As a solar and/or home battery owner in Australia, it is generally assumed that the first point of contact in a warranty claim would be the installer. After all, they sold you the product, so shouldn’t they also come to the rescue when it stops working?
Yes… but sometimes no.
A SolarQuotes reader and solar/battery owner recently told us of his experience when forced to deal directly with the manufacturer in a warranty claim, and pointed out the shortcomings.
Understanding The Pecking Order
We all know that goods sold in Australia are automatically guaranteed to be of acceptable quality and fit for purpose under Australian Consumer Law (ACL). There are also warranties given by the manufacturer/retailer in addition to the consumer rights laid out under ACL.
That’s all well and good, however, there’s nothing in the legislation that explains how this must be achieved, and what the pecking order is at the unfortunate time of making a warranty claim. It may not be as simple as ‘taking it back to the shop where you bought it.’
When to deal directly with the manufacturer
There are several situations in which solar and/or battery owners may need to bypass the installer and contact the manufacturer directly:
- Technical support
If the owner requires assistance with the battery system’s operation, configuration, or troubleshooting, the manufacturer may have dedicated customer support channels to address technical queries and provide guidance. - Certain warranty claims
The warranty terms may stipulate that the owner should contact the manufacturer directly to initiate a warranty claim. In such cases, the manufacturer typically has their own warranty claim process. - Installer unavailability or closure
Suppose the installer of the home battery system is no longer in business, unavailable, or unable to provide support. In that case, the owner may need to go directly to the manufacturer for assistance. - Product recalls or safety issues
In the event of a product recall or safety-related issue with the home battery, the owner must contact the manufacturer immediately. They will provide guidance on the appropriate action. - Dispute resolution
In cases where there are disputes between the home battery owner and the installer, it may be necessary to involve the manufacturer to facilitate dispute resolution.
Doug’s Dilemma
Doug Dale had nearly five years of solid performance from his Tesla Powerwall 2. It performed exceptionally well up until November 2022 when it stopped reporting and would neither charge nor discharge.
“I would use the Tesla app to see what my system was actually doing rather than the Enphase app while I was going through the inverter issue,” says Doug.
The ‘inverter issue’ Doug is referring to is a whole ‘nother story! Back to the Powerwall problem.
“I ran through the app diagnostic to restart, as I thought the battery might have gone flat. After that didn’t work, it was onto the Tesla phone support merry-go-round!”
Tesla support merry-go-round
With regard to technical support and warranty claims, Tesla is in categories 1 and 2 previously mentioned above. Rather than pick up the phone and call the installer, they prefer the customer go through a character-building troubleshooting process which could last up to several months. Here is their chosen method of torture:
- Step 1: Locate the relevant troubleshooting section below if your system is experiencing a problem.
- Step 2: Click the ‘Troubleshoot’ button in that section to start the process. You will be asked to log in to your Tesla Account and complete a few preliminary troubleshooting steps.
- Step 3: If your issue still isn’t resolved, we’ll connect you with a technical support agent.
Tesla Powerwall 2 troubleshooting webpage – The first step before jumping on the support merry-go-round. Image: Tesla
Back to Doug:
“Since November 22nd I have been on the phone countless times to Tesla. The time difference is a shocker. They advised me my issue needed to be escalated and that would take 32 calendar days! After 32 days I had to chase them when they advised me my installer would need to fix it! I advised them my installer no longer installed Tesla.”
Triple whammy!
That’s right, the installer no longer installs Tesla! Not only is Doug stuck in categories 1 and 2 above when it comes to support, but also fits into category 3, where the installer is unable to provide support, albeit through no fault of his own.
A short side story
Being an authorized Tesla installer does not automatically make a company a licensed Tesla support provider. Doug’s installer is not allowed to carry out repair work on Tesla equipment as they are not registered/licensed.
The company had previously sent two employees to Telsa in Brisbane to get qualified as repairers. However, after spending ten days there completing the required training, the installer claims Tesla told them they would need to spend a further $30K to get licensed as a Tesla support provider.
Before the installer could even consider the offer, they say Tesla advised them they weren’t a big enough company so they withdrew the offer. The installer then parted ways with Tesla and now doesn’t touch their equipment.
Back to the main story
Doug, the pragmatic man he is, decided to use his time more effectively while waiting for Tesla to make their next move. Being an electrician himself, he put his skills to work.
