CurrentConnected: Extended Business Hours & Updates

[HighTechLab]

We are excited to announce that starting Monday, March 31, we will be extending our support hours, and will now be open from 6:00 AM PDT to 4:00 PM PDT. Previously we were open from 8 AM to 4 PM, however, customers on the east coast did not enjoy having to wait until 11 AM local time to get in touch with us. That could be a real nightmare if tech support is needed from an issue that happened during the night!

In further news, we added a feature to user accounts so you can see a list of items purchased, and all of the relevant documentation for those products. This is setup to persist even if a product is discontinued or no longer available, that way you don't end up stuck without documentation. I custom built a page tester, so if these links break (404 not found for example), our team is notified so we can keep the links updated and working at all times:



We have clarified the verbiage we use when items are out of stock and available on backorder, as well as made it incredibly clear during the cart and checkout process that there are items that will be placed as a backorder.
Product page:

In the shopping cart:


During checkout:


Finally, a minor issue discussed quite a bit in the other thread, How can CurrentConnected improve - Shipping calculations. We custom built a new shipping calculator from scratch, and it's been working incredibly well, especially on orders with many very small items like cables, fuses, etc. that can fit into a small box, as well as properly calculating orders for freight when they reach the proper threshold. In simple terms, shipping will be cheaper in many cases. I will soon be adding messaging to the checkout process so it's very clear whether and order will be sent via freight or ground transport.


If there are any questions, or further suggestions for improvement, please let us know!

 

[chill633]

Suggestion for further improvement:

For items backordered, update the "View Order" page when the items come in. What I'm specifically talking about is for a freight order, I'm assuming shipping is consolidated so you wait for all big (large/heavy) backorder items to come into stock and ship on one pallet. So my order page is a mix of stuff and backordered stuff. Since I placed the order, some stuff has come into stock, as reflected on the individual product page now showing ## in stock. What I'm asking for is as items come in, my Order page is updated to reflect items that are no longer on backorder.

 

[HighTechLab]

Suggestion for further improvement:

For items backordered, update the "View Order" page when the items come in. What I'm specifically talking about is for a freight order, I'm assuming shipping is consolidated so you wait for all big (large/heavy) backorder items to come into stock and ship on one pallet. So my order page is a mix of stuff and backordered stuff. Since I placed the order, some stuff has come into stock, as reflected on the individual product page now showing ## in stock. What I'm asking for is as items come in, my Order page is updated to reflect items that are no longer on backorder.

View attachment 292186View attachment 292187

Great idea! We were discussing backorders as a whole internally today. We’re going to be working on improving the account dashboard and how backorder information is relayed to the end customer over the next week or two. Will post updates as they come!

 

[goldserve]

@HighTechLab hey Dexter, repeat customer here! I’m trying to get an inverter for my new house and now see shipping go from 165 (order in last year) to now $411. Is this just a calculation thing or is shipping inflation real as well?

 

[Steelart99]

I'm interested in the shipping question above. I too noticed the increase to $411

@HighTechLab

 

[Steelart99]

@HighTechLab
Bump

 

[HighTechLab]

@HighTechLab
Bump

At the end of the day, the rates are based on what is on the order / pallet. When an order is shipping via freight, at first you can add quite a bit to the pallet and the shipping rate stays the same. Once the pallet starts getting heavier, usually around 400+ LBS, that's when the price starts to go up due to weight. The easiest way to pay the most in shipping is to buy one battery at a time...at that point we're shipping a ton of air! Fill it up and your cost per item drops quickly.

We exclusively use FedEx because when we tried just using the cheapest carriers, we had nothing but guarantees that pallets arrive destroyed, because that is actually a lot more expensive than a quality carrier, especially when there is an angry customer attached to that kind of damage.


I am working on the next major update to the checkout flow, which will provide further transparency into shipping costs, and what can be done to reduce those. For example, the freight companies charge extra for residential delivery - if the order can be sent to a commercial address or picked up at the hub, that is usually around a $100 savings that we are able to pass on. We don't expect every shopper to be a shipping expert, but if we can teach throughout the process, customers can save more by knowing more. That's pretty cool.

