First of all, we all carry certain biases with us that cannot be eliminated completely, but we try to be objective. Every human is never completely objective but since we don't receive a cent of commission on any treadmill we recommend, we don't have a good reason to be biased in any manner.  To put the public at ease and to answer any question of objectivity, we will allow any treadmill company to hire an outside, qualified accounting firm to audit our books and personal bank records to prove we don't get paid a dime for the ratings. Contact us if you want to take us up on this offer or if you want more information.

In the interest of full disclosure Treadmill Doctor does allow advertising on our website. Companies that manufacture fitness equipment, online retailers, and others all pay to advertise on our website. To find out more information please look at the information page for our Sponsored Link Program. Treadmill Doctor advertising is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) just like the ads that you find on Yahoo and Google. They are also clearly denoted by the term "Sponsored Link:" located by each ad. This advertising is how we pay for the reviews - we hope!

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9 - How can you stay in business if your main product is FREE? How do you make a living?
Our reviews are the main reason people visit our website, but the main way that we make our money is throught the sales of replacment parts and accessories for fitness equipment in general and treadmills in particular. This accounts for over 75% of our revenue. 25% of our revenue comes from our local fitness equipment service outlets located in Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; Knoxville, TN; Birmingham, AL; and Mobile, AL. Less than 1% of our revenue comes from our PPC advertising program at this time. The reviews do, however, give us brand recognition and that is their true value for us.

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10 - Why does the Treadmill Doctor give away free advice on buying new treadmills?
As with all internet sites, the name of the game is to attract more viewers. We originally had planned to charge a nominal fee for the service, such as $19.95 (which would be a bargain) but we decided that to attract the number of visitors we need, we decided to provide this service for free. We hope that you will tell your family, friends, and others about this site when you see how good the advice is!

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11 - I couldn't find a model in your reviews. Can you rate it for me?
Our reviews are more complex than simply giving an opinion on a machine so they take time. Most treadmills are disassembled and studied then reassembled and operated before we provide any opinion on them. For this reason, if you cannot find a review online, it is either in process or we won't be reviewing it at this time. We are always open to suggestions but we cannot review every model due to time, money, and other limitations.

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12 - What are your standards for rating treadmills in your Home Treadmill Review section?
First understand that these ratings are only our opinion but we have been in the treadmill business for over 100 years collectively, so we know how a treadmill should be built and it is not easy to fool us. Here they are: 1) WALKING AREA should have at least a 18" x 52" surface to rate AVERAGE.  A larger belt is not necessarily a good thing.  Get a belt large enough to make sure you won’t have any problems.  Don’t get more size than you need because the larger the belt, the more strain is put on the drive system.  We are now down rating treadmills with larger belts on terms of reliability so this category doesn’t have a large amount of weighting. 2) POWER should have at least a 2HP continuous duty motor without any monkey business to rate AVERAGE.  Motor rating is one of the most fooled with areas so you would be wise to not take the advertised motor rating seriously. 3) CUSHIONING should be at least as forgiving as a soft track and have a stable construction to rate AVERAGE.  The core components of the cushioning system should also be durable.  Some very soft systems have proven to fall apart rather quickly. 4) RELIABILITY requires the COMPANY to have a track record of only one breakdown per 5 years with a 2 person family using it 5 days per week to rate AVERAGE.  Companies without a track record will automatically see a reduction in their reliability rating.  We don’t want you to be the lab rat. 5) NOISE LEVEL requires the treadmill to be in our walk testing approximately 62 dBa to rate AVERAGE. 6) QUALITY of components and manufacturing should be equal to a Tunturi T40 to rate AVERAGE.  7) VALUE should be that the customer doesn't pay extra for features or for a brand name to rate AVERAGE.  8) WARRANTY should be at least Lifetime frame, 3 years all parts, and 1 year labor to rate AVERAGE.

As some of our customers have noticed we have changed the scoring on our reviews from the words AVERAGE, GOOD, POOR, EXCELLENT, and BELOW AVERAGE to a numerical scoring system. So people are wondering how the scoring works. Well here it is: 1 = POOR, 5 = AVERAGE, & 10 = EXCELLENT. Other users have also noticed that our numerical scoring system is not simply and average of the numbers. That is correct! We use a weighted scoring system have places more emphasis on some factors over others and NO we do not reveal our weighting system. The reason is that we have multiple copycat websites now trying to imitate us. Giving up our weighting system would be like giving up the secret sauce!

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13 - Why don't you have Commercial Treadmill Reviews any longer?
We purchased a local commercial equipment sales company on October 1, 2005 so we don't rate what we sell. We do NOT sell any home equipment nor do we sell commercial equipment outside our local service area. You need to have a local company to service your equipment, especially with commercial equipment.