He got a friend to give him a hand to fault find the problem. They were able to diagnose that the most likely cause was either a fault in the gateway comms CPU or the comms unit in the battery. The dacron cables joining the gateway and battery were belled and found to be fine. Without other diagnostic equipment, that was about all they could do.
Doug’s gateway and battery weren’t talking to each other. In fact, they wouldn’t even agree to appear in the same photo together, so this generic one will have to do. Image: Tesla
“Two weeks later, after multiple phone calls, their excuse being they are very busy (buying Twitter and flying to Mars no doubt), they admitted that my installer was not certified, and they would send a Tesla technician out, as there are no other installers in Townsville. They couldn’t give me a date when that would happen.”
Doug is a very patient man, but humans have limits.
“I said that was not good enough, I had had enough. We are now four months without a battery and I wanted to speak to their supervisor. I was told that wasn’t possible, not because the person had no supervisor, but that he was not able/wanted to or not allowed to escalate to that person. I was furious, to say the least.”
Another two weeks pass
I had been in contact with Doug during the latter part of his story unfolding. He was kind enough to update me as things were progressing.
“Two weeks later I get a phone call from a local installer who had just become certified to work on Tesla repair support. They came out at the agreed time and confirmed it was the gateway unit causing the problems. They will be back to replace the unit subject to the parts arriving this Thursday.”
Doug’s next update
“The repairer turned up as planned. They were running a little late but rang to advise me before they were due. Customer service – big tick. The new comms unit was installed in under 30 minutes. We could pick up its wifi signal straight away – a good sign.”
The new comms unit essentially creates a new entity on the Tesla network so when a new unit is installed it takes Tesla about 24 hours to detect it and set it up on their system so the performance can be viewed on the webpage and their app.
“Unfortunately we still couldn’t commission the new device. The installer jumped on the hotline. It still took them about two hours to realise the new unit had an expired certificate. Essentially Tesla had provided superseded (old) stock that isn’t supported anymore.”
“The Repairman wasn’t impressed, having wasted about three hours at my place trying to fit a device that would never have worked. A new unit is now ordered and will be fitted on 2nd May, fingers crossed. Can’t see how they can put a spacecraft on Mars, can you? Looking forward to Tesla sending me a feedback form.”
About a month later
The new gateway device arrived and was successfully installed. There was a small hiccup when the installer had the CTs around the wrong way, but soon rectified after noticing the power monitoring being all over the shop. Repairs were all under warranty so no cost to the customer, although he was without a battery for almost six months.
CT orientation (straight from the Tesla installation manual.) It wouldn’t be the first or the last time one of these bad boys was installed back-to-front. Image: Tesla
“I’m glad the saga is over. I’ve been on this planet for 58 years and this is by far my worst customer support experience to date. Interesting that I haven’t received a ‘How did we go, rate our performance’ email yet from Tesla!”
Is Our New Reality Good Enough?
Doug’s pragmatic approach and patience earned him a good outcome, with his battery once again ticking along perfectly.
One could say that it’s not worth dealing with a company that requires the customer to jump through all the warranty hoops, rather than the installer/retailer, but I’d like to point out two things:
- Customers rarely buy a product based on the warranty claims process. In fact, I’d be surprised if anyone reading this would even know who should be their first point of contact in a warranty claim, without first checking the paperwork.
- Regardless of the product, we’re all destined to spend much of our valuable time either going in circles on a troubleshooting website or waiting endlessly on a customer support line. It’s impossible to escape these days.
Is acceptance of the system the answer? Or are some companies lagging in treating their customers with respect? I’ll leave Doug with the final words on that.
Doug’s Thoughts On Tesla
“There is only one root cause in this saga, and that is Tesla! Of the six months of delays and obstructions, five of them lay fairly and squarely at Tesla’s feet. Dealing with their call centre in the US (time zone hell) after stuffing around on their app to diagnose the problem (which is what you are supposed to do) was painful.”
“Their turnaround time of thirty-two days to escalate to tier 2 technical support is just not good enough. You can’t ask to speak to a call centre supervisor if you’re not happy with the ‘do you want fries with that’ response is likewise poor.”
“Their treatment of installers is rubbish. They too have to go through the call centre, which can take hours. Tesla supplied the wrong gateway (after 5 months of delay). I’m not sure how the repairer got on getting reimbursed the 6 hours on site and god knows how many offsite hours on my job.”
“I see they have a good product when it’s working. High-quality manufacturing and generally reliable. High prices, like their cars, and no doubt like their cars the after-sales support is woeful.”