My end goal is to have complete transparency so shoppers can be well-informed and make smart buying decisions. Our competitors hide a lot and lack transparency. We strive to be the difference we want to see in the world, as quickly as possible.

 

[ricardocello]

I’ve had solar and non-solar things shipped to local hubs/depots. It is way cheaper, particularly for LTL shipping.
The extra costs and liability of them transferring to a local freight delivery company who does residential can be avoided.

It is a little intimidating backing up with the pickup truck to the loading bay, and having them drop the pallet with a forklift onto the truck bed.
It doesn’t always go exactly as planned, but nothing has been damaged for me so far.

Sometimes they aren’t really setup to deal with end customers like that, and there is some head scratching.
Like, “what are you doing here? oh ok, I’ll ask the boss.”

 

[Madcodger]

I've been a loyal Current Connected customer for about a year now, purchasing well into five figures. I have another order arriving today. But man, I hate the shipping and it's straining that loyalty. That Route surcharge is pushed hard, and leaves one wondering whether they will get any support at all if that fee isn't paid. I get that shipping can be expensive and I certainly know running a business is hard. But to this customer, your shipping program needs a major revamp, 'cause the current solution is just too expensive.

 

[HighTechLab]

EDIT: Sorry for rant below, I got a bit ahead of myself and want to make clear first and foremost, we are not going to stop being transparent and will continue to make tweaks as they are needed. And in short, please consider total cost out the door not just a single lineitem on an invoice.

Spoiler: Dexter's Rant on total cost of a system out the door

It's really unfortunate that we get so much pushback from being so transparent. We are shaving hundreds of dollars from our product prices, while remaining fully transparent on shipping, but it's really looking like this is a losing strategy due to the perception. I didn't realize for so many people the line item cost shipping was a bigger factor than the total cost out the door on the whole order.

Here are two orders, comparing us to Signature Solar, with member pricing on our side, and Signature Solar's promotion $150 economy shipping. Three powerpro batteries and an 18kPV, a common system we sell.

CurrentConnected	Signature Solar

Should we go back to burying shipping into the item prices so people feel better? Can anyone provide an example of where are we more expensive out the door than our competitors?

I will make a personal offer. If anyone wants to challenge their shipping costs, please send me a message and I'll provide a copy of the freight bill. If we charged a penny over what the freight company charged us, I'll refund the full amount of shipping. I'm pretty confident in our charges.

Fun fact: shipping is not taxed in many states, where the item are almost always taxed. If we charge more for the items to reduce shipping, it will lead to increased sales tax liability, costing customers more money out the door.

 

[Brucey]

Should we go back to burying shipping into the item prices so people feel better? Can anyone provide an example of where are we more expensive out the door than our competitors?

Just keep doing what you are doing. With the recent sig solar eg4 price increases its def cheaper to go with current connected especially a larger order.

 

[chill633]

It's really unfortunate that we get so much pushback from being so transparent. We literally are shaving hundreds of dollars from our product prices, while remaining fully transparent on shipping, but it's really looking like this is a loosing strategy due to the perception. I didn't realize for so many people the line item cost shipping was a bigger factor than the total cost out the door on the whole order.

Here are two orders, comparing us to Signature Solar, with member pricing on our side, and Signature Solar's promotion $150 economy shipping. Three powerpro batteries and an 18kPV, a common system we sell.

CurrentConnected	Signature Solar
View attachment 299816	View attachment 299818

Should we go back to burying shipping into the item prices so people feel better? Can anyone provide an example of where are we more expensive out the door than our competitors?

I will make a personal offer. If anyone wants to challenge their shipping costs, please send me a message and I'll provide a copy of the freight bill. If we charged a penny over what the freight company charged us, I'll refund the full amount of shipping. I'm pretty confident in our charges.