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14 - Why does the Treadmill Doctor not give away free advice on buying used treadmills?
The good news is that if you don't like the information we provide, you don't pay for it. If you will notice, the Treadmill Doctor does provide some basic guidelines for purchasing a used treadmill. The reason that we do not provide advice on all the models out there is because there are simply too many models to cover. If you ask for a specific model, we can provide the information for you for a small fee, but we are focusing our attention on new models at the present time.

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15 - Why does the Treadmill Doctor charge for service advice?
The truth of the matter is that it is COMPLETELY without risk! If you want service help, email us your question. If you don't think it's worth anything, don't pay! If you feel that the advice was well worth the money, please go to our troubleshooting section and click on the donation button and make a donation in the amount you feel is appropriate. It's totally on the honor system and you only pay if you feel like it was worth it!

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16 - What trademarks are the property of TreadmillDoctor.com, Inc.?
TreadmillDoctor.com, Inc. has the reserved trademark rights to TreadmillDoctor.com, The Treadmill Doctor, World Famous Treadmill Lube, The Treadmill Experts, GymTough Mats, GymTough Belts, Treadmill Shopper, Used Treadmill Shopper, Web Service Saver, and the TreadmillDoctor logo. TreadmillDoctor.com also has exclusive license to use other trademarks as a regular course of our business on the World Wide Web.

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17 - Is the Treadmill Care Pamphlet a replacement for an owner's manual?
No. The pamphlet simply tells you how to best care for your treadmill. Items such as where to place it, electrical needs, cleaning needs, etc. are included but your owner's manual will have items that are much more specific to your model treadmill such as how to center the belt, troubleshooting, etc.

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18 - Will the Treadmill Buyer's Guide Pamphlet tell me which treadmill to buy?
In a manner of speaking, yes but it will not give you a make and model number. Those change with the times and your circumstances. The guide gives you specific principles that will help you select the right treadmill for you. Our guide also now includes a new pull out quiz you can take to help narrow down the selection for you and will tell you what price range to shop in. If you want to take a look at our selections for the best treadmills in each price category, check out our Best Buy link at the top of the page.

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19 - How can I return an item and what is your return policy?
You may return your product in new condition for a refund of the item price within 30 days of the dated invoice.  A 15% restocking fee will be applied for all returned items. Shipping charges are non-refundable. Please write your invoice number on the outside of the packaging and it will serve as your return number. Be sure to include a copy of your invoice as well as any instructions to the return dept. If your shipment arrives directly from a manufacturer do not return it to the manufacturer because many do not accept returns and you may not be issued credit. Please insure your shipment. We are not responsible for damaged, lost, or misdirected shipments. Package your return carefully to avoid damage. Credit card payments will be refunded via a credit that will appear on your statement upon a successful return. Check and money order payments will be mailed a check within 7 business days upon a successful return. If you have a check returned we will charge you a $39.00 return check fee in additonal to the amount of the check. If you have any questions regarding your order, feel free to email us at doc@treadmilldoctor.com.

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20 - What is the warranty on your products?
All parts come with warranties from the manufacturers of at least 30 days. All our belts, except for padded belts for Icon machines, have a 1 year warranty.  Icon padded walking belts have a 30 day warranty. The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship but does not cover defects occurring as a result of abuse, neglect, intentional harm, vandalism, acts of God, etc. For electrical parts, the warranty does not cover failures arising from incorrectly connecting the part or failures arising from not correcting the underlying problem which is typically stems from worn drive system parts like a belt and/or deck.

Many of our motors and electronics now have available warranties up to 1 year and 6 months is standard on all Treadmill Doctor electronics.  Factory electronics have a 30 day warranty.  All electronics repairs are covered for 6 months from the dated invoice. This warranty provides that the belt is installed on a good deck surface and is maintained with our World Famous Treadmill Lube. Other products such as our GymTough mats, other accessories, and parts are covered by specific length warranties which are defined on the description of the specific product.

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21 - Do you have any job openings?
Since we are a fast growing company, we regularly have employment opportunities in our Memphis office and warehouse. If you are interested in employment with TreadmillDoctor.com, please email us from our Contact Us page. We offer competitive pay, performance bonuses for many jobs, health insurance, a 401k plan, and other benefits including paid vacation time. We are currently hiring for positions in Mobile, AL; Louisville, KY; Cleveland, OH; Dayton, OH; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, OH; Akron, OH as field service technicians.  Contact us if you have experience with electricity, fitness equipment repair, and have great communications skills. For more information about these positions please contact jobs@treadmilldoctor.com. TreadmillDoctor.com is an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the ground of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, age, handicap or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees; nor in determining their rank, or the compensation or fringe benefits paid them.

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