Signature Solar EG4 Battery Rack Delays

[Zakharov]

I am frustrated with how Signature Solar is handling the backorder of EG4 battery racks.

I purchased a bundle that included racks and batteries (which appeared to be in stock on the website at the time of purchase), and everything arrived except the racks. I looked at my order status and it said partial shipped, so I contacted SS who told me racks were delayed due to supplier issues. At that time they said 3-4 weeks, however the date continues to slip every time I email them; it is currently 8 weeks later and now they are again saying 2 more weeks. Most frustratingly, there is no communication from SS unless I email or call them, at which point I get a boilerplate response (Thanks for your email, we are sorry, we will be shipping as soon as possible, you will get an email on shipping). There is no proactive acknowledgement of a delay or communication of info to the customer, no indication of the remaining queue length, and definitely no precise expected shipping dates.

I think myself and most customers in an immature industry understand that delays can happen, but it's bad form to leave customers in limbo like this. When the dates keep slipping I start to wonder if I'm getting bumped down the list in favor of VIPs, or if I'm low priority since I already paid, or if I just am not calling and complaining as much as others. Sucks.

 

[Partimewages]

It's customary not to be billed until an item ships. I would complain about that.

 

[Crowz]

Lord knows I'm not a SS fan but it may be a "hold" on the card which is common these days more than an actually charge. Even amazon does that sometimes.

Also he had a single order which is a single charge. They are not allowed to multiple charge for a transaction without permission from the card holder. So they got the money for the order itself and by shipping a single item it covers them getting paid basically. Sucks but its how businesses have to operate.

 

[Partimewages]

I guess I'm use to the comercial billing world. I do one order and get 5 different invoices. I'd still complain. SS from posts here doesn't seem to get better its just a different problem. JMHO

 

[MaikaiLifeDIY]

I had the same experience placing an order for 12 batteries and the cases showed up about 2 months later. I wasn't in a rush so I didn't mind waiting without much data, I felt comfortable they would eventually arrive and then did.

 

[MaikaiLifeDIY]

What they should do differently is break it into two orders, one for the batteries and one for the cases, charging the card when each order ships. The single order makes it difficult to see which part of the order didn't ship when you use Signature's site for order history.

 

[Crowz]

What they should do differently is break it into two orders, one for the batteries and one for the cases, charging the card when each order ships. The single order makes it difficult to see which part of the order didn't ship when you use Signature's site for order history.

But they can't do it that way.

The transaction/approval is a one time thing. Unless your willing to put your card on file with them to allow them to use it as an ongoing payment method the sales model on credit card purchases doesn't allow for them to charge more than once.

They are doing it the only way they can with how credit card processing works and the laws covering it.

 

[Crowz]

Now what they should do is make sure to let people know if something is back ordered or not in stock at purchase time. THAT is a problem they should do something about and not sell things they don't have and or can't get right now.

 

[MaikaiLifeDIY]

But they can't do it that way.

The transaction/approval is a one time thing. Unless your willing to put your card on file with them to allow them to use it as an ongoing payment method the sales model on credit card purchases doesn't allow for them to charge more than once.

They are doing it the only way they can with how credit card processing works and the laws covering it.

I wasn't arguing the PCI/laws compliance point, I realize what they're doing is a result of how their site is configured and staying within the guidelines/rules/laws. However, the best experience would be the mimic the most successful etailer in the world "Amazon" and create a buying experience that is similar, or at least adopts some pieces like per-order shipment charging. I get they would have to make changes and can't do it the way the site works today. They can however put in on their internal development plan and make some changes in the future.

 

[pvgirl]

But they can't do it that way.

The transaction/approval is a one time thing. Unless your willing to put your card on file with them to allow them to use it as an ongoing payment method the sales model on credit card purchases doesn't allow for them to charge more than once.

They are doing it the only way they can with how credit card processing works and the laws covering it.

This is more of credit card processor / sales platform feature, or in this case there lack of use of this feature. Split or multiple capture transactions allow merchants to authorize or hold an amount of a customers credit for the whole sale, and then charge(known as capture in the industry) the customer for parts of the authorized amount as those items ship.

 

[Crowz]

I wasn't arguing the PCI/laws compliance point, I realize what they're doing is a result of how their site is configured and staying within the guidelines/rules/laws. However, the best experience would be the mimic the most successful etailer in the world "Amazon" and create a buying experience that is similar, or at least adopts some pieces like per-order shipment charging. I get they would have to make changes and can't do it the way the site works today. They can however put in on their internal development plan and make some changes in the future.

But amazon works the same way.

I usually buy each item one at a time as I think of something I want from amazon since I have prime and shipping it free so I just click buy now or whatever once per item. Amazon is pretty good about charging the card at shipping point on those.

But if I order several items at once they charge when the first item ships or instantly at times. They don't charge as each item ships. If the basket has 2 amazon items and 1 items from a third party seller its a one time charge even though the items can't ship at the same time or even in the same box because amazon is fulfilling 2 of the items and the other has to come from the third party. Thus the charge is a one time with the first item shipped being the charge point. Amazon has the credit cards on file (at least for me) so they could multiple charge if they wanted to but they don't in this scenario.