Fun fact: shipping is not taxed in many states, where the item are almost always taxed. If we charge more for the items to reduce shipping, it will lead to increased sales tax liability, costing customers more money out the door.

No, please don't. People have no idea how much freight costs. Shipping is not cheap. Feel free to take a look at Amazon and their prime with free shipping and compare it against stuff that doesn't have prime. Look at the price difference. Burying that cost is bad.

Just continue pricing it as you have to and be transparent. Honesty is the best policy.

 

[HighTechLab]

Sorry guys I got a bit on a rant, to be clear, we aren't changing anything, and I will continue to monitor and tweak the shipping calculator to ensure accuracy. But it's really hard to get the point across without being so blunt about the situation.

Honesty is the best policy.

I wholeheartedly agree, it's the policy we've built our company on and I don't plan to change that.

 

[HighTechLab]

I've been a loyal Current Connected customer for about a year now, purchasing well into five figures. I have another order arriving today. But man, I hate the shipping and it's straining that loyalty. That Route surcharge is pushed hard, and leaves one wondering whether they will get any support at all if that fee isn't paid. I get that shipping can be expensive and I certainly know running a business is hard. But to this customer, your shipping program needs a major revamp, 'cause the current solution is just too expensive.

I just pulled up your order to double check where you came in at, you paid $472.71 in shipping, and the final bill we paid to the freight company came out to $978.37. If anything, we are being overly generous to your ZIP code.

 

[Madcodger]

I just pulled up your order to double check where you came in at, you paid $472.71 in shipping, and the final bill we paid to the freight company came out to $978.37. If anything, we are being overly generous to your ZIP code.

Well, what the heck... A little rant of my own, in response.

First, if you're subsidizing shipping to my zip code I do appreciate it, but I'd also suggest that 1) it has resulted in more business and 2) I have no way of knowing that actual amount if you don't disclose it. I didn't build your shipping calculator. So feel free to act as if you're doing me a favor and being "overly generous" but I'd suggest it's a cost of selling nationwide. Some customers just happen to be on the east coast, and amazingly, a fairly large percentage of customers for solar equipment live in rural areas. Who knew??

Next, the amount you quote is not entirely accurate, because right below the "shipping" line there's the additional charge for "Route Shipping Protection", at $313.43. No other retailer I purchase from charges a fee like that. I don't even understand exactly what it's for other than some service that's supposed to quickly resolve a claim if I ever have one (I haven't). That's a lot like the "extended warranty" many of us never buy, except that this just covers the shipping. Isn't the carrier already warrantying that they will deliver the merchandise in good condition? Will you folks not assist if that's not the case and we have an issue? Because most other merchants sure will, and that sort of conflicts with your earlier reason for using only Fedex (all the damaged shipments with other carriers). So now we have only one choice of carrier, chosen by you to reduce shipment damages, AND we pay for the extra insurance?

Your shipping charges have seemed high to me, so I raised the issue. As you've noted earlier in the thread, YOU have settled on just one carrier. I'd respectfully suggest that might warrant some better pricing from them. And if you want to charge me even more for shipping, feel free to just state the actual shipping charge. I never asked you to do me any favors on shipping - I just noted that your shipping prices seemed high to me. If you don't want to sell to customers that live in rural ares on the east coast, or you feel you need to charge us even more, just tell us and we'll handle it from there, which brings me to my last point.

