Just got a new Phantom II digital ballast delivered, & when I opened the box I noticed a rattling sound inside, like there's a loose part in it. So I contacted the seller for an RMA. They said it's a piece of resin that broke loose, & that it happens to a lot of fanless ballasts. They said it's no big deal. So....has anybody experienced this? If it's normal, I can save myself the $30 or so bucks that it'll cost to ship this heavy ass thing back for a replacement. Thanks for any feedback
Personally don't have them can't comment on that, but if it were me any I had a rattling part in any equipment I would ship it back if it was banged hard enough to break resin loose who know if any components are damaged. I always seem to have bad luck with electronics getting shipped but I always just bite the bullet and take the extra time to get a fully functional product. Sorry I couldn't give you any insight to your ballast and sorry you have to go through this ordeal that sux. G
I purchased two Phantom II ballasts a couple of years ago. They did not rattle when I received them. They have been working great! I can't advise whether to return yours or not, but if it were me, I would like to start with equipment that doesn't come pre-loaded with a rattle, even though it may be just resin. I've searched the net and only found a couple of instances of the ballasts rattling, but there were no conclusive answers as to what they did to resolve it. Phantom makes a great product, but the rattle would concern me a bit I guess. Personal call on whether to return it! Hope someone can give you a more definitive answer, but, for me, I would send it back and get one that doesn't.....saves you from possible problems later on. They get hot, so the resin may melt in there somehow....just my two cents! Another thought....are they willing to stand behind their warranty even though it rattles?
The weird thing is, they said if I send it back & the rattle turns out to be resin, they'd have to send me a ballast with a fan as a replacement. I specifically don't want a ballast with a fan, because it's an unnecessary part that's a potential weak link in the system. The place is AWFUL on the customer service end. I can't imagine selling someone a defective item, & then making that customer pay the shipping cost to return the item, & then replacing it with a product the customer doesn't want. The customer service there is so crappy, I've decided it's no longer worth the few bucks I saved by shopping there. From now on, I'm spending the extra money to buy stuff locally whenever possible. My temptation is to just open the thing up & see what's in there. I'm assuming a company with practices like this probably won't honor a warranty, either. I might have to just consider this $280 down the toilet & a lesson learned.
Wow! That is REALLY bad C/S! Sounds like bait and switch to get rid of even cheaper crap! Yep! Unfortunately, you seem to be stuck. I'd go ahead and use the ballast and buy a backup from someone who has good C/S. I've had great success with HTG Supply on all of my grow room needs. Anywhere sounds better than where you bought that one! I bought some HPS bulbs from a 'cheaper' supplier....one blew out completely after a week!!!! Learned my lesson there too. Now I use the higher priced items (within reason price-wise) and leave my troubles behind! New parts can go bad, but I'd rather spend the extra bux and get something that I don't have to replace a week or two later. Many lessons to be learned! I've been there too! Not worth the headaches! Rock on!!!
Is it the place that purchased it that says its normal or did phantoms customer service say its normal? If its a warranty issue contact phantom if you ordered through another supplier
I actually contacted the company who makes the ballast & asked that same question. They haven't gotten back to me. Is it just me, or has the internet killed the art of customer service?
That's not what I was asking. I was wondering who you spoke with. Sellers aren't the ones who issue warranties, the manufacturer is, so contact the manufacturer. Call the manufacturer if they didn't answer your email in a timely fashion. When did you message them?
That's what I'm saying: I DID contact the manufacturer (HydroFarm). They didn't get back to me. This was 2 days ago, via email. The only people I've spoken with were the sellers (monstergardens), & they don't seem interested in giving me what I paid for.