Hello All,
About a year ago I purchased a charger from EV-ChargeAmerica and was one of the many that did not receive a product after 6 months.
Here is a letter that I received from them today.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EV-Charge America
Environmental Responsibility is hard. We make it easy.®
EV-Charge America – Postal Drop Station: 9030 W. Sahara Ave., #125 – Las Vegas, NV 89117 || Production Facilities: 7770 Duneville St. Suite #7, Las Vegas, NV 89139
Phone: (702) 696-1600 – Email:
[email protected] Web site: http://www.EV-ChargeAmerica.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
June 5, 2012
Dear Mr. Ferguson,
I didn’t send this sooner because I've been the eternal optimist thinking I would soon make good on supplying you with a solid Home Charging EVSE. Also, it has just been so hard for me to admit publicly how badly this project initially went, and for so long, until I dramatically changed course.
3 years ago, I started developing the Home Charger for the new EV industry. Unlike other providers, we wanted to provide great value, a low price, good features, and a made in the USA product, with a full 2 year warranty. Due to the economy, we needed to do it on a shoestring too.
During the initial development, I started advertising the product on our web site, as it looked like our initial technical team would have it finished and in production soon. This early optimism was due to the fact that we had quickly developed a level 1 charger, and that I had absolutely no idea how difficult the level 2 home charger was going to be for our initial technical team to design to the required SAE specification, at the low price point.
A number of people quickly ordered home units through PayPal. I honestly thought we were hours away from having a working unit for months, but it became obvious that we initially couldn't get the job engineered and programmed properly, and the products weren’t working as required.
Many excuses for the delays were given by me, and by my assistant, at my direction. My assistant quit because she got sick of people calling her about not getting their product. Some buyers were able to get their money refunded by PayPal, until the account was depleted and closed by PayPal.
We obtained new technicians, vendors and engineering capabilities to correctly finish the effort. This burned through all my resources and new revenue, including yours. We truly and consistently were trying to get the product working, and the revenue went for parts and labor to try and do so.
The fact is, I wasn't able to quickly get the technology working to the SAE specification, and I just ran out of money completing the work, so I couldn’t refund the purchase price to you and couldn’t finish up either. I truly kept trying to get you a soon-to-be-working charging station just like you ordered.
So, here it is, 2 years later, our commercial units have been working fine, and now we finally have the home product finished, but now have a lack of funding to produce them rapidly, in addition to the commercial production we’re engaged in. This lack of sufficient cash flow is due to slower sales, from the horrid reputation we got over this lack of delivery, and has kept us from moving forward. The Internet is a powerful tool to spread words around. First, it spread the word that we had an attractive, low-priced charging station, then it spread the word that we were not delivering them, and worse, it was said we were a fraud and a scam and to be avoided.
But the reality is, I just didn’t understand the magnitude of the task to put the correct resources together to complete the development of the home units to the SAE spec. on a timely and effective basis for mass production. To their great credit, some of our customers even tried to help us at their homes with their new vehicles and electrical skills. We’ll always be appreciative of their efforts. I didn’t know how effective our Internet marketing would be at attracting buyers, but albeit, way too soon. Turns out effectively marketing a non-working unit wasn’t such a good thing.
I want to personally and humbly apologize to you for saying we would deliver a home EVSE to you for a fair price, accepting your payment, and then didn’t deliver. I want to apologize for thinking I could keep up with the cash flow by continuing to pay for product redevelopment, but then didn’t have enough money on hand to refund the purchase price to those that wanted it, including you. Also I should have responded better to your requests for information, or a refund, but just didn’t know what to say. I really didn’t know if, or when, we would ever have a finished product to send to you.
There are many lessons learned here. I am being totally open and honest, as I’ve always wanted to be with you. I know that this letter will probably end up on the Internet from someone. It’s damned embarrassing, to admit publicly, just how bad this project went. We had a good idea and a head start on the industry, but I just didn’t pull it off effectively. I’ve certainly had a number of people point this out, in no uncertain terms.
I started this business without the local, technical expertise on board, or enough money to see it through. But, today, we have some great new talent helping us and some wonderful contributions have been made by the new team, working day and night, to try to make up for these past issues. We are now emerging with a solid, new-generation product. We currently have huge interest and sales requests, but our cash flow keeps us down.
In summary, I know a letter, or an apology, is not what you’re looking for. You’re looking for a refund from a flake that didn’t deliver what you paid for. I’m sorry. I don’t have it right now. If I had the resources to refund you, I would do it this minute. But I can’t at the moment.
Maybe you wrote this off already, but I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ll always be remorseful for not living up to the trust you put in us. I’ve reconstructed your contact information from a crashed system to renew contact with you. With some more time, I hope to be able to do right by you.
You’d never know it from this, but I had a good career in the automotive and aerospace industries, and a good, prior reputation, and I want to reclaim that, if possible. Maybe it’s not possible, but I’m laying out the unvarnished truth for you here to try and show you that I’m sincere, real, and EVCA is not a scam or fraud. I’m keeping the doors open to either refund your money, or provide you with a good quality home charging station one day.
Again, sorry for my lack of performance, I deserve the scathing I’ve received over this, but I hope I can make it up to you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Bob Rosinski
President
EVCA