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Could the main issue be that the site is not in a large city and Tesla has an insufficient capacity to service a sparse installed base? Not that it would be an excuse as they need to build a service capability or stop selling there…
It would be interesting to hear from other owners in Townsville about how their warranty/support experiences went to understand whether the issue is systemic or an unfortunate occurrence.
I am in Adelaide. My Powerwall failed. Finding the support number on the web or via the app was not easy, if the telephone number was on the unit with the instructions, it would help.
The time difference was no issue, for me a person checked, agreed it was faulty and escalated the issue but I had to wait weeks and chase, then I was told I would be contacted by my installer who claimed no knowledge of the warranty claim. Finally, a different company contacted me and after many weeks the unit came back on line. I have no idea if it was a new or refurbished part.
Tesla have a system to honour warranty however it is remote, not easy to access, the client is left for extended periods while being kept in the dark. The timelines can extend into months. These are my experiences.
Running everything online remotely works with robotics but people require updates and reassurances, Timelines once stated should be adhered to. A follow up ‘are you satisfied?’ could allow Tesla to improve their customer service and their reputation.
Would I buy Tesla now after my experience? Probably not. I have BYD experience as well as Tesla and so far my support experience from BYD exceeds my support experience from Tesla.
John Parkinson. It looks like the instalation of solar power and ancillary equipment should come under the House Building Warrenties ( qbcc in queensland) to cover solar installer insolvances and repairs. 10 year Warrenties by small or even big installers is a big risk in this day and age!
Sorry to hear of the bad experience, however:
1. The comments about Mars and Twitter are totally irrelevant and not helpful at all.
2. We have had a Tesla model 3 for well over 3.5 years. The service (after sales support) and ownership experience has been absolutely fabulous- far better than ANY previous car we have owned in the last fifty odd years.
I understand the frustration, but next time, maybe just stuck to the actual story.
Wow, really you read all that and this was your take away ?
I think he showed great restraint.
David – that was sarcasm mate. It was pretty easy to spot. Ok – it didn’t resonate with you but I thought it was pretty funny.
I think the issue was with a Powerwall product not Tesla cars. Maybe YOU should stick to the actual story
“1. The comments about Mars and Twitter are totally irrelevant and not helpful at all.”
I think they very well are. It’s well known that Musk is an interfering manager who thinks he knows better than everyone else when the opposite is quite often the truth.
Setting up a company without good service support seems on brand for him.
I think the issue isn’t about the ownership experience in general. The issue is with the warranty process being absolutely woeful when something does go wrong. This is an absolutely horrendous attitude by Tesla, especially after spending so much money on a system. I personally will steer clear until they fix their support, i will always gladly pay a premium for good warranty support, its kind of like paying for insurance..
Sorry that they insulted the supreme leader! How dare they! There there, don’t be too upset. They will all be sorry when our glorious leader unleashes his sexy robot army!
My experience with Tesla is positive – maybe because I am located in a capital city.
We had a Powerwall 2 installed several years ago. Soon after the installation Tesla contacted me to invite me to participate in a QA check by one of their technicians. I agreed to this and all was good. This put me in direct contact with Tesla Support.
Last year, during a grid outage, I realised that the backup function was not working. I contacted Tesla Support directly and, after some troubleshooting checks, arranged for a technician to visit. He replaced a circuit board in the Gateway unit.
Another factor in favour of Tesla is that (as with their cars) they continually update the software to add/improve features. For example, last year they improved the ToU (e.g. peak time ranges) to better cope with seasonal variations.
A double edged sword. I would be afraid that (like apple) they will “continually update the software” (after finding that their batteries are not going to make it out of warranty) by throttling the throughput to avoid wear on the cells.
I am, however, a pessimist by nature.
The definition of a pessimist being:
an optimist with experience 😉
Tesla is no Apple…
Elon Musk may be bright but he still needs to learn a lot about customer service. Waiting 32 days is just plain ridiculous.
I like their products but they over promise and under deliver.
I’m astonished to read this story & hope a resolution is speedily achieved. It is in stark contrast to my recent experience of a warranty claim with Tesla which was very smooth.
My less than 2 year old Tesla battery ‘died’ & after contacting Tesla & supplier/installer Solar Hart Southern Highlands & Goulburn (SH&G) my battery was replaced without dramas.
Tesla sent me a regular weekly email letting me know the progress of my claim, & the only delay was due to the shortage of available batteries because of high demand. I think from start to finish the process took 4 weeks. The same staffer I spoke with initially called me back, & sent the emails so great customer support initiative.
