Freetricity.com

3 Posts
Sep 22, 2007 05:11 pm
Freetricity.com

Since I am interested in alternative energy sources, I looked into freetricity.com. I called them and the salesman I spoke to said that there were 70,000 units out there and that the only returns they have had are 'upgrades because they saw how good the unit worked. He said that he himself has 3 units running and as a result has reduced his $380 electric bill by 90%(California). He also said that there was a switch that you could have an electrician install (extra $400) so that your house will use the ed2 power when available and revert to the original source when it's not available. When I asked why the link to the BBB on his website did not work, he said that he wasn't sure what happened, but he gave me the info so I could lookup the info for myself. I did exactly that and found some negative info out there (was this the reason why the link was removed). I then send the below email and have not had any response since. I googled freetricity.com to see what honest feedback was out there (surely if it was a great product, people would write about it), but I am disappointed to say I ended up here instead. When I asked the salesman why there were no  testimonials with electric bill proof, he said that 'testimonials are all fake'. I want to believe that the product works, but my interaction and reading the other thread leave me with a negative feeling. Is it just a case of freetricity.com just not being customer-service saavy or are they acting that way because the product doesnt work. The recommendation made by them to the other guy 'to buy and try' on the other thread made no sense to me. Why should be buy and try when there is the potential to be 'out' the money if it doesnt work. A much better response would have been for him to give it to an independent source like consumer reports or something (or someone from this site)

That is what should be done to see if this is in fact a diamond in the rough.


Hello, I have some additional questions:

-I looked up your company on BBB.org as your recommended. Please elaborate on why the 3 complaints were filed under 'Agreeing to perform according to their contract'. What was the specific issue there? Would you mind emailing me a copy of the actual contract terms so I could see it before I buy? Also, the other complaint about 'Refuse to adjust, relying on terms of agreement', what was the situation there?

-In regards to how the product performs, is there a possibility of surges damaging equipment? What guaranteed protection do you provide if this should happen?

-What are some things I should know about before buying your product in terms of what I should expect? What are the drawbacks to its functioning? I know you said one was that if there is not enough electricity being generated that I would have to revert back to the old power source. Is there a way to position the unit so that this does not happen?

- What are the stipulations of your guarantee?

- Is there any benefit to buying more than 1 unit?

I just want to be sure of what I am getting into because I bought the XPower and it does not work for me ($500 down the drain). What did work is eliminating the use of my dryer and getting all CFL bulbs.
 
163 Posts
Sep 22, 2007 08:28 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

If you purchased an Xpower and that did not work for you then the E2D will be worse. The Xpower is a 1500 watt modified sine wave inverter, and the E2D from freetricity is the same with options of 300, 500, or 1200 watts. The only question is whether the rest of the system has the capability of recharging the battery, and I guess you have already seen my views on that.

The BBB report is really not all that bad.
http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=100038657

My only concern is that their fax number is in Arizona (501 area code), and their physical address at 40378 Vista Road in Hemet appears to be the home address for someone named Eddie G Rebai. Kind of makes you wonder how Frank Jennings and Carl Vetts managed to install 70,000 systems without a physical presence somewhere.

Another small concern is that the BBB states "We know of no licensing or registration requirement for companies engaged in this company's stated type of business." which kind of lets them fly under the radar if you like.

John
 
26 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 07:25 am
Re: Freetricity.com

Quick perusal of the site freetricity.com - it looks too good to be true, and too cheap. Bargains in this business often are not bargains. I would be very cautious with this stuff. Look around this site for much more info (I am not a rep for the alternative energy store, btw, and there is lots of info out there...try home power magazine at homepower.com for starters)

Jim
 
44 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 12:42 pm
Re: Freetricity.com


"Another small concern is that the BBB states "We know of no licensing or registration requirement for companies engaged in this company's stated type of business." which kind of lets them fly under the radar if you like."

I see the alternative energy stores minister of misinformation is at it again!

For all those wondering who butters this guys bread just check out the top members listings on the left side of this page!

Flying under the BBB's radar ... LOFL!

Keep in mind folks this is a company that is selling the Air X wind gen that is a complete fraud!


John, we expect to see you in Temecula in January!



