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2 Hours on the phone with Renogy tech-support! Why would anyone recommend products from this company?

What question did you pose to them? I assume Renogy is overrun with newbe questions and cannot just hire another hundred to train everyone about electricity.
 
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Marketing budgets out weigh R&D budget strikes again!!!

Granted I wouldn’t expect anything if I were to attempt to contact any customer support for any product I’ve bought in the past few years.

Isn’t that the whole point of DIY? Figure it out on your own?
 
Because I've never had to call support, I guess.
 
Well, I’ve had a day to cool off.

I’m not trying to start an argument with anyone. This was just my experience and opinion. If you like Renogy that’s fine you can spend your money on whatever you want.
But if you’re recommending their products you’re losing credibility with me.

My question was a bout the Renogy 50A DC-DC On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT
How it will draw 50amps from the alt when solar is not connected. I read the specs as the max draw from the alt at any point would be 25amps and another 25 from solar if connected. After rereading, I find there specs are vague and contradictory. I didn't have a big issue with this I just wanted a clear answer to my question, or a possible work around suggestion before returning it.

My technical support call went something like this:
After finally getting someone on the phone I spent a while explaining my problem. I could not get her to understand my question let a lone get an answer. Then about 15 minutes trying to explain to her how an automotive alternator works before coming to the realization that the only technical support I was going to get from this person was them reading the user manual to me. The conversation then turned to me returning the item. She would ask me for the reason I was returning the item. I would explain it to her but then she would rephrase what I had said saying it back to me but changing the meaning. Using phrases like “so what you mean is” or “what you did was“, but always changing what I had said. After this went back-and-forth several times I realized the tactic. (This wasn’t my first rodeo). What she was trying to do was get me to admit fault for the return on a recorded phone call. This is a tactic used by telemarketers and second rates insurance claims, trying to get you to agree to something you did not do and do not want! NOT a practice of reputable companies! I brought this to a stop and she sent me an email where I could submit a ticket and start this whole proses over again. I have not found anywhere to rate, give a review, or feedback to the company of my tech-support phone call experience.

Also, apparently they’re restocking fee (not mentioned is there return policy) is a percentage of the list price of the item not whatever sales price you may have paid.
So at this point it’s costing me $60+ to return, restock the item and get my partial refund.

Chalking it all up to a learning experience
 
There was also a youtuber (in Panama?) who was getting affiliate money from Renogy and they just this week had a video where they said they had enough and could no longer recommend Renogy even though they were getting money from them..
 
I posted my story in another thread about my 6 one hour phone calls and multiple e-mails with Renogy over 1 1/2 months to get a simple replacement part.

Typical company that got too big. They can’t keep up with technology updating products. They can’t handle an influx of simple support calls. The support people are nice and try hard but their customer service processes aren’t designed or managed too well. They’re ripe to be either taken over or lose to a new competitor sometime in the future.
 
time2roll said:
What question did you pose to them? I assume Renogy is overrun with newbe questions and cannot just hire another hundred to train everyone about electricity.
Click to expand...
Why do ppl jump to the defense of a multi million dollar companies? What do you get out of it? Money? Free stuff? Or do you just want to put ppl down that have real problems?
If a company sell a product its there responsibility to make sure it works and help customers when it is not. If hey cant do that they need to get out of the market, we have more than enough crap products out there.
 
PsychoticEpisode said:
Why do ppl jump to the defense of a multi million dollar companies? What do you get out of it? Money? Free stuff? Or do you just want to put ppl down that have real problems?
If a company sell a product its there responsibility to make sure it works and help customers when it is not. If hey cant do that they need to get out of the market, we have more than enough crap products out there.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I was hoping to give some help right here. The training, staffing and service is a bit pathetic at many large corporations as it relates to retail customer service. There was a whole thread on Victron doing the same thing.
 
smoothJoey said:
Wow, you got a refund because the doco was vague and/or contradictory.
That is a much better outcome than I would have expected from Renogy.
Click to expand...
No, I'm still within the 30day return window.
I expected to pay return shipping, but the restocking fee. It is not stated their return policy. I would have argued that, "product inconsistent with advertisements" (their words), But at this point I'm just trying to get back what I can and move on.
I was not expecting great tech-support form Renogy, I have herd of problems from others. I did get a person on the phone, But having them read the manual to me without them really understanding what they were reading was sad. The part where she was CLEARLY trying to get me to agree to something I did not do, did not want, and was the opposite of what I was saying is where my shorts cough FIRE! :mad:
 
Buster1903 said:
No, I'm still within the 30day return window.
I expected to pay return shipping, but the restocking fee. It is not stated their return policy. I would have argued that, "product inconsistent with advertisements" (their words), But at this point I'm just trying to get back what I can and move on.
I was not expecting great tech-support form Renogy, I have herd of problems from others. I did get a person on the phone, But having them read the manual to me without them really understanding what they were reading was sad. The part where she was CLEARLY trying to get me to agree to something I did not do, did not want, and was the opposite of what I was saying is where my shorts cough FIRE! :mad:
Click to expand...
I don't blame you for being angry. I've always looked at renogy as a budget electronics company. I purchased 2x renogy charge controllers through Amazon, and I did not have any problem returning them. No restocking fee. Maybe the lesson is if purchasing renogy, go through amazon where you won't have return hassles? I dunno.
 
Buster1903 said:
The part where she was CLEARLY trying to get me to agree to something I did not do, did not want, and was the opposite of what I was saying is where my shorts cough FIRE!
Click to expand...
I'm surprised that the call didn't "magically" drop when the CSR realized you were not going to get with the program.
 
DerpsyDoodler said:
I don't blame you for being angry. I've always looked at renogy as a budget electronics company. I purchased 2x renogy charge controllers through Amazon, and I did not have any problem returning them. No restocking fee. Maybe the lesson is if purchasing renogy, go through amazon where you won't have return hassles? I dunno.
Click to expand...
Yeah, lesson learned.
Renogy was running a flash sale on their website. I got the $299 charger for $189. it was a knee-jerk purchase seeing it on sale. A little do diligence research before installation made it clear the charger did work as stated in the specs (full 50amp draw on atl not 25 when no solar connected). Again, it was my call to Renogy tech-support to confirm this that started it all.
Note: I'm not without blame here. I was going on Renogy's description and you tub reviews (Will Power's recommendation) that this product and company would work for me. I could have done more research on my own before purchase.

OK enough on this thread, I'm starting to rant again, LOL
 
When you pay enough restocking fee's you will start to call the company first before you give them your money. I'm not a fan of buying off of Amazon for easy returns even though that's what a lot of customers do. Companies, while I don't stand up for their rights anymore than I would the consumer, get ripped off a hell of a lot selling through Amazon. A simple example: A customer will have already owned a particular product, it's gone bad for whatever reason, then purchase that same product new on Amazon, then package up their defective product and return it. Pretty good deal, yeah?

My biggest mistake was purchasing the wrong size home run cable (2/0 instead of 4 AWG), pretty big difference in price. I think that mistake cost me around $250 just in shipping and restocking fees. Nothing was used or open.

I'm learning to be a better consumer lol
 
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