I have to give the bulk of the credit to Solarhart SH&G Dealer Principal Matt Donnan for his advocacy & tenacity on behalf of his customer. Matt was regularly in contact with me to let me know when the claim was accepted, where the battery was, when it would be delivered & then installed. I live in a regional area so this level of support was priceless. The local installer was Empire Energy & Wayne & his team are brilliant!
I think the many years in the Australian market which Solarhart proudly claims is backed up by the level of support & genuine commitment to customers from Solarhart SH&G which I received.
Yes, we paid for a top tier product from Solarhart & have been delighted to learn that our decision was a good one.
Doug has a lot of patience.
To summarise.
1. Tesla makes installers jump through hoops to be qualified and then demands an exorbinant fee (this sounds almost Apple like and a right to repair issue). Unsurprisingly, there is a lack of qualified support even in a regional hub like Townsville.
2. Tesla has no local support line. I guess at least it’s not a phone centre in Asia.
3. For no apparent reason, once a problem has been established (which took far too long), Tesla makes you wait 32 days before authorising a repair. Why?
4. Tesla then supplied an obsolete part introducing further delays and wasting the authorised installer’s and customer’s time.
In my experience poor customer service like this reverberates through social groups and is very damaging for a business’s reputation. Had this all been done and fixed in a couple of weeks or shorter the opposite would be the case. Tesla would have a customer for life and recommendations and referrals would flow. Moreover it would have cost them less as a company. Less time for their phone centre and smaller phone bills. It costs little or nothing to provide exceptional customer service.
Hi All,
All Warranty Claim are covered under Australian Consumer Law. This should not involve complaints to ombudsman because you will go around in circles. Simply lodge a claim in your States Courts and Tribunal and refer the Court to Australian Consumer Law. By going to Tribunals and Court you will get a refund or problem diagnoses but Telsa wont be penalised for their actions.
Customers should lodge a claim with ACCC. ACCC looks at the complaint and issue fines directly to Telsa for misleading customers on their promises and misleading act. Just like what ACCC did to Optus, Telstra and others. Optus paid $10 million in fines.
https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/optus-penalised-10-million-for-misleading-customers-over-digital-purchases
https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/telstra-optus-and-tpg-allegedly-misled-consumers-over-nbn-maximum-speeds
Agree that this scenario should have become a legal matter quite quickly. A battery that doesn’t last for at least the promised warranty period is immediately “not fit for purpose”, which triggers a lot of automatic legislation, most notably for full refund.
At the very least if I were this customer I’d be estimating costs incurred (most obviously extra electricity bills + any generator costs) due to their delays along with a letter of demand that they reimburse for lost money. Such a claim would be hard if the warranty was handled properly and in a timely manner, but I’m this case I think he should have a good case. Worth talking to a solicitor at least.
Seems not so much a Tesla issue but more to the fact the installer wasn’t a repairer and the owner was in a semi remote area. Meaning no repairs around.
Basically make sure your installer can repair your unit and you won’t have these dramas.
Any company who sells products in Australia should be legally and financially bound to provide service for their products, this should have reasonable time frames for doing so, any failure to provide such service should see trading cancelled. The onus should be on the Company to fix the problem, not put the consumer through so much crap. Grid tied for me.
Thanks for the article Kim.
Which manufacters of batteries have an excellent product, with excellent customer service, plus a reasonable warranty and price?
Tesla are generally really good – except when you fall through the cracks – like Doug did. They are a pretty safe bet in the major metros. Sungrow are also excellent (I have one myself).
If you have a Fronius, BYD are excellent, too.
If Doug needs any help from Ephase please ask hime to contact Enphase Technical Support on 1800 006 374
Kim it is a good time to clarify some important distinctions that have plagued the Solar PV Industry and seem to have been forgotten or perhaps never really understood by the Australian Consumer public and the Electrical Industry itself.
1. A Solar PV Installer is: A Licenced Electrician PLUS Accredited by the Clean Energy Council [CEC] to Install Solar PV Systems. Solar Systems Installed by the above licensee may then be eligible for STC’s.
2. The person described in [1] is not permitted by law to enter into a Contact with any PV System end user or Potential System Owner to Install a Solar PV System for them UNLESS [a] he/she is also a Registered Electrical /Other Contractor OR is engaged or employed by a Registered Electrical/Other Contractor to undertake the Installation for a customer of the Registered CONTRACTOR [not the installer].
