poor customer service

We had a very similar (terrible) experience! We noticed after about 5 hours of use that there were a strand of lights out...the $500 tree was likely Dead On Arrival and we just did not notice the broken lights earlier.

Customer Service (even my letters to the Found/CEO) refuses to pay for return shipping even after 5 phone calls and 2 emails to the CEO. They state only other option is to wait until their Warranty Service Department opens in February to get replacement parts!!! They want me to wait 60+ days for PARTS on a 5-hour used broken tree?! Then dig it out of the basement next summer, put it together with the new parts, test it, then box it back up in the basement, then open it again Christmas 2012 and see if it works still?! Moreover, they said I had to return it by Christmas 2011 (10 days from now) or I would not get a refund on my $500 tree purchase!

Writing Better Business Bureau and California Attorney General.

***Short of story: STAY AWAY FROM BALSAM HILL! ***

Google and read the other horror stories. There are even websites solely dedicated to Balsam Hill complaints!