Renogy - My single biggest van build mistake...

wanderingkiwi

2006 118” SHC
It pains me that my first post to this forum is a warning to others about a vendor that is currently bordering on a scam at this point.

RENOGY.

TL;DR

- RENOGY email support will respond once (generically) and then totally ghost you.

- RENOGY Call center is broken. Impossible to get through. They will then ghost you after promising follow up. Every. Single. Time.

- RENOGY will not ship product reliably. You will wait months. It may never ship. Right now they are not certified to ship batteries but are not telling anyone. They'll take your order and then just keep the cash.

- RENOGY will not refund despite acknowledging and accepting returns. You will be minus cash AND product.

- RENOGY are shipping out used/returned/opened products as new.

- RENOGY fulfillment is broken. They are randomly shipping other peoples orders to me. Yep, your stuff is ending up at my place.
\
On paper RENOGY seem great. But in my 30 years of dealing with tech companies these guys would have to be the worst experience I've ever had.

**** BASING MY BUILD ON RENOGY PRODUCTS HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I’VE MADE SO FAR. ****

It's been a month since i placed my order and despite multiple promises “to look into it” they still haven’t shipped my panel. I know this just sounds like a vendor that is having COVID supply issues but their negligence goes much deeper than this.

It's WAY worse than just a late shipment.

1. They accepted a product return a month ago and have yet to refund my money. Despite multiple requests and excuses on their part. Silence. If you send product back for return, you probably won't ever see your money again. I'm writing off $100 in returned product.

2. It's basically impossible to get through to a rep via telephone. I've called them a minute after their opening time and then immediately been placed on hold for over 40 mins?! Right now their support line just cuts you off on transfer. When you actually get through to a person they cannot provide any assistance of value beyond "we'll look into it for you and get back to you" Then they totally ghost you.

3. I've lodged multiple support cases via email to look into why the panel is not shipping. The only responses I get are "we'll look into it" and then the case is dropped on their part. The last response I got was "the product was delivered already." This is not the case. The tracking number clearly shows that they printed the shipping label 2 weeks ago and then no package was made available for UPS to pick up. They just forgot about it at their end. Zero follow up, they don't care.

4. I recently received a DCC50S Battery Charger from them that had obviously been handled by a customer and returned. I'm not even going to bother contacting them about this as the pre/post sales support is non-existant. I don't want to return it as there is a good chance (based on my previous experience) they will accept the product back and then just refuse to refund my money. That would be another $300 I'd lose. I just pray that it actually works because I have zero faith in their ability to support it.

5. Right now their fulfillment system is so screwed up I am receiving random shipments that I have NOT ordered. They are sending other people's orders to my house. I have received 4 erroneous shipments so far WTF ?!?!?

I've also just ordered an open box RENOGY solar panel from amazon in a desperate attempt to finish my install. My month old order placed and paid with RENOGY I'll probably never see. I've filed a dispute with my credit card company. It's the first time in my life I have ever had to do this with a company.

I’m normally very patient and give businesses the benefit of the doubt but when another customer actually goes to the trouble to create this site:


you know there are deep systemic problems.

It's my first van build and introduction to sprinter life and I can't believe that such a completely incompetent, uncaring, and basically fraudulent company continuous to exist in this ecosystem.

Sorry for the rant, probably had too much coffee. I'm just posting the info I wished I had seen prior to making the decision to buy something from RENOGY. Hope it will save someone else the grief that comes with dealing with this abysmal company right now.
 
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Flagster

Active member
Tell us how you really feel...:oops:

I put two renogy panels on my roof (200w total) four years ago and they were delivered promptly and are still working fine... I wonder if current problems are due to the pandemic...
 

tinman

Well-known member
I'm in Canada. Ordered a Renogy charger (direct from Renogy) a few months ago and it was delivered promptly. Might be dependant on region. Your experience sounds pretty horrible.
 

wanderingkiwi

2006 118” SHC
So I have created a timeline of my contact with Renogy for my credit company dispute and decided to post it here for completeness...