3. The only exception is that a Solar PV Installer can install a system in his own right as an Electrician PLUS CEC Accreditation on his own property [rented or owned] without being a Registered Contractor, and this system will still be eligible for STC’s.
4. There are serious penalties possible for Electricians who mess around with the Electrician / Contractor differentiation.
5. So what might this mean in practice for Solar PV Customers who engage a CONTRACTOR to have an Electrician + CEC to install a Solar PV System at their premises, and subsequently find themselves wanting some warranty issues dealt with. What is the pecking order then: Well obviously the first port of call is the CONTRACTOR, who will then liaise with his/her Installer.
6. There are lots of spin offs from this setup, but at the core, what I have detailed above is correct particularly when push comes to shove. As it does from time to time.
Lawrence Coomber
I live in Adelaide. Around August last year our Powerwall 2 started smoking. Luckily I was home to turn it off. I contacted the supplier (AGL) who requested I do a few tests. Following this, they seemed to hand my case over to Tesla in the US. Tesla rang me to advise the battery would be replaced but supply of the replacement would have to come from America and would take a while. A couple of months later they gave me a replacement date and were spot on.
I was surprised that my next AGL account included a generous credit from Tesla to cover the time I was without the battery.
A couple of issues – I have no idea if the battery replacement was brand new or a refurbished model.
– The 10 year warranty was not updated from the date the ‘new’ one was installed. Warranty applies from the date the original battery was installed which was 2017. It was just over 5 years old when it failed.
Dave
Customer Surveys. Have you not realised that the only companies that send you the surveys are the ones with good or excellent service! The would you recommend us to your friend/neighbour are usually asked by companies that have no competition – like News Ltd – where else can you get the Australian from (other than retail from a newsagent etc).
What you have seen here is not uncommon with many ventures related to Elon Musk.
Go on to Whirlpool and look at all the articles related to the Space X Starlink satellite broadband system and you will see plenty of tales of woe, with almost non existent customer support available from SpaceX, another company run by Elon Musk.
Michael,
Please don’t succumb to the usual “Musk is evil” diatribe that is flat out repetitive and fallacious.
Musk doesn’t run these companies in day to day operations and all his companies must comply with all laws applicable and in all countries. Starlink happens to be a VERY successful service and it is replacing IMMARSAT, Skymuster and other satellite networks because of its extensive coverage. Many Australian farmers are switching to Starlink.There will always be issues with individual installations and you are seeing a few on Whirlpool. Compared to the complaints from legacy network providers they pale in comparison.
My decision to hold off on expensive batteries appears to have been the right call. I really do not need to go through this sort of nightmare and wish anybody who encounters this bad business behaviour a lot of luck.
This appears to be a growing behaviour from business in Australia. After 1 year I am still battling a dishonest security system installer who needs to be deregistered, but government agencies have no interest in the consumer laws.
Nailed it Richard.
And of course, you always hear the unfortunate bad stories, not the good ones.
Two family members have had Powerwall 2s basically since they were released and both couldn’t be any happier.
LUCKILY, both were fitted by respected major installers who are both still selling, maintaining and installing them.
Cheers
I believe the real problem is that our consumer protection legislation is too weak. We need legislation that enforces reasonable warranty response times with penalties for companies that don’t comply.
To be honest, I would love to have a battery installed. The main thing restraining me is reading comment like this post..
I pity Doug and agree he has every right to tell his story, which he did in a calm and detailed manner.
Are we not able to manufacture here?
Hi Rob.
Answer to your question:- No.
Lawrence Coomber
I had a similar problem to Doug. Tesla Powerwall 2 started malfunctioning. It would turn itself off periodically for several days at a time. It took eight months of emails and phone calls to the supplier and Tesla to ascertain that it was faulty and had to be replaced. This only happened after I contacted Fair Trading, who were very helpful. My installer was booked by the supplier to replace the battery but was booked out for four weeks. so they employed another contractor to do the job. They had to come up from Sydney (I live in Wingham, NSW). In the process of swapping the battery, they were told to also replace the wiring from the gateway into the switchboard because the existing wiring was too thin to safely carry the current. Fair enough, Problem was, the contractor connected the wires into the gateway the wrong way around! Didn’t matter, everything worked OK at first. A few days later we went away camping and kayaking for four days. There was a thunderstorm on our first night away and a short blackout period. Because of the incorrect wiring, the power didn’t get switched to the battery, and, when the power came back on, didn’t reconnect to the solar or the grid. We arrived home to puddles on the floor where our fridge and freezer had defrosted, and no power at all. Had to pay an exorbitant amount to get an emergency callout for an electrician to reconnect us by bypassing the gateway and give us grid power. Took two more weeks to get the contractors back to fix the problem, which they did. Everything now working well again. Still waiting for Tesla to make good on their promise to rebimurse us for the electrician and the power we had to buy from the grid.