SS could switch to a credit card on file system to try to get around some of this but since tax and other fees happen per transaction that can get tricky too and most people are not keen on having a credit card on file with a vendor.

 

[Crowz]

This is more of credit card processor / sales platform feature, or in this case there lack of use of this feature. Split or multiple capture transactions allow merchants to authorize or hold an amount of a customers credit for the whole sale, and then charge(known as capture in the industry) the customer for parts of the authorized amount as those items ship.

That depends on who they are using if they have access to that. Affirm works that way at times and bolt payment processors can do that. But most of the canned processors these store sites use can't. Code they provide with most the cart software is usually very old and far behind on the times.

I deal with this stuff daily since I host store sites like SS. I do not host them but I do host store sites like theirs.

 

[Zakharov]

It was a single credit card charge which was finalized when the batteries shipped, and in fact even the credit card bill has been paid off at this point. 95% of the cost was batteries so the single charge is not a big deal, it's more of the feeling of being in limbo and wondering if the date keeps slipping because other people are having their orders fulfilled first for whatever reason.

 

[wildbillpdx]

But if I order several items at once they charge when the first item ships or instantly at times. They don't charge as each item ships. If the basket has 2 amazon items and 1 items from a third party seller its a one time charge even though the items can't ship at the same time or even in the same box because amazon is fulfilling 2 of the items and the other has to come from the third party. Thus the charge is a one time with the first item shipped being the charge point. Amazon has the credit cards on file (at least for me) so they could multiple charge if they wanted to but they don't in this scenario.

Not that it really matters, but I can say with 100% certainty it never works that way for me. I have placed many orders with multiple items and Amazon charges for different pieces if they ship at different times. It happens all the time and can drive me nuts trying to track charges on my card.

 

[Crowz]

Not that it really matters, but I can say with 100% certainty it never works that way for me. I have placed many orders with multiple items and Amazon charges for different pieces if they ship at different times. It happens all the time and can drive me nuts trying to track charges on my card.

I'm guessing you have cards on file with them?

 

[wildbillpdx]

I'm guessing you have cards on file with them?

yes

 

[JBertok]

One problem here is that there is a "bundle" price that is lower than if the individual parts were purchased separately. It isn't possible to break down the individual item costs that shipped because it's one single cost to the consumer. That also means it's not easily possible to refund you for the rack that hasn't shipped. Since they continue to choose to make this bundle purchasable, and choose to conceal the unavailability of it as an entire and complete bundle, they've taken the approach that most favors them - continue to sell the bundles, take the money, ship everything else, and eat the additional shipping costs for the rack when they do become available. I can promise you the credit card company will see this as one item.
What if the missing components were the battery cables, or the batteries themselves?
Since the bundle is one single part number and one single cost, ANY unavailable component makes the entire part number unavailable to sell without specific and duly expressed status of the backorder before the transaction is completed.

It comes down to 2 questions:
1. Did the merchant obtain your consent to the delay before your transaction was made?
2. Would your decision to make this purchase, have been affected by knowledge of the delay to complete the delivery of your order?

If the answer to either of these is "yes", then you have a legal case.

Selling on the Internet: Prompt Delivery Rules

The Internet is the fastest growing source of mail order sales. It's estimated that consumers spent $200 billion on Internet-based goods and services in 2008. The explosive growth in the goods and services sold online has in the past, taken many online sellers by surprise: demand has outpaced...

www.ftc.gov

During chip shortages the Big 3 automakers were delivering cars to dealers missing some of their electronic conveniences. The dealers were required to inform the customers of these missing items before purchase, and advise them of their choices to accept a discount, or a promissory to install the missing modules when they became available.

The fact that a merchant is even willing to try to pull this off on their customers should be fairly weighted criteria for anyone else in the process of choosing which vendors to funnel thousands of their dollars through for their projects.

 

[JaxLax]

Ordered a 6pack, rack, and the comms hub on July 6th.
Received 6 pack and comms hub in 13 days from order.
Received the rack in 54 days from order.
Yes the rack took nearly 2 months to show up and 6 full weeks after the rest of the order. The delay held me off from completing my install, inspections, meter change outs, etc. I'm still frustrated, but hopefully in year 5 or 6 when everything goes cash positive - I'll be able to laugh about it and forget the almost two months I missed out on summer sun.

 

[DrZ123]

I have been waiting since Sept 2nd. As the OP stated, I get no update unless I email them, and the response is pretty generic.

Frustrating considering I'm closing up my off grid home for the winter next weekend so likely will have to store the rack all winter at my other house while the batteries reside on 2x4s on the floor...

 

[tmprof]

I'm in the same boat. I ordered my whole system and got everything but the rack. Right now batteries are sitting on some wood. Everything else is hooked up and running fine, but I'm limiting my batt amperage to 40a. I ordered everything about 6 weeks ago.