we called amazon and a new vacuum arrived in two days, even before we had sent back the first model, and this one works fine...my wife gives it 4 stars as there is no on/off button on the wand/handle, you have to perform this action using a foot pedal on the unit itself..if you can live with this it works as well, perhaps better than any other vacuum we have had, Kenmore, Miele, plus it's compact and light.