Hi Rob.
An important exception to my previous post though is the globally significant work in moving battery science forward by this Australian enterprise:-
https://www.lis.energy/about-us/#about
Lawrence Coomber
I have owned 2x power walls for about 18 months.
We have experienced about 25 blackouts (ranging seconds to 7 minutes) in that time period (road works).
Last weekend we had a 4 hour planned outage.
However, the backup power wall did not provide any backup power.
The SOC was 99% and the load was very low at the time just before.
I called tesla they asked to me to turn off some backup circuit breakers and to reset the power walls.
Tried all that a few times to no avail.
There are 3 backup circuits (and breakers) and I tried all 3.
They then said I would need to call the installer.
I did that shortly after the call (on a Sunday).
Unexpectedly the lines recorded message said press 1 for help out of hours.
Did that and there was a quick response.
He said however, he could not do anything without mains power.
As he told me, when the mains power returned they system the power return to the house.
The app then reported the correct SOC (instead of zero).
Well its now about a week later, but no improvement.
The installer has been on site and talking to tesla and arranged for a firmware change.
Unfortunately when the mains and the backup power wall fail, my network also dies.
So today I set up an inverter/sperate battery to run my network.
I found that the power walls / gateway network connection stays alive during the outage.
Power walls reported 95% charge, the mains then were turned off, then the power walls show 0% charge and the lights are out.
Left the mains off for 11 minutes.
I turn the mains back on the the power wall shows 95% charge.
I’ve check load issues by turning everything on earlier this week.
Air con, heaters, all lights, oven, hot water, …
2x PWs worked fine and they provided nearly 10kW as long as the mains were also on.
For me the road works continue.
I am hoping someone else has been through this and has seen it resolved.
Is there anyone out there that can provide a little knowledge?
Regards
Jeff
I call BULLSHIT Jim 🙂
I am near Newcastle NSW – Installer is AUTHORISED!
And am going through an almost identical issue to the one described. Tesla say the metering is “off line.”
I am a retired sparky – Installer came quickly – did all the checks they wanted – they just issued a case number to me by email –
20 phone calls later I am getting no answers or indication what they will do.
My installer is “over the support issues” He says when they are going well they are the best – but when they stop it is a nightmare.
So I called bullshit on this comment because my repairer IS a licensed Tesla Installer – and I live right beside the largest regional city in Australia!
Installers have no access to diagnostic tools – and can’t get parts!
I hope my wait is not as long!
Jeff,
Identical to my problem – except my Powerwall is NOT showing its state of charge!
I know it is 100% because going back on the energy graphs I can see when the graph went to zero – where it has stayed!
Wonder if it is a software upgrade gone wrong – or are hackers ………..
No – I won’t go there 🙂
Hi Steve
Mine is now fixed after about 5 weeks.
They tried a firmware change after about 1-2 weeks and then another.
Neither fixed it but after 5 weeks the installed told me they sent a strong message to Tesla Support and as a result Tesla support escalated my case to “level 2” and there I talked to I think a level 1 person who in turn talked to a level 2 while I was on the phone.
The short story is that they down loaded the same firmware version for the third time but that did not fix it. After that they ran an “wizard” I think to reinstall (setup up) the powerwall and one other thing that I did not catch.
After that all was fine.
Still not sure why it failed in the first place but I tested it twice now and all is good.
Hi praises go to my local installer (HCB Solar).
Report
My powerwall has been replaced !
Once I got through the super slow diagnostic process – they sent a new powewall – appointed a Newcastle contractor to do the swap over. The contractor was very professional, great comunication.
My Tesla PW has been off and on since it was installed.
Getting through to them on phone has been quite easy, no wait time and 24/7 support.
However one call I was put on hold while they looked at something, then the call ended saying I called outside business hours. I called back, they said they had no idea what that was as they are 24/7.
After calling a number of times though they have determined the PW is faulty and the gateway needs to be replaced. Its around a month since installation. So by the time the replacement gets installed it will probably be 1 1/2 – 2 months.
Overall it has been not too bad but the delays and communication has not been great. Like they say “Its been lodged, you will hear from someone in 14 business days”