My experience with E.shine LED...not so good

[vdhillon2]

I have a built in unit, and only had about 6 inches in my canopy. I spoke with the online rep at E. shine and Robin assured me that the 48 x 3 Cree LED with solar simulator would be my best option.
I did some research, and tried to find something similar that I could use in the small space, and honestly I liked the idea of the solar simulator.
I purchased two for a total of $700.
Let me tell you its been a headache since the get go.
The unit will shock you if you come any where close to them with wet hands.
The LEDs were suppose to come with 90 degree lenses, they came with 60. So the top corners of my tank are dark, while the intense beam (even at 50%)
bleached my zoas at one foot deep.
Try and call them, or email them. No response. Try and tell them the problem they say email the supervisor, Ivy, no response. I've had these for about 4 months now. In fact as i write this i'm trying to talk to a rep, but now they just don't respond.
I hope that they honor there warranty. I guess the best i can do is keep emailing them and see what Robin will do with at least the lens.

 

[RotaryGeek]

I would be more worried about getting shocked. If its UL listed then their is def a problem there. Sounds like it isn't grounded properly, and that would give you a case to stand on.

 

[Phishguy]

I received my fixtures yesterday and one led was out and I don't believe they mixed the colors properly. I spent some time on their chat thing with Peter last night about what to do now. So far he's been helpful but we will see in the next few days how helpful. I'm tempted to pay to ship them back and get a refund. I know I will lose the shipping money but id just consider it a lesson learned.

 

[active]

i was talking to E. shine also and they seemed to not want to answer my technical questions. they kept sending e-mails to please order that was best price and is what i need. i did not order from them i just didnt have a warm feeling about it. how do you argue with or come to some sort of terms with a company that is so far away.

 

[trueperc]

Sorry we have had the complete different experinces with dealing with Robyn and eshine. A friend and me have done two orders with them. First the classic cree 60w models. Mine have all been amazing. I know my budy had an issue with one of the power supplies and after contacting them they sent him a new one right away. When the second time we ordered we had tones of questions as we wanted to built something closer the radion look. They answered all our questions and we got a very custom built with 4 different colors. Even I got a mix of optics. I never got a shock or anything. We have been very please in dealing with them.

 

[Phishguy]

i was talking to E. shine also and they seemed to not want to answer my technical questions. they kept sending e-mails to please order that was best price and is what i need. i did not order from them i just didnt have a warm feeling about it. how do you argue with or come to some sort of terms with a company that is so far away.

See that wasn't even close to my experience. They were more than helpful and filling willing to get any answers to questions I had. You have to keep in mind that they don't speak English so sometimes what they write can seem like different context. I perhaps should have pressed them more on what to do if there is problems, but from what I had seen when another member had problems they were very good to deal with and immediately sent out replacement parts. Even in my case with the led that is dead, they are shipping out a new one for me. Although I have to do the soldering. Otherwise, I just question the color of LEDs. I wanted a mix of royal blue and lighter blue. Even laid them all out and he confirmed led placement. However, they all look identical to me. He says they are close, but different. I'm comparing them to my Cree royal blues.

 

[BigCountry74]

I would be more worried about getting shocked. If its UL listed then their is def a problem there. Sounds like it isn't grounded properly, and that would give you a case to stand on.

No doubt!

 

[percula99]

My friend TruePerc (who posted earlier) and I have nothing but good things to say about our EShine LED fixtures and Robin in particular. We have made two purchases from them and in each case Robin answered about 100 emails each time promptly and in very good English. One of my dimmers malfunctioned and Robin asked for the warranty number and I had a replacement at my door in four days at no charge. It turned out the problem with the dimmer was user error. You know, me.

These fixtures are not UL certified, but CE certified. This is a European standard and I have seen this certification before. I know I wouldn't be touching my fixtures with wet hands. vdhillon2, does this happen with dry hands?

The 60W CREE fixtures started burning down my Xenia patch and I turned them down to 50%. In a week or so I could see the xenia heads starting to grow back. In time I slowly ramped them back up to 100% and all is well.