I haven't done much comparison of "total cost out the door" because I've instead been a loyal customer and just bought from you WITHOUT shopping around much (generally not at all). What I've learned on my end from this little interaction is that in the future I'll not bother to raise a concern to a company I've tried hard to support and recommend, and will instead just follow your advice and shop around for the best "total cost out the door." Another equipment supplier that typically sells only to installers, but where I also have an account, runs a truck right past my property 5 days per week, and charges me nothing for shipping. I've purchased far more from you folks than from them because I appreciated the advice your folks provided when I was in my novice stage, and because I appreciated your past participation in this forum. Amazingly, some of us don't always price shop but do notice, and mention, when a particular line item seems out of line. And we don't even mind being corrected if our perception is incorrect. But when that correction comes with incomplete information, and the merchant acts as if they're doing us some favor when they're the one that has all the control in selecting the carrier, don't be surprised when they push back like this. I'm now not a novice, I feel like I've now paid my dues in terms of loyalty, and so going forward, I'll just take your advice and shop around for the lowest total cost out the door, and advise others to do the same. Then, maybe there will be no need at all for you to be "overly generous" to my zip code! Lesson learned.

 

[Quattrohead]

CC, your battery price is substantially below SS, how come ?

 

[chill633]

CC, your battery price is substantially below SS, how come ?

So SS can offer things like:




This is normal business and what was being discussed above. Do you Amazon Prime it by raising the price to offer discounted shipping and "deals"? Or do you let each component stand alone? It is just a matter of style.

 

[Brucey]

CC, your battery price is substantially below SS, how come ?

Not sure if you haven't been paying attention but sig solar was first to increase prices during tariff wars while other eg4 distributors held steady.

The price you see there is member pricing when logged in. The regular advertised price is within eg4s requirements

EG4 PowerPro 48V/280Ah LiFePO4 Battery - UL9540, Heated

Unleash your solar power potential with EG4 PowerPro 48V 280Ah Battery. Reliability, peak performance, and all-weather resilience in one.

www.currentconnected.com

 

[agtcovert]

Next, the amount you quote is not entirely accurate, because right below the "shipping" line there's the additional charge for "Route Shipping Protection", at $313.43. No other retailer I purchase from charges a fee like that. I don't even understand exactly what it's for other than some service that's supposed to quickly resolve a claim if I ever have one (I haven't). That's a lot like the "extended warranty" many of us never buy, except that this just covers the shipping. Isn't the carrier already warrantying that they will deliver the merchandise in good condition? Will you folks not assist if that's not the case and we have an issue? Because most other merchants sure will, and that sort of conflicts with your earlier reason for using only Fedex (all the damaged shipments with other carriers). So now we have only one choice of carrier, chosen by you to reduce shipment damages, AND we pay for the extra insurance?

For what it's worth, there's a check box you can select that will take it off your order. I do. And I've spent nearly $20k with them in the last 16 or so months.

If anything the suggestion might be to add an explanation of what it is / its benefits? Perhaps default the checkbox to off?

I'd also rather see the breakdown. There's no such thing as free shipping, it's buried in the costs. Whether it's Amazon, CC/SS, whatever. Can't stay in business if you aren't covering it somewhere.

 

[Quattrohead]

Not sure if you haven't been paying attention but sig solar was first to increase prices during tariff wars while other eg4 distributors held steady.

The price you see there is member pricing when logged in. The regular advertised price is within eg4s requirements

Wow really, thanks for letting me know.
You seem to have the inside scoop on MSRP and MAP for both companies, please educate us.

 

[robbob2112]

Well, what the heck... A little rant of my own, in response.

First, if you're subsidizing shipping to my zip code I do appreciate it, but I'd also suggest that 1) it has resulted in more business and 2) I have no way of knowing that actual amount if you don't disclose it. I didn't build your shipping calculator. So feel free to act as if you're doing me a favor and being "overly generous" but I'd suggest it's a cost of selling nationwide. Some customers just happen to be on the east coast, and amazingly, a fairly large percentage of customers for solar equipment live in rural areas. Who knew??

Next, the amount you quote is not entirely accurate, because right below the "shipping" line there's the additional charge for "Route Shipping Protection", at $313.43. No other retailer I purchase from charges a fee like that. I don't even understand exactly what it's for other than some service that's supposed to quickly resolve a claim if I ever have one (I haven't). That's a lot like the "extended warranty" many of us never buy, except that this just covers the shipping. Isn't the carrier already warrantying that they will deliver the merchandise in good condition? Will you folks not assist if that's not the case and we have an issue? Because most other merchants sure will, and that sort of conflicts with your earlier reason for using only Fedex (all the damaged shipments with other carriers). So now we have only one choice of carrier, chosen by you to reduce shipment damages, AND we pay for the extra insurance?

