Months ago, I ordered cells from M. Caro. About 45 days ago I finally received them. Our cabin SLA cells were pretty much dead. Generator failed so I was hosed. Brought the Westinghouse 2200 from second home and limped by. We built the battery, added the Overkill BMS and topped the cells off. The battery is working well. We are running it between 20% and 80% every day. I need 8 more cells to make a second bank for our 24 volt system So we don't go day to day. But even with winter sun, we seem to get by. 8000KW genset has been repaired and is running again.
Perspective: Before leaving my previous business (as owner) one division of our company had a joint venture in a factory in China. Before I left, we had imported from China for 12 years. I had close friends in Shanghai who lived there full time and represented various US companies as they bought product built in china. Even with their wisdom and help, there was a steep learning curve. Until we developed a relationship with the leadership of the then 5th Largest company in China, it was very spotty to get good service and consistent supply. But it Did change. We had times when we didn’t anticipate Christmas and Chinese New Years Shut downs. We’re starved for Product at times. We changed our ordering habits and smoothed that out. We had a good border brokerage who told us the truth about shipments. We did sell some customers direct from China, but in full container quantities. Packaging was a problem for a while, until I went over there, met with the CEO, and the cardboard plant CEO and spec’d out our Packaging needs. Cardboard over there is not the same quality as here. They can up the packaging quality and they did, eventually.
I remember one time when millions of dollars of VCR/CD players got sent to a very large US retailer where the circuit boards lacked a single diode and would not play USA CD’s. They got stuck with them all and eventually sold them for a song to European companies because they would play CD’s there. Millions of dollars. It‘s tricky doing business there sometimes, even for big players.
My point is simply this. I can’t excuse the unexpected delivery problems, freight mishandling, damaged cells. What I will say is that buying Chinese, (sometimes you don’t have a choice on certain products you can expect challenges for the price. MCaro has had monumental problems to overcome and the number of issues at hand are massive. I would have to pay $80 min per cell more for Grade A Cells from a different supplier Here in the US. $640 more for my battery. So I took a chance on the savings. It still hasn’t worked out completely, because I have 8 more cells needing to come my way. I believe that if there is any way MCaro can make it up, he will. In the mean time, my son and others in the family have purchased other batteries and are moving on, hoping that the loss can be recovered.
This may be the stupidest post I could possibly make, (I can seem flames already) but having had experience over there, I thought I would try and put some perspective on it for others. We took a risk on price and for some it hasn’t worked out. It hasn’t worked out completely for me either.... yet. That happens. AGain, I believe that if MCaro can make it up to us all, he will. It’s a tough position to be in. We had other business entities that helped us weather the storm until things, the learning curve, leveled out. MCaro may not have that option. I have never spoken with him personally. But I can imagine the mess he and us are in. I am hoping for full recovery and believing MCaro will do the very best he can. For a time, I was in his shoes, and it sucks. We pulled thru and figured it out. I hope he will for him, his family and for all of us who at the moment are stuck.
Perspective: Before leaving my previous business (as owner) one division of our company had a joint venture in a factory in China. Before I left, we had imported from China for 12 years. I had close friends in Shanghai who lived there full time and represented various US companies as they bought product built in china. Even with their wisdom and help, there was a steep learning curve. Until we developed a relationship with the leadership of the then 5th Largest company in China, it was very spotty to get good service and consistent supply. But it Did change. We had times when we didn’t anticipate Christmas and Chinese New Years Shut downs. We’re starved for Product at times. We changed our ordering habits and smoothed that out. We had a good border brokerage who told us the truth about shipments. We did sell some customers direct from China, but in full container quantities. Packaging was a problem for a while, until I went over there, met with the CEO, and the cardboard plant CEO and spec’d out our Packaging needs. Cardboard over there is not the same quality as here. They can up the packaging quality and they did, eventually.
I remember one time when millions of dollars of VCR/CD players got sent to a very large US retailer where the circuit boards lacked a single diode and would not play USA CD’s. They got stuck with them all and eventually sold them for a song to European companies because they would play CD’s there. Millions of dollars. It‘s tricky doing business there sometimes, even for big players.
My point is simply this. I can’t excuse the unexpected delivery problems, freight mishandling, damaged cells. What I will say is that buying Chinese, (sometimes you don’t have a choice on certain products you can expect challenges for the price. MCaro has had monumental problems to overcome and the number of issues at hand are massive. I would have to pay $80 min per cell more for Grade A Cells from a different supplier Here in the US. $640 more for my battery. So I took a chance on the savings. It still hasn’t worked out completely, because I have 8 more cells needing to come my way. I believe that if there is any way MCaro can make it up, he will. In the mean time, my son and others in the family have purchased other batteries and are moving on, hoping that the loss can be recovered.
This may be the stupidest post I could possibly make, (I can seem flames already) but having had experience over there, I thought I would try and put some perspective on it for others. We took a risk on price and for some it hasn’t worked out. It hasn’t worked out completely for me either.... yet. That happens. AGain, I believe that if MCaro can make it up to us all, he will. It’s a tough position to be in. We had other business entities that helped us weather the storm until things, the learning curve, leveled out. MCaro may not have that option. I have never spoken with him personally. But I can imagine the mess he and us are in. I am hoping for full recovery and believing MCaro will do the very best he can. For a time, I was in his shoes, and it sucks. We pulled thru and figured it out. I hope he will for him, his family and for all of us who at the moment are stuck.