I am truly sorry for your misfortune vdhillon2 but my experience with them is totally different. I would recommend ESHine to anybody. As a matter of fact, when TruePerc and I bought our second set of lights from EShine another friend joined in our order and is also completely satisfied.

 

[vdhillon2]

thanks for the input. I'll keep trying with Robin and see what i can come up with. If they replace the lens that would be great. I agree that the shocking issues is a big one, but i think that something i can fix with an electrician.
I know robin has been on this forum from time to time, so maybe he can chime in.

 

[percula99]

Would you be able to part with your lights for a while? It is my understanding that in the first year, if the problem needs to be fixed by them they will pay for shipping both ways. Ask Robin for clarification about that. Good luck.

 

[radbluesfan]

I have a built in unit, and only had about 6 inches in my canopy. I spoke with the online rep at E. shine and Robin assured me that the 48 x 3 Cree LED with solar simulator would be my best option.
I did some research, and tried to find something similar that I could use in the small space, and honestly I liked the idea of the solar simulator.
I purchased two for a total of $700.
Let me tell you its been a headache since the get go.
The unit will shock you if you come any where close to them with wet hands.
The LEDs were suppose to come with 90 degree lenses, they came with 60. So the top corners of my tank are dark, while the intense beam (even at 50%)
bleached my zoas at one foot deep.
Try and call them, or email them. No response. Try and tell them the problem they say email the supervisor, Ivy, no response. I've had these for about 4 months now. In fact as i write this i'm trying to talk to a rep, but now they just don't respond.
I hope that they honor there warranty. I guess the best i can do is keep emailing them and see what Robin will do with at least the lens.

I have been asking about these lights with Eshine before I saw this thread. Their quote for 4G 48X3 crees with solar simulator was $395 each, Then add $123 ( for 2 lights) shipping for a total or $913 (qty.2). You said $700 total???? Have prices increased this mush so quickly? Am I getting shafted? Should I haggle on price? Hmmmmm.

 

[gbru316]

thanks for the input. I'll keep trying with Robin and see what i can come up with. If they replace the lens that would be great. I agree that the shocking issues is a big one, but i think that something i can fix with an electrician.
I know robin has been on this forum from time to time, so maybe he can chime in.

Did you tell them that you are a tOSU fan? That might be your problem :-D

In all seriousness, the electrocution is totally unacceptable. Granted, grounding the chassis would probably fix the problem, it is still a huge issue, and a huge liability for the company.

I'd strongly consider returning them if they offer a warranty, and finding a different manufacturer.

110 VAC + saltwater = massive problems.

I once had one hand in the tank while trying to unplug a powerhead (like a moron), and got shocked so bad I involuntarily shouted and fell on the floor... Lucky that's all that happened, but I learned my lesson.

 

[eshinesystems]

thank you so much everyone, I'm afraid I'm forbided to talk too much here so please PM me, you're always welcome, R o b i n.

 

[reeferdano]

Eshine led problems

Eshine led problems

I received 2 eshine 48-3 Cree with controllers for my 72 gal bow front. After trying to work through problems with the controllers, I have mixed feelings about the company.

Peter at eshine was pleasant to deal with until I informed him that one of the lights does not go all the way off. He explained that this is because some people reported what he called "leakage" which I assume he means electrical. Scary. He explained that they now ground their lights differently but this causes the lights to stay slightly on when they are turned off? Half my tank is lit at night while the other half is dark. I could live with this if both were the same but Peter thinks it is acceptable as is.

The second controller had some physical damage to the casing (no biggy) but that unit does go all the way off when I turn it off. He says the difference between the two is because they were built by different individuals?

He blamed the shipper for the damage to the one casing although the box was in perfect condition, and he is not prepared to do anything about the (staying on) problem with the other unit. He actually left me with a "crying" happy face icon at the end of our last discussion.

I am now faced with having to deal with 'service' and will post their response. I knew I was taking a risk in ordering from China but I hoped to write a good review. I saved all the before and after-sale discussions should anyone want to read them.

Bottom line. Love the lights, hate the after-sale service.