Your shipping charges have seemed high to me, so I raised the issue. As you've noted earlier in the thread, YOU have settled on just one carrier. I'd respectfully suggest that might warrant some better pricing from them. And if you want to charge me even more for shipping, feel free to just state the actual shipping charge. I never asked you to do me any favors on shipping - I just noted that your shipping prices seemed high to me. If you don't want to sell to customers that live in rural ares on the east coast, or you feel you need to charge us even more, just tell us and we'll handle it from there, which brings me to my last point.

I haven't done much comparison of "total cost out the door" because I've instead been a loyal customer and just bought from you WITHOUT shopping around much (generally not at all). What I've learned on my end from this little interaction is that in the future I'll not bother to raise a concern to a company I've tried hard to support and recommend, and will instead just follow your advice and shop around for the best "total cost out the door." Another equipment supplier that typically sells only to installers, but where I also have an account, runs a truck right past my property 5 days per week, and charges me nothing for shipping. I've purchased far more from you folks than from them because I appreciated the advice your folks provided when I was in my novice stage, and because I appreciated your past participation in this forum. Amazingly, some of us don't always price shop but do notice, and mention, when a particular line item seems out of line. And we don't even mind being corrected if our perception is incorrect. But when that correction comes with incomplete information, and the merchant acts as if they're doing us some favor when they're the one that has all the control in selecting the carrier, don't be surprised when they push back like this. I'm now not a novice, I feel like I've now paid my dues in terms of loyalty, and so going forward, I'll just take your advice and shop around for the lowest total cost out the door, and advise others to do the same. Then, maybe there will be no need at all for you to be "overly generous" to my zip code! Lesson learned.

Seems to me he was being totally honest and you don't like the answer --- from past answers in the thread - that extra $300ish that was there was an optional charge --- So read the policy and act accordingly -- I would much rather have everything out front verse a hidden charge and just higher prices + shipping --- and I am like you - I prefer to deal with a known company and will pay a few bucks more for that most of the time -- But I buy solar from a number of companies and where they all have the same item I look for the lowest out-the-door price to decide...

They spell out all the terms on the website

Shipping Policy

Order Details All orders must have a valid phone number that is reachable during normal business hours, otherwise the shipment can be delayed and in some cases have storage fees accrued. We highly advise double checking the entered shipping address prior to checking out to avoid...

www.currentconnected.com

Bullet point summary by the artificial idiot

Current Connected's shipping policy outlines the following key points regarding claims and insuranceCurrent Connected)

---

Shipping Insurance​

Ground Shipments (FedEx, UPS, USPS):

• Orders under $15,000 automatically include Route shipping insurance at checkout, which can be opted out.
• Without Route insurance, shipments are only covered up to $100 by the carrier.
• If Route insurance is purchased, claims are filed directly with Route, typically resolved within 48 hours.
• Without Route insurance, claims must be filed with the carrier within 5 days, with resolutions potentially taking up to 90 days.(Current Connected)

Freight Shipments (e.g., FedEx Freight, R&L Carriers):

• Route insurance is also automatically included for orders under $15,000 and can be declined.
• Without Route insurance, carrier liability is limited to $0.50 per pound or $10,000 per incident, whichever is less.
• Claims without Route insurance must be reported within 24 hours and may take up to 90 days to resolve.(Current Connected)

---

Claims & Damage Reporting​

• All shipments are FOB (Free On Board) shipping point; ownership transfers to the buyer once the carrier picks up the goods.
• For freight deliveries, inspect shipments upon arrival and note any damages or shortages on the delivery receipt.
• Take photos of any damage and retain all packaging materials.
• Report concealed damages within 24 hours to both the freight carrier and Current Connected.
• Failure to follow these procedures may result in denial of claims.(Current Connected)

 

[HighTechLab]

I'll just take your advice and shop around for the lowest total cost out the door, and advise others to do the same.

