Fenix Power - Took money and but never delivered

Dala · Oct 28, 2020

I haven't really followed the drama, but I felt a bit insulted by the comment on the facebook group. This one;

"...but we have been trying very hard to make this happen. For those that hang in with us and do not move to one off suppliers you will not be disappointed. "

I assume I would be counted as a one off supplier? I currently have supported 38x remote installation, and done 7x in-house installs in, currently preparing for two more upgrades this week. I am a single person running this show, and I can tell you that it is easy to run this kind of business. Oh, and I also have an unrelated full time job.

My garage is currently filled with 3x packs

I think my customers are some of the most satisfied you'll find. Period.

LeftieBiker · Oct 28, 2020

I don't think that anyone could call you a 'one off supplier', Dala! You are both more productive and more successful than Fenix.

alozzy · Oct 28, 2020

Not to mention more knowledgeable and more generous with respect to contributing free code and products such as the grill block.

jlv · Oct 28, 2020

Fenix pretends to have the ability to do what they claim. They have zero credibility, which they constantly reinforce by their (in)actions. Their "modular battery architecture" is a pie-in-the-sky dream that they have no ability to produce (even as a prototype).

Dala, if you announced you were working on a modular battery architecture for future LEAF battery replacements, then I would give it a high chance of actually happening simply because it was being created by someone who actually has significant experience and knows what they are talking about..

SageBrush · Oct 28, 2020

jlv said:
Dala, if you announced you were working on a modular battery architecture for future LEAF battery replacements, then I would give it a high chance of actually happening simply because it was being created by someone who actually has significant experience and knows what they are talking about..

Absolutely.

@Dala, I don't think you have anything to worry about from Fenix. Their word is worthless. The customers they have are trapped because they have given Fenix money they cannot afford to lose. I'm willing to bet that very few if any new customers have signed up to Fenix in months.

cwerdna · Oct 30, 2020

cwerdna said:
cwerdna said:

Still nothing useful. Here was a reply at https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/651207215528052/?comment_id=651296195519154 made on Tues, Sept 29th before 1 pm Pacific:

Well again, it is not helping us to make comments like above. An announcement on the first 10 battery replacements will be coming this week and batteries are on the way to installer locations across the country. It has taken a while to make this happen, but we are close. The company has been personally calling many who have been vocal on this issue, but clearly it is not enough. So I ask only to watch for two things to happen. 1. We are shipping batteries to installers and 2. Leaf's will be installed with CPO batteries within the next two weeks. This begins the cycle of shipping and installing you all have been waiting for and by the end of the year an announcement on the delivery of the Fenix Power Modular Battery Architecture for EV's will also be delivered. We have been working on CPO logistics for multiple national installer locations and planning for the Fenix Power New Technology during the last 30 days. This is happening and I would now ask of you, as we said when I was in the military, "keep your powder dry". Thank you. Bill Bysinger SVP

Click to expand...

So, now do we give them until Oct 13th for a battery to arrive at an installer and installation to begin?

We've already missed the "We hope to have installations begin in the next 10 working days" that was posted about on Sept 13th (https://mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=590115#p590115).

Click to expand...

A guy at https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/657601668221940/?comment_id=658012048180902&reply_comment_id=658809638101143 says
"The rescheduled call went at planned. The CPO pack has been verified, and will be shipped to PA next week. Install to happen the week of Oct 19"

Let's see...

From a quick glance at https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/, still seems like people are waiting and I didn't see any reports of a completed installation.

How long should we give them now? Until EOD Friday, 11/6? Or, will we see another excuse for the delays?

SageBrush · Nov 1, 2020

cwerdna said:
How long should we give them now? Until EOD Friday, 11/6? Or, will we see another excuse for the delays?

Bysinger said on Sept 29th that

batteries are on the way to installer locations across the country.

Unless you think it possible that batteries are still in transit or have arrived but not been installed, Fenix has crossed the line from empty promises into fraud.

jlv · Nov 2, 2020

But on Oct 23 he said "we have 10 batteries staged to ship": https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/668290057153101/

SageBrush · Nov 2, 2020

jlv said:
But on Oct 23 he said "we have 10 batteries staged to ship": https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/668290057153101/

So what ?

