How to get warranty help for an SOK 48V100 battery?

[Partimewages]

@reader2580
I am sorry you're having these issues but I am sure that Current Connected will help. Please keep us posted as to what is found to help educate all. That's what this forum is about.

 

[AntronX]

A warranty part. What happens out of warranty, or if I did something stupid to blow up the BMS and it wasn't covered under warranty?

Contact seller, explain situation and pay for replacement BMS. If no parts available then sell it to someone who can rig up 3rd party BMS. The life expectancy of these batteries is around 10 years anyway.

 

[mvonw]

I have ZERO interest in building my own batteries. I don't want the hassle of trying to ordering batteries from China and hoping they are good batteries, and not some grade C junk that don't hold a charge. There are a million choices in BMS and the good ones are really expensive. You then have the question of do I compress the batteries, or not, and all that.

I prefer to just buy a decent battery that is UL listed and they have done all the research on decent components.

Will Prowse has spawned a battery-builder-DIY cult. I think they even have secret handshake, so tread carefully on these matters here….

 

[42OhmsPA]

Will Prowse has spawned a battery-builder-DIY cult. I think they even have secret handshake, so tread carefully on these matters here….

I'm a rebel...

 

[Bluedog225]

Feels like a troll. I’m out.

 

[mvonw]

I'm a rebel...

Your pictures belie your true nature.

 

[42OhmsPA]

Your pictures belie your true nature.

Is that because of the SOK batteries I replaced the failed BMS's?

 

[smickie6000]

One of my SOK 48V100 batteries is dead after about 15 months of ownership. I suspect the BMS is bad. I contacted SOK directly via email a good month ago and they asked who I bought it from and the order number. There were a couple of emails back and forth, and then nothing. I tried to follow up a week ago, but no response.

It appears the warranty is just plain worthless on SOK batteries. I have two SOK 48V100 batteries in parallel. I now have to decide if I buy another SOK 48V100 to replace the dead battery, or buy two of another brand and write off the $4,000 for the two SOK batteries. I definitely don't want EG4 batteries with all the issues people in this forum have had with them. If I buy another SOK battery it will definitely be through Current Connected.

I would be happy to spend my own money on a replacement BMS, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

You first paragraph pretty much sums up my experience with Current Connected. After some back and forth emails then nothing for 2 mo. I will post my experience and some videos if it does not get resolved soon. I also think the BMS is wacky. I have 7 SOK 48v

 

[Tomthumb62]

Direct from the Victron Energy website: "For technical support, warranty claims and repairs, check our support pages or contact the local dealer where you purchased the product."

How I am I supposed to contact Victron technical support? Try to call their number in the Netherlands? Send them snail mail to the Netherlands? I can't find any technical contact for them.

Their email address to contact the correct department in Victron (not tech support) is in another post on this thread. I think Dexter at CC posted it.

 

[42OhmsPA]

You first paragraph pretty much sums up my experience with Current Connected. After some back and forth emails then nothing for 2 mo. I will post my experience and some videos if it does not get resolved soon. I also think the BMS is wacky. I have 7 SOK 48v

@HighTechLab

Welcome to the forum @smickie6000. I'm sure we would all like to see evidence to support your 1st post.

 

[G00SE]

Where do I go for the free inverter battery and cerbo?

Not trying to be an ass but I don’t have that kinda money to just toss batteries at the recycle so if someone else does I’ll gladly help them out.
And I’d move mountains to diagnose Victron gear as well so that I could provide some idle and load watt stats for the Victron eurotrash or pricecrash threads

But seriously though. OP. Disregard any prior email from CC that was claiming to not help and take advantage of Dexters offer. If even for only the battery, with your new purchase you’ll have 3.

 

[rs50pilot]

I purchased a 3 SOK server batteries from a dealer, I had a BMS go bad and Dexter contacted me and shipped me all the replacement parts I needed FOR FREE! I did not buy the batteries from CC directly, and I too thought the dealer should take care of it. Not that they weren't trying to.

Dexter told me he is the voice of SOK in the states and ultimately it was up to him to fix the issue. No questions asked, no screwing around, no back talking, no shady deals. He sent me what I needed and got me back up and running.

I challenge anyone to find another company that would do that. Dexter even answered my called and emails after hours and on a Sunday???? He cares about his business and his customers 150%.

A real stand up guy in our current world of complete *ssholes.

Just thought I would share my personal experience with the group.

Thanks again Dexter and the CC team.

 

[HighTechLab]

You first paragraph pretty much sums up my experience with Current Connected. After some back and forth emails then nothing for 2 mo. I will post my experience and some videos if it does not get resolved soon. I also think the BMS is wacky. I have 7 SOK 48v

Send me a DM. We'll figure out what's going on here.

 

[reader2580]

You first paragraph pretty much sums up my experience with Current Connected. After some back and forth emails then nothing for 2 mo. I will post my experience and some videos if it does not get resolved soon. I also think the BMS is wacky. I have 7 SOK 48v

I contacted SOK battery directly, not Current Connected. I figured since the batteries have a big SOK logo on them that the warranty would be through SOK.

