Vagabond II

I was on the wait list to get the Vagabond II when it first came out and supposedly I was one of the first to get one. Never had a problem with it yet, and I remember seeing something from an ex-paul bluff employee saying that Vagabond II's catch fire and emit black smoke. This had me concerned so I called the company and inquired. This was about a week ago.

A couple days ago I get an email saying that they are doing a recall, they will send me a replacement and I have to send my old unit in.

Pretty strange, I guess this just validates that ex-employees statements about paul bluff's company.
Anyone know who that ex-employee is or know the link to the guys site? I forget where I saw it, I think strobist but I can't find the link anymore.

I think Paul addressed this very issue on the forum over there. I recall that the story wasn't quite what it was made out to be. I have the VII and am happy with it. I have no recall notice on mine. I wouldn't believe everything you hear, check out their forum for the other side of the story.

Have you been using it?

Yeah I've been using the Vagabond II quite often actually. Well not so much in the past few months because of the winter season. But during the summer/fall last year I used it a ton.

This is just a copy paste of the PDF I got from paul c bluff ind. You might want to get in contact with them and see if you are supposed to get the free replacement also. I'm thinking that maybe I just got one of the early models since I was probably one of the first to get it.

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Free Replacement PSI900GF Inverter Agreement For Our Domestic Customers

While the release of our new Vagabond II has been met with great enthusiasm and high demand, we were disappointed to encounter a few reports of field failures from some early customers. Wishing to thoroughly address the issue and eliminate any potential problems that might be the cause of these failures, we tested the system extensively and isolated the problem to the inverter. As a result, we chose to redesign this inverter and have selected a new vendor to execute our changes as we felt that the previous model did not meet our full standards of quality. The Vagabond II will now be shipping with our new PSI900GF inverter that offers improved performance and increased reliability while additionally including an automatic ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) that eliminates the need to physically ground the system for safety. As we always wish to do our very best to please our customers and treat them as we would wish to be treated, we would like to upgrade your Vagabond II and replace your inverter with the new PSI900GF inverter at no additional charge. We will send a new inverter (with easy replacement instructions included) to the address that you specify via UPS Ground. Additionally, we will issue a UPS call tag to have your old inverter picked up and delivered to our offices. As long as your old inverter is returned to our offices within 15 business days, there will be no charge for the new inverter.

* * * IMPORTANT! ACTION NEEDED BY YOU! * * *

Before we can ship your new inverter, this form must be signed and sent to us as your acknowledgement of our agreement. You may scan this signed form for email delivery, fax the signed form or send it through standard mail to the address below.

MAIL: Paul C. Buff, Inc. / Attn: Michelle Parker

2725 Bransford Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37204

EMAIL: inverterupgrade@paulcb​uff.com

FAX: 615-383-0676 (Attn: Michelle Parker)

* * * By signing this document, you agree to the following: * * *

I acknowledge that Paul C. Buff, Inc. will send me a new PSI900GF inverter for my Vagabond II system (sent as a replacement unit for my previous PSI900 inverter) and issue a UPS call tag for my old inverter. I agree to package and prepare this old inverter so that it may be picked up for return shipment to the Paul C. Buff, Inc. offices. I understand that Paul C. Buff, Inc. will expect receipt of my old inverter within 15 business days of the delivery of my new inverter, barring any delays or difficulties experienced by UPS that are unrelated to my actions. Should I neglect to prepare my old inverter for pickup and not meet this deadline of 15 business days, I understand that my credit card will be charged for the total amount of the new PSI900GF inverter ($199.95) plus shipping charges for the UPS Ground service (the amount will vary based on destination postal code). I will accept these charges.

Your Name: _______________ Date: ____________

Signature: _______________

Please return this signed form promptly to eliminate any delays in the shipment of your inverter. If you have any questions, please contact our customer service team on our Toll Free Line at 1-800-443-5542 or 1-877-714-3381. We’re here Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, CST. Thank you!

Thanks

I had already switched out my inverter with them, not because of issues but because I bought it within the window that would allow me to get the new CGI inverter instead.

Mark

archaeoman wrote in post #5121165
Thanks

I had already switched out my inverter with them, not because of issues but because I bought it within the window that would allow me to get the new CGI inverter instead.

Mark

You already knew about the recall?
This notice just came to me a few days ago.
I'm always the last to know things.

archaeoman wrote in post #5121104
I think Paul addressed this very issue on the forum over there. I recall that the story wasn't quite what it was made out to be. I have the VII and am happy with it. I have no recall notice on mine. I wouldn't believe everything you hear, check out their forum for the other side of the story.

Have you been using it?

archaeoman wrote in post #5121165
Thanks

I had already switched out my inverter with them, not because of issues but because I bought it within the window that would allow me to get the new CGI inverter instead.

Mark

You have no recall notice on yours? Yet you opted have the inverter replaced even though you experienced no problem with it? How did you find out about the inverter replacement program, then?

I believe it was an announcement on the board. Paul (or an employee) announced that a inverter replacement was available, an upgrade to the CGI inverter available to those who ordered within a period of time before the upgrade was available.

I'm not saying this wasn't because they had problems with some of them, just that I never received a recall notice.

What I like about that company is that they own up to any problems and make them right. Many companies don't put out that information and wait for people to contact them in the event of a problem. No doubt they took a financial hit with a voluntary recall.

archaeoman wrote in post #5125653
I believe it was an announcement on the board. Paul (or an employee) announced that a inverter replacement was available, an upgrade to the CGI inverter available to those who ordered within a period of time before the upgrade was available.

I'm not saying this wasn't because they had problems with some of them, just that I never received a recall notice.

What I like about that company is that they own up to any problems and make them right. Many companies don't put out that information and wait for people to contact them in the event of a problem. No doubt they took a financial hit with a voluntary recall.

So, was it a recall or not? If it was a recall, then there shouldn't have been a time limit placed on it (unless specifically stated in a recall notice), and I would think that notifications would have been sent out to everybody who purchased the affected units, no? (This is just a rhetorical question and I'm not expecting you to answer for Paul or his company.)

Mine was not a recall. When the company upgraded the inverters to CGI those who bought the previous (within 60 days I believe) were given the option to upgrade for no cost. I believe all this happened before any issues were reported, I think. I'm simply speaking for myself. I don't know what others have reported and no nothing of a recall. I never got an email telling me a recall was in place. I imagine that those who bought a specific serial number series may have had some bad inverters and were notified.

Oh yea, to answer the question from another post: I did opt to switch out for the CGI because 1. It was free and 2. It was a substantial upgrade to have the CGI inverter and not have to ground the device or use a CGI cord.