going to sell for $499.95. I really want it to be $399.95 like you said.

BTW, the woman said they are only getting 30 models at this time. That's all the information she could give me.

*worried*

[Fraggboy]

I guess time will tell. Keep checking H&S every day to see what the actual price is. Did you ask what day is it going to be available?

[angelheart]

I guess time will tell. Keep checking H&S every day to see what the actual price is. Did you ask what day is it going to be available?

I did ask, but she didn't have a date available. The previous poster said 'early this week', which would seem to mean by Tuesday. Wednesday is no longer 'early' in the week. It seems like the date is constantly pushed back though, and subject to change again.

[neato]

I just got off the phone with customer service at Hammacher Schlemmer. I told him that I wanted to know when the Neato XV-11 would be available for sale from their company. At first, he couldn't find any information on it at all. Finally he found it. Supposedly it'll be available around August 20th...for $499.95 (or $499.99, can't remember).

The Hammacher Schlemmer customer representatives only know what is in their database and apparently it has outdated or duplicate information. Their XV-11 price is $399 and they will have more than 30 units to sell. The Neato is also available from Amazon, Robot Shop, and directly from Neato.

[Fraggboy]

Well, we go. Rock-solid information! Thank you for clearing this up for us.