I have no issue with Current Connected.

 

[reader2580]

I spent the money for replacement gear for my sanity and my mental health.

It ruins my vacation when I am agitated the whole time about power issues. I spent a third of my awake time on my last trip trying to figure out why I was having power issues with the inverter. I spent weeks and months researching before making my purchase. I only went 48 volt because I wanted the SOK batteries. I looked at the EG4 batteries, but quite a few complaints here about them so I decided not to buy from them.

I am not running a super complex system. I don’t have solar so no charge controller to add complexity. I will try to create a line diagram of my setup in the next few days. I am thinking about separating the DC loads from the inverter with a separate battery and charger for the DC loads.

 

[smickie6000]

I contacted SOK battery directly, not Current Connected. I figured since the batteries have a big SOK logo on them that the warranty would be through SOK.

I have no issue with Current Connected.

They have responded to my emails in past but just stopped for some reason. May be a email problem. I have check spam folder on my end

 

[smickie6000]

Send me a DM. We'll figure out what's going on here.

Sent to you email

 

[Tomthumb62]

I contacted SOK battery directly, not Current Connected. I figured since the batteries have a big SOK logo on them that the warranty would be through SOK.

I have no issue with Current Connected.

And Current Connected has corrected the reasonable misunderstanding more than once on this thread that the warranty for your SOK must go through Current Connected, not SOK.

Have you contacted Current Connected yet about your broken SOK?

 

[reader2580]

And Current Connected has corrected the reasonable misunderstanding more than once on this thread that the warranty for your SOK must go through Current Connected, not SOK.

Have you contacted Current Connected yet about your broken SOK?

Again, my issue is with SOK, not Current Connected. SOK never told me that 48V100 support goes through Current Connected. They implied they would help me, and then never got back to me.

I have been in touch with someone from Current Connected since I started this thread, and they are helping me out. Now, I did call Current Connected some weeks ago when I wanted to buy a replacement BMS. They said they don't sell parts for the SOK batteries, but the person never mentioned they deal with warranty on the 48V100 batteries.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Again, my issue is with SOK, not Current Connected. SOK never told me that 48V100 support goes through Current Connected. They implied they would help me, and then never got back to me.

I have been in touch with someone from Current Connected since I started this thread, and they are helping me out. Now, I did call Current Connected some weeks ago when I wanted to buy a replacement BMS. They said they don't sell parts for the SOK batteries, but the person never mentioned they deal with warranty on the 48V100 batteries.

Ah, OK, sorry— I now understand your confusion. Whoever you spoke with at Current Connected apparently didn’t get the reality that you wanted warranty service for your SOK.

According to Dexter @HighTechLab , there should be a sticker on the front or back of the battery that says Current Connected. If not, then I would be confused too.

As a good friend of mine likes to say, “Sometimes words get in the way.” Meaning when you’re dealing with legal issues or contracts or things like warranties, unless you say the magic words in the magic order, your actual need can sometimes fall on deaf ears. And since you didn’t know CC should be providing warranty service, you never uttered the magic words and CC didn’t read your mind. Some customer service and sales people are better than others at deciphering what a customer is really needing, even if the customer doesn’t know it themselves.

 

[NC_hydro]

People like the OP are what's wrong with the world today. No words..lol wow.

 

[rhino]

All this shows is we really need a better way of publicizing the quality of support from dealers/distributors otherwise we have people just using whatever comes up on google first and/or "cheapest" prices.

 

[reader2580]

People like the OP are what's wrong with the world today. No words..lol wow.

What should I have done? Waited a couple of years hoping SOK might actually respond to my email and help me? I emailed back and forth a couple of times with SOK and then nothing from them. I emailed them again after four weeks had passed, and then I posted here after two more weeks had passed with no response to my email.

Yes, when I spend $1,700 on something with a ten year warranty I expect that I will least get a response telling me if, or if not, an issue will be covered under warranty. If I screwed up something and it is not covered under warranty then tell me that.

 

[Tomthumb62]

People like the OP are what's wrong with the world today. No words..lol wow.

I think OP is genuinely confused. Having read most of this thread, I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with OP, just confused. I too would be confused were I in their shoes, once I understood everything they’ve tried so far. Fortunately, @HighTechLab has come in to try to clear up some confusion.

 

[HighTechLab]

Got feedback from SOK battery - Min reached out to Nick at Inverters-R-Us but apparently forgot to forward them the email inquiry with the customer details. SOK was not trying to blow OP off or leave ignored, they just had poor communication with the seller. Normally I get looped in on this communication but for some reason the ball got dropped this time.

Either way, I'm waiting on @reader2580 to send me a DM with details about his root cause so we can get the right parts sent and get the issue resolved for good.

I also am in contact with @smickie6000 and working through that issue right now.