 

[radbluesfan]

I received 2 eshine 48-3 Cree with controllers for my 72 gal bow front. After trying to work through problems with the controllers, I have mixed feelings about the company.

Peter at eshine was pleasant to deal with until I informed him that one of the lights does not go all the way off. He explained that this is because some people reported what he called "leakage" which I assume he means electrical. Scary. He explained that they now ground their lights differently but this causes the lights to stay slightly on when they are turned off? Half my tank is lit at night while the other half is dark. I could live with this if both were the same but Peter thinks it is acceptable as is.

The second controller had some physical damage to the casing (no biggy) but that unit does go all the way off when I turn it off. He says the difference between the two is because they were built by different individuals?

He blamed the shipper for the damage to the one casing although the box was in perfect condition, and he is not prepared to do anything about the (staying on) problem with the other unit. He actually left me with a "crying" happy face icon at the end of our last discussion.

I am now faced with having to deal with 'service' and will post their response. I knew I was taking a risk in ordering from China but I hoped to write a good review. I saved all the before and after-sale discussions should anyone want to read them.

Bottom line. Love the lights, hate the after-sale service.

Thank you for sharing that. I was thinking about Eshine---well actually I have flip flopped a few times. What is happening to you is unacceptable and they need to own up to it. I assume you paid with a credit card through Paypal. If so, either your CC company OR paypal will help you if you received defective products, or not as advertised or described. Apparently Robin from Eshine posted right above your post. I would tell Mr Peter that you are taking actions with your card company or paypal because you received defective products. Perhaps you will get a better response than an emotiocon of a crying happy face. That is total B.S.

 

[Phishguy]

My experience has been the same. I chose eshine because I could custom mix the colors. I have a dead led on one of my 3 fixtures and it's been about 2 months still with no replacement led. Also, as part of my custom colors, I requested blue AND royal blue, but only received blue. I feel like Peter has been bsing me by saying they are so close you can't tell the difference. Not buying it. I feel I made mistake purchasing from eshine.. Everything leading up to the sale is great. After the sale is horrible and by then you're stuck... I think I'd even be willing to pay to ship them back for a refund. But he never got back to me about how to do that.

 

[Browserz]

Whew. Good thing i didn't order from them, this sounds horrible.

 

[reeferdano]

reply

reply

I received an email from Peter today asking some relevant questions, so at least he he has acknowledged the problem. I will wait and see what happens and can use the light in the meantime. It would make sense to just exchange the defective controller, wouldn't it?

Aside from this service issue I am very impressed with their product.
Everyone in the house loves the light, including the clam. Led is absolutely gorgeous lighting.

I haven't needed to go past the 50% intensity level, and with the ability to adjust the blue to white ratio our tank is always changing it's appearance. For me it is comparable to when I switched my old tube TV over to a high def flat screen. Aside from the known advantages I have already found some others.

-The tank is 14 years old and has some minor scratches that always bothered me, but because the led lights are directed to the bottom I can not even find the scratches anymore. As well, I haven't had to clean the display glass.

- I had a problem with reoccurring red slime for 9 long months and tried everything to get rid of it! After only one week with led it is 95% gone.

- With automatic timing and dimming the family gets to enjoy the tank morning to night. This alone is worth the cost.

I mean, the list of advantages with led is long, so for us reefers the only question is "who to buy the lights from."

Will keep you posted.

 

[reeferdano]

Eshine or Esham?

Eshine or Esham?

For anyone following this "drama."

Eshine has now made it imposable for me to to reach them and will not reply to any emails. The website with the communication window now appears as a (row of Chinese writing) when I click onto any of the names or mailboxes, including service. Even other computers in our home won't get through so they must have a way of knowing our network. I tried to call them but a message says their number is out of service, so I am literally "cut off." What a great way of dealing with problems.

I have since contacted paypal and written a dispute that is supposed to be sent on to Eshine.

Will keep you posted.

 

[ReefPharmer]

That is most unfortunate. The problem w paypal is they will make you ship it back and you will find out that it is close to 400 to send it back. I had an issue w a supplier and that was the result