June 22nd - order for Solar panel placed. RENOGY charges my credit card.
June 23nd - RENOGY email: The status of order #10112327 is now "Awaiting Shipment"
June 30th - I opened a support case for shipping status of my panel.

July 5th - RENOGY email response: "We apologize for the delay on your order. We'll follow this up with our warehouse team. You'll receive an update within 24-48 hours."

<no response from RENOGY>

July 9th - I send another email requesting shipping status.

<no response from RENOGY>

July 10 - I finally get through to RENOGY support line. They promise to look into it

<no followup from RENOGY>

July 15th - I send another email requesting shipping status.
July 18th - RENOGY responds with "already delivered"
July 18th - I respond with "the tracking number shows the solar panel is STILL at your warehouse. it has not left your warehouse. "
July 22nd - RENOGY responds "We sent an urgent follow up on this with our warehouse team for the release/update on the tracking"

and so the cycle continues...

As of today my credit card company has placed a chargeback with Renogy and I have since ordered a panel from Amazon.

I've also discovered that Renogy uses spy pixels in their emails to track me. During this last month I have received eleven (11) marketing emails from Renogy. :/

THIS COMPANY SUCKS
 
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OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
I've also discovered that Renogy uses spy pixels in their emails to track me. During this last month I have received eleven (11) marketing emails from Renogy. :/

THIS COMPANY SUCKS
They don't need 'spy pixels' to track you. You gave them your email address... :whistle:
 

wanderingkiwi

2006 118” SHC
They don't need 'spy pixels' to track you. You gave them your email address... :whistle:
haha yep, that is true. :) To be fair a good majority of largest brands used email pixels so they're not alone there. I just find spy pixels sleazy. Given the context of my situation with them, their blunt force marketing efforts are particularly unwelcome at this stage.

I'm normally a very patient guy and not usually one to bitch about a company, especially as a first post to a cool community, so I appreciate you letting me rant a little.
 

OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
haha yep, that is true. :) To be fair a good majority of largest brands used email pixels so they're not alone there. But given the context of my situation with them, their marketing emails are particularly unwelcome at this stage.

I'm normally a very patient guy and not usually one to bitch about a company, especially as a first post to a cool community, so I appreciate you letting me rant a little.
I was in Email Marketing for over 10 years. The pixel is used by nearly every email campaign and ESP, and to track metrics such as Opens, Click Thru rates, and links. The only personal data that is and can be tied to these is your email address.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I use Thunderbird as my email client ... and it can be set for "don't show remote content" as a default. (which is what i use)

Thus i have the choice of: Open the message (and get prompted about opening the images (and spy pixels)
(with the choices of "just this once" or "OK for this sender"or selectively allow remotes (if there are multiple source URLs))

For looks-like-spam (based upon subject or purported sender) i can also "show source" (ctrl-U)(instead of opening at all) which lets me see *all* of the message headers and doesn't even trigger Tbird's "have read this message" flags.

Thunderbird is a Mozilla product.

--dick
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
Well I’d like to understand that. I definitely know what a MILF is... but maybe there is more than one definition.

But back to Renogy...
I typed in Renogy on amazon and most products other than batteries showed I could have them within a few days.
Batteries however showed dates from mid august into september.
 

wanderingkiwi

2006 118” SHC
A week has passed since RENOGY responded with "We sent an urgent follow up on this with our warehouse team for the release/update on the tracking"

Again no follow up, total ghosting from their support team. They don't care.

I have since ordered a Renogy panel from Amazon which shipped out and will arrive tomorrow and so I am finally able to complete my install.

This only happened because Amazon had a panel in *their* own warehouse.

So at the end of a 40 day battle with Renogy:

1. I'm out $100 of returned product because they just can't get around to refunding my money

2. My credit card company is now disputing the $160 charge for a product they just can't be bothered shipping or looking into

3. I'm left with a $300 second hand DC2DC charger they sold me as new.

I acknowledge that RENOGY at some point shipped product reliably to some people but that is not happening these days.

My advice:

1. If you specifically want RENOGY products:

ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.
ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.
ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.

This way you have some consumer protection about returns, refunds and general support.

Dealing with RENOGY direct is a real risk.