This works for me! I'm so glad we could agree.

Staying on topic with the thread (and answering some other questions / suggestions) :

I have a new checkout in development that greatly improves the flow of the entire checkout process.

It adds multiple points of information throughout the process, for example, shipping insurance is going to be its own selection - you will be able to choose between Route, full carrier insurance, and no insurance, and the cost will remain broken out for transparency. Each option will have a little (i) tooltip that can be clicked to open a popup that fully explains the options in layman's terms so it's abundantly clear what is going on. I really want the site to show clearly that we do what we say we do and that there should be no surprises.

We are adding a "total savings" sum to the cart / checkout, that totals up what would have been paid at MAP (list prices) versus member prices, so customers know more clearly what the actual saving are.

We are also adding saved-address functionality - this is especially helpful for some of our customers that sometimes have stuff sent to their regular home, and other times directly to their off-grid properties. It will be easier to check out on our site than Amazon with this update.

I'm excited to say the least!

 

[Quattrohead]

It's hard work to continue to give a crap all day everyday when you're being bombarded, keep up the good work Dexter.

 

[Brucey]

Wow really, thanks for letting me know.
You seem to have the inside scoop on MSRP and MAP for both companies, please educate us.

So you knew the answer but asked anyway? I assumed you were "concerned" that the price in the screenshot was below MAP...

 

[Brucey]

Seems to me he was being totally honest and you don't like the answer --- from past answers in the thread - that extra $300ish that was there was an optional charge --- So read the policy and act accordingly -- I would much rather have everything out front verse a hidden charge and just higher prices + shipping --- and I am like you - I prefer to deal with a known company and will pay a few bucks more for that most of the time -- But I buy solar from a number of companies and where they all have the same item I look for the lowest out-the-door price to decide...

They spell out all the terms on the website

Shipping Policy

Order Details All orders must have a valid phone number that is reachable during normal business hours, otherwise the shipment can be delayed and in some cases have storage fees accrued. We highly advise double checking the entered shipping address prior to checking out to avoid...

www.currentconnected.com

Bullet point summary by the artificial idiot

Current Connected's shipping policy outlines the following key points regarding claims and insuranceCurrent Connected)

---

Shipping Insurance​

Ground Shipments (FedEx, UPS, USPS):

• Orders under $15,000 automatically include Route shipping insurance at checkout, which can be opted out.
• Without Route insurance, shipments are only covered up to $100 by the carrier.
• If Route insurance is purchased, claims are filed directly with Route, typically resolved within 48 hours.
• Without Route insurance, claims must be filed with the carrier within 5 days, with resolutions potentially taking up to 90 days.(Current Connected)

Freight Shipments (e.g., FedEx Freight, R&L Carriers):

• Route insurance is also automatically included for orders under $15,000 and can be declined.
• Without Route insurance, carrier liability is limited to $0.50 per pound or $10,000 per incident, whichever is less.
• Claims without Route insurance must be reported within 24 hours and may take up to 90 days to resolve.(Current Connected)

---

Claims & Damage Reporting​

• All shipments are FOB (Free On Board) shipping point; ownership transfers to the buyer once the carrier picks up the goods.
• For freight deliveries, inspect shipments upon arrival and note any damages or shortages on the delivery receipt.
• Take photos of any damage and retain all packaging materials.
• Report concealed damages within 24 hours to both the freight carrier and Current Connected.
• Failure to follow these procedures may result in denial of claims.(Current Connected)

So basically the optional route protection fee covers a rapid replacement in case of carrier incompetence, an optional insurance, otherwise the regular carrier damage process that may take longer for replacement would be followed.

Basically, if you aren't in a super rush for it, I'd take my chances. If you are time critical, might be worth it.