The Sept 29 announcement did not say 'any moment now,' or 'countdown in 10, 9, 8 ...'
It said batteries in transit. Either he was lying or Fenix can say where those batteries, which were already in transit over a month ago, are now.

rmay635703 · Nov 2, 2020

SageBrush said:
jlv said:

But on Oct 23 he said "we have 10 batteries staged to ship": https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/668290057153101/

Click to expand...

So what ?

The Sept 29 announcement did not say 'any moment now,' or 'countdown in 10, 9, 8 ...'
It said batteries in transit. Either he was lying or Fenix can say where those batteries, which were already in transit over a month ago, are now.

Batteries are currently located

https://giphy.com/explore/floating-dumpster-fire

cwerdna · Nov 2, 2020

I did recall seeing some replies from "customers" that their pack had arrived at an installer near them but it's not clear what the hold up is now. Still has been 0 word of a single successful install and I see numerous folks being left holding the bag w/Fenix having their $, in some cases over $2K of it.

LeftieBiker · Nov 2, 2020

My guess is that the installers haven't been paid, and the customers will have to fork over that money.

SageBrush · Nov 2, 2020

LeftieBiker said:
My guess is that the installers haven't been paid, and the customers will have to fork over that money.

All this drama for a handful of refurb batteries. It is going to reach fever pitch when the refurbs die ... unless the Bysingers can get a pyramid scheme up and running in time.

Oilpan4 · Nov 2, 2020

Sounds par for the course.

jlv · Nov 3, 2020

cwerdna said:
I did recall seeing some replies from "customers" that their pack had arrived at an installer near them but it's not clear what the hold up is now.

I think that's this comment from 2 weeks ago:

Matthew Lopina
My battery has arrived (along with three others) to the installer. I'm not sure when I'll be scheduled, but I'm expecting confirmation within the next week.

And 2 days ago (Sunday Nov 1, the day after Halloween) he posted an update:

I spoke to John Bysinger on the phone. We have emailed each other. I was told my CPO would be installed before Halloween. I have not heard anything in over two weeks. I've sent kind emails with reasonable concern... I've received nothing in return. But, don't worry Fenix Power Customer Forum, they are in control of my $2,650 payment with nothing to show for it.

jlv · Nov 3, 2020

SageBrush said:
jlv said:

But on Oct 23 he said "we have 10 batteries staged to ship": https://www.facebook.com/groups/FenixPowerCoForum/permalink/668290057153101/

Click to expand...

So what ?

I was just pointing out the inconsistency in Bysinger's statements. On Sept 29 they were "on their way" yet 4 weeks later they were only "staged to ship". I begin to doubt if they have any battery packs. Bysinger could clear this up with a single picture of a bunch of battery packs.

SageBrush · Nov 3, 2020

jlv said:
I was just pointing out the inconsistency in Bysinger's statements. On Sept 29 they were "on their way" yet 4 weeks later they were only "staged to ship". I begin to doubt if they have any battery packs. Bysinger could clear this up with a single picture of a bunch of battery packs.

Ahh.
You could well be right, or Fenix could have been talking about different shipments. Their 'announcements' are usually phrased in a way that leaves them lots of wiggle room. The Sept 29th statement stands out for being pretty straightforward.

jlv · Nov 3, 2020

SageBrush said:
or Fenix could have been talking about different shipments.

I suspect if they'd actually made *two* shipments of 10 batteries they'd have announced that.

Of course, it makes no sense for Fenix to have the packs in their possession at all, since they are coming from BigBattery. For cost reasons, I would assume that BigBattery would be shipping the packs directly to the installers. And based upon what I saw at their website, I would suspect BigBattery has no problem staging and shipping the battery packs... once they are paid for. I suspect that's the real hold up.

SageBrush · Nov 3, 2020

jlv said:
And based upon what I saw at their website, I would suspect BigBattery has no problem staging and shipping the battery packs... once they are paid for. I suspect that's the real hold up.

Fair guess

Or Fenix is trying to save on shipping with another u-haul rental. I think they own a LEAF, so they might be able to drag a pack to an installer. That would explain the long transit times --- an L2 charging stop every 45 miles. :lol:

dsh · Nov 5, 2020

I called BigBattery at 9667 Owensmouth Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311, (818) 280-3091, [email protected]. They are not aware of any large shipments of Leaf 24kWh Packs being order or shipped at this time.

People who have $2,499 Orders "On Hold" at Fenix Power should call them too, to confirm if their Battery Pack delivery is being made.

Fenix Power - Took money and but never delivered

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