Again I'm sorry my first post to this amazing forum has been kinda negative but I just hope it helps someone from being left out of pocket and dealing with the same frustration I have.

Now I can just focus on the positive aspects of building out my van :)
 

cc_windsurfer

Active member
Rather then giving them your $ and giving the evil empire (amazon) your $ you might consider getting your stuff from another company.
 

wanderingkiwi

2006 118” SHC
Rather then giving them your $ and giving the evil empire (amazon) your $ you might consider getting your stuff from another company.
Yes I certainly agree. Knowing what I know how I would've done exactly that from the beginning. But I needed the third (Renogy) panel to integrate physically with the other two I have on the van already. I didn't want to integrate a third party panel in the mix at this stage.
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
Rather then giving them your $ and giving the evil empire (amazon) your $ you might consider getting your stuff from another company.
Clue
Well that would be great... except limited few others if any seem to have subject items in stock. And if they do, at a higher cost and often plus a shipping charge.
I’m all for not supporting the evil empires (amazon, starbucks, and google) but also realize people work there too. And often have better health and retirement benefits, and an income closer to a living than most of the competition.
 

Rocksnsalt

There Can Be Only ONE
A week has passed since RENOGY responded with "We sent an urgent follow up on this with our warehouse team for the release/update on the tracking"

Again no follow up, total ghosting from their support team. They don't care.

I have since ordered a Renogy panel from Amazon which shipped out and will arrive tomorrow and so I am finally able to complete my install.

This only happened because Amazon had a panel in *their* own warehouse.

So at the end of a 40 day battle with Renogy:

1. I'm out $100 of returned product because they just can't get around to refunding my money

2. My credit card company is now disputing the $160 charge for a product they just can't be bothered shipping or looking into

3. I'm left with a $300 second hand DC2DC charger they sold me as new.

I acknowledge that RENOGY at some point shipped product reliably to some people but that is not happening these days.

My advice:

1. If you specifically want RENOGY products:

ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.
ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.
ORDER THEM THROUGH AMAZON.

This way you have some consumer protection about returns, refunds and general support.

Dealing with RENOGY direct is a real risk.

Again I'm sorry my first post to this amazing forum has been kinda negative but I just hope it helps someone from being left out of pocket and dealing with the same frustration I have.

Now I can just focus on the positive aspects of building out my van :)
You’re welcome. ?
 

Carminooch615

Active member
I recently had a huge issue with renogy, here’s my experience.

Ordered a LiFePo battery may 31st. Was charged the full amount June 3rd or 4th. Got an email stating it’s shipped, along with the tracking number.

The tracking number was dead, so I called June 5th to support and they said it would ship in 24-48 hours and give me a new tracking number.

New tracking number didn’t come, so I waited a week to call again. They assured me my ETA of June 16th was still on track. Again, still no tracking number.

Calls over the next several weeks revealed what happened at Renogy: They opened a new fulfillment center in Texas. They moved their entire cache of batteries to this new facility before they secured any necessary fedex ground hazmat shipping certifications required for shipping some of their batteries and stuff.

Week after week I was told they were going to have that certification back “by Friday”, every Friday. Spoiler: it never happened.

I eventually got ahold of someone who said that my battery would not arrive until mid September. Livid, I lit up the BBB website with an honest account of my experience.

Renogy promptly sent me a battery from their California location, meaning they either got so fed up dealing with me or they failed so badly at moving their operations over to Texas, that they decided to bite the bullet and ship all the way from Cali.

The battery arrived 2 months late and now I’m trying to sell it unused because I refuse to deal with Renogy’s returns department and I also bought two battle born units that arrived in less than 7 days.

I’m inclined to believe that they do NOT have the shipping certifications for their Texas location because my battery came from Cali instead of Texas.

Please be aware of this if you buy renogy. You also will have an hour + wait time on hold to speak to someone contracted to take their calls overseas. That’s if they don’t hang up on you first.

Edit: I really hate to complain but I want to be honest about my experience so someone doesn’t have to go through with this headache if it can be avoided. I don’t want to trash the company, but it was very hard to get a straight answer for a month. I was working on a time-sensitive project and everything got screwed up due to this issue
 
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