Nutri Ninja Blender with Auto-iQ

When I pay crazy high prices for a product, I expect performance, reliability, quality, and for the company to stand behind their product 100%; especially when said product is as dead as a parrot in a Monty Python skit after a very short period of time. I bought this product expecting to own one of the best blending units money could buy; instead I piece of garbage that bit the dust after only 3 months and 4 days. I guess I should try not to get ahead of myself though, so on with the review. The design of this product is flawed in many ways. Lets start with the base unit itself, which has this little hole on the right side of the interior where you snap the blade to the unit. What is the purpose of this little hole? Is it for venting? If so, why not have venting holes on the outside of the unit? Seems like an odd pace to have a hole that leads into the motor/electronics compartment of the unit right at the very top of the interior, underneath the blade assembly, which blends liquids in a cup above it, right? I place my cup, firmly attached to the blade in place and as the unit works the stress is great enough to cause leakage on the bottom of the blade unit. The fluid in the cup winds it's way through the threading of the cup and motor base assembly, leaking there as well. So, all I can assume about that hole that might be for venting, is that it is a drain. Based on my experience with Ninja Support, that would not surprise me a bit. Performance... I put fruits, vegetable, water, and a little ice into this thing and start the IQ blend and it stops every few seconds because I guess it is too much stress on the motor. It doesn't really get going and continue to the end of the 45 second cycle until the contents are already somewhat blended. Not what I expect from something that touts a 1000 watt motor. My old Bella unit that I paid $50 for at a department store years ago didn't do that, and it only had a 600 watt motor! Reliability... About the only thing that this product is reliable at is leaking at the underside of the blade assembly, through the threading of the cup/blade assembly, and not letting that 1000 watt motor shine until the contents of the cup are already as soft as half-melted butter. Quality... Leaks, poor design, and a dead motor base after 3 months and 4 days... enough said. Customer Service... Oh, what a treat! So, I spoke to a customer service associate who sounded like she had better places to be and who expressed disbelief at some of the issues I was explaining to her. She talked to me like I was some kind of idiot when she told me that she needed me to read the 4 numbers on the prong of the plug. There were no numbers, just an XY etched on the inside of both prongs. She swore that there has to be 4 numbers there and asks me if I am looking at the prongs 4 more times. Then, when I tell her that when the machine died, I started a smoothie, it ran for half a second and died, no "lights" on the unit... she said that she has NEVER heard this. Then she actually asked me if I have the cup attached to the blade unit when I try to use the product. Who is stupid enough to put the blade assembly on the unit and try to run it without the cups attached? I'm sorry, but you have to be kidding to ask a question like that, right? Well, Ninja DID agree to replace the base motor unit, all I had to do was pay $16.95 for shipping. Ninja should be ashamed that the unit even needs replacing after only 3 months, and they're going to charge me $16.95 to replace it? My first blender was a $12 Oster blender... it lasted me 5 years. I expressed my disappointment very respectfully, the whole while explaining to the rude customer service associate that I know she just works there and these policy's are not a reflection on her and requested that she make sure my comments are forwarded to the right people... she just picked right back up from where she left off asking me for my card number. She didn't acknowledge my feelings on the matter, or my question about passing my comments along, she just asked for the card number for the shipping charges. This is not my first Ninja Blender. I bought a $300 unit in 2014, the Ninja BL810. That bad boy is a BEAST, but ya know what? There are other great manufacturers that produce beasts as well; Ninja is not the only game in town. After my experience with this unit and the customer service, seeing how much Ninja appreciates the customers who shell out this kind of cash for a piece of garbage, I will never buy a Shark/Ninja product again. *****UPDATE 05/05/2018***** I received my new motor base, and now the blade assembly unit is locked in place, it will not spin. Guess what? Ninja doesn't cover their patented, "high quality" blades, but they were more than happy to offer to send me a replacement for $35.99 + S&H... keep in mind, this is a product that I only used for 12 weeks and now both of these issues have arisen. I complained and they said that, "as a one time courtesy" they would send me the blade attachment for half price, but S&H. I don't know about you, but I'm not paying them another $25 (that's including the S&H) for a piece of garbage that I paid $90 for. I will never, EVER, buy another Ninja/Shark product again. I told them to keep their garbage, I am done.