Velocity Exercise Indoor Rowing Machine

I had ordered this then returned it due to all that was problematic. The left & right fan covers would not align at the seam; when I rec'd it I had taken a pic of the misalignment & then went to loosen the screws on both to see if it was adjustable; that's when I discovered all 3 screws from the left cover were missing but not critical (picture time). I then found a broken stay on the bottom of the foot pedal (pic). I then discovered a broken pulse wire connector at the foldable fixing support where the rail is connected; again not critical. I final had the chest strap working; with fluid like conductive gel, water or saliva it registered a pulse (150 - 160) 2x my pulse-oximeter was reading (72 - 80) but worked best when I didn't use any fluid on it!I was interested in how the magnet resistance worked, so, I started to remove the right fan cover & discovered that the air fan cover plug had a broken prong on it and that a screw behind the air vent was misaligned.I contacted CAP Barbell via email regarding these problems; they responded after I faxed them the invoice & registration card then send them the part numbers & pics ( the 800 number was just a recording & I would need to leave a contact number & we all know how that goes); about 7 - 10 days after all the info was given I was sent an email with an order number only. I heard a noise like bearings on the seat worn or not working properly & CAP Barbell was contacted again. I have yet to hear about that. That was back on 03/28/17. No parts rec'd as yet 04/05/17.After having the machine for a week and using it to workout I returned it because of all the minor problems that could eventually turn into bigger problems that I would pay for in 30 days!I decided that this was a separate incident & would reorder the rower; the second 1 came, box again damaged (forgot about that on the first) & the Styrofoam was broken. There was a noise of loose metal rods coming from within the box & when opened the noise turned out to be the fixing axles for the foot pedals (that was the same on the first also but I was so anxious to start using this I blew that off like most of the other problems). Not kosher!I checked & the pulse wire connector had its clip; & all the screws were in each side of the fan covers but the covers still did not align & now there were scratches & scuffs on the bottom part of the right fan cover!I checked the serial number and to my surprise it was the same as the 1 I sent back! ZJCE 2016/01.I knew it wasn't the same box because I used colored tape on the return, but, I did see that the top flap had staple marks not only to hold the top flap down but there were some staple marks near the seam of the top & when opened the bottom flap had the same but no staples. Odd? I do notice that both flaps have the same logo so it is possible to use either as the top flap. Needless to say this, too went back because of the non-unique serial number, the scratches & scuffs on the fan cover & the misaligned fan covers. I believe the fan covers must have been that way for some time since they were more or less warped so as not to be able to line up on the seam.I am very disappointed since there was so much promise in this rower but to have 2 rowers delivered and both having several problems with factory assembly, loose in the box parts, broken or missing parts/pieces & sub par Customer Service I cannot accept that from any company.Was it that these were returned before or somehow refurbished and not “NEW”? One can only surmise.CONCLUSION: Too many red flags for me.I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS ROWER.Update from 04/06/17A few times now I have attempted to edit my review with a follow-up from CAP Barbell the E-Commerce manager with apologies saying, "I appreciate your email. I'm sorry that you had issues with both rowers you purchased. I'm sure it was a mistake by either Amazon or our warehouse to ship out an item that was damaged. Normally, they do inspect returns, and then determine if it can be sold again as new (sometimes customers return brand new items, purchased by accident, etc.). It's definitely not CAP's or Amazon's policy to resell used items as "new".Again, sorry for the bad experience you had with this item. I will let our product team know about the issues you had, and hopefully they can help resolve them." This email was like, " so sad too bad for me"Really, I had issues with both rowers? It seems to me that the issues lie with the manufacturer and I am the recipient of those errors & poor quality control.AGAIN I WOULD EMPHATICALLY NOT RECOMMEND THIS MACHINE TO ANYONE! This experience was stressful!.

Well I've only had it a week, but I’m really enjoying it so far! It must be sturdy or well-packed because the delivery guy dropped the box off the truck like 3 feet to the ground and it still works!I love the combo of air and magnets, especially using any of the preset programs, when the pulling tension alternates throughout the program automatically. When not using a preset program, the magnet's lowest setting is pretty much all easy gliding air fan, so it's nice to have the option to make it harder with just the push of a button. The fan blows on you while you row which is great for cooling you down while you workout. The monitor is large and easy to read. The seat is comfortable.The pulse worked ok, but I only tried it using some water on the electrodes. I saw online how to make conductive gel using Gaur Gum and a touch of salt... so will give that a try.Some negatives: 1) The warranty isn't great. 5 years on the frame is pretty standard, but they only offer 90 days on the monitor and only 30 days on all other parts! An extended warranty is offered ($66 for 2 years or $75 for 3 years.) This includes electronics and parts replacement… but still wish the original warranty was better. 2) Cleaning the inside of the rail and seat rollers is difficult. If you want to remove the seat to clean the rollers, then you have to detach the rail from body... the rear of the rail is closed-ended so you can’t remove it from that end, which would be much easier. 3) The chain drive is a bit noisy. 4) The documentation was good, but missed a few things. The "Mode" button is the Enter button. They did say that at one point but in other parts they just say hit Enter... so be aware in case you skip around in the manual. This wasn’t in the manual, but I saw a YouTube video where a guy said that when you are not using the machine (his was another brand but seems applicable) it's best to leave the pull handle in the FULLY retracted position... otherwise the bungee cord that retracts the chain will stretch out over time. To do this, you have to take the handle out of the holding cup, turn it vertically, then go under the monitor and to the end of the machine. It can be awkward doing this at first, but if it adds life to the bungee cord then it’s worth it. Another confusing thing is that on page 54 it shows battery replacement. Unless I missed something… I assume that this was for a different model and they replaced the batteries with the wall plug connection.All in all, I love this machine. If anything changes my opinion about this in the future then I'll write an update.