[RE-wrenches] Dual Channel Inverters; Hosed By Fronius

[Jason Szumlanski]

I'm not sure if we should discuss money matters on the list, but feel free
to email me off-list for the particulars of what we get for
warranty reimbursement  Enphase has always provided a labor reimbursement
from day 1 for inverter swaps. It's a simple RMA process handed on their
website (unlike Fronius' ancient use of paper, often with no job
reference). The reimbursement is only 60% of what Fronius pays, but it also
takes MUCH less time in most cases and can be done much more easily by one
service technician. It's not a money maker, but it covers cost in our neck
of the woods.

Like Larry, we stopped using Fronius after multiple homeowners experienced
frustrating multiple-inverter failures in short periods of time. Enphase
ships out NEW units as replacements. Fronius sends out refurbished units.

I'm surprised we have such divergent experiences.

*Jason Szumlanski*

*Fafco Solar*


On Tue, May 7, 2013 at 4:21 PM, Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar Power
Systems <larry at starlightsolar.com> wrote:

> Bob-O,
>
> Fronius is not good for reimbursement anymore. While they used to be,
> Fronius has refused to pay for warranty service. Since December, 2012, they
> have refused to reimburse me for an inverter swap that THEY told me to
> make. The display had an intermit ant problem. When I swapped out the
> display board, it had the same issue. SO THEY shipped out a replacement and
> asked me to change it out. When they got it back, they claimed that there
> was no problem found and so far have refused to pay.  I made three trips to
> the site without reimbursement.
>
> BTW, this is the third time this inverter has had a problem. Fronius….no
> more sold by me.
>
> Larry Crutcher
> Starlight Solar Power Systems
>
>
>
>
> On May 7, 2013, at 12:14 PM, Bob-O Schultze <bob-o at electronconnection.com>
> wrote:
>
> Jason,
> I'm one of the many installers who still won't touch a micro yet. It's not
> so much that there were failures early on, it's how companies like Enphase
> HANDLED them. My understanding is that you basically got a replacement
> inverter and got stuffed for your time and travel. That may have changed a
> bit by now but I'm betting that the reimbursement is still pretty pitiful.
> It's the same with most central inverter failures during warranty with the
> exception of Fronius. There are failures to be sure, BUT Fronius'
> compensation for my time and travel is better than any other manufacturer
> I've heard about. You won't make much money occasionally replacing their
> failures, but you won't get hosed either. And that, fellow Wrenches, is why
> I use Fronius almost exclusively.
> Any equipment manu who wants my biz needs to make me whole if/when their
> product bites it during the warranty period. It's bad enough when a product
> that I recommend to my clients goes belly up. Even though it is the
> product's fault, that reflects directly back on ME not the manu. If they
> won't at least compensate me fairly to fix their screw ups, they can just
> bugger off.
>
> Bob-O
>
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