 
44 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 12:54 pm
Re: Freetricity.com


"Quick perusal of the site freetricity.com - it looks too good to be true, and too cheap. Bargains in this business often are not bargains. I would be very cautious with this stuff. Look around this site for much more info (I am not a rep for the alternative energy store, btw, and there is lots of info out there...try home power magazine at homepower.com for starters)

Jim"
______________________________________________

In January Freetricity will be hosting the first ever Small Wind Turbine Challenge.

It will be held at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula California.

CNN has been contacted and will be covering along with several other media outlets.

A $25,000 payout will be awarded to those with the highest outputs at eight, twelve, sixteen and twenty miles per hour!

Invitations will be sent to all manufacturers but those companies and/or individuals who rep these products are welcome as well.

A controlled environment to test all small wind generators is exactly what this industry needs.

More details will be available through our website www.freetricity.com next month.

Hope to see you all there ... especially you John (better bring your chap stick)!

 
44 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 01:17 pm
Re: Freetricity.com


The Alternative Energy Stores BBB page shows there are product quality questions.

And they have the nerve to question others ... judge for yourself folks.

http://www.bosbbb.org/reports/reliability_report.asp?FirmId=17965

 
109 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 01:27 pm
Re: Freetricity.com


  Hello Everybody!

  I just wanted to clarify a quick issue here:

The Alternative Energy Stores BBB page shows there are product quality questions.

  We don't actually manufacturer any products ourselves.

  Best Wishes,
   -Nick

AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/
 
44 Posts
Sep 25, 2007 01:32 pm
Re: Freetricity.com


"  We don't actually manufacturer any products ourselves.

  Best Wishes,
   -Nick"
___________________________________________

However you do represent them!

Hope to see you at the challenge in January Nick!

 
Nov 1, 2007 03:20 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

I ORDERED A 1200 WATT SYSTEM IN AUGUST WITH THE PROMISE IT WOULD COME WITH A 220 VOLT INVERTER,ONCE I GOT THE PRODUCT IT CAME WITH A 110 INVERTER,NO BATTERY.NO 60FT OF CABLE,AND THE SYSTEM DOESNT PUT OUT ENOUGH DC VOLTS.SINCE THEN I HAVENT HAD ANY LUCK IN GETTIGN THIS ISSUE RESOLVED.SEEMS ITS A FLY BY NIGHT WORK OUT OF A GAERGE BUSINESS
 
163 Posts
Nov 1, 2007 04:10 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

Is it possible for you to take some pictures of what you received and post them on this site?

I'm sorry to hear that you did not receive what you expected. If you paid with a credit card you might still be able to dispute those charges. That's usually a good way to get people to resolve disputes.

John
 
Nov 2, 2007 01:39 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

john i could take pictures but looks just like the one on there web site.took over month to get,when i did get it came with no instructions,no warranty card,no battery.and the unit wouldn't charge,i had 2  132 amp batteries running 280Watts of light for a greenhouse and would drain batteries in one day.i spoke with Carl vetts and promised me on 3 different times he would send out a new head,i wanted 3 weeks then contacted paypal,they put hes money on hold,now he tells me i don't want to mess with him since one of hes partners is a lawyer,all i wanted was a working product.seems ill be spending money to get this corrected.he wont even send a return authorization slip to send back..anyone else here have or heard bad things about freetricty.com?? thanks
 
Nov 2, 2007 01:47 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

john,
without a instruction book or even a tech manual on my ezd2 how would i know if it was putting out proper dc volts.think ive been scammed? buyer beware,should ahve read up more about this,now i have there product and cant get any response expect a email saying watch where i go with this cause one of the partners is a lawyer.all i ever wanted was a working product,seems i got more headaches then freetricty.lol id send it back but he even refuses to send the paperwork to let me do that..do you know of any good windmills small in nature that could produce about 4-5 watts of power   thanks for your input
 
Nov 2, 2007 03:36 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

meant to say do you know of any good system small and can produce 4-5000 watts  thanks ken
 
163 Posts
Nov 2, 2007 04:37 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

Kenneth,

You could try contacting this BBB since they already have a file open on freetricity.com
http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=100038657

I spent many months looking at various systems, as I had my leg in a cast and unable to go anywhere. lol. In the end I decided to go with all solar panels as anything with moving parts requires maintenance, and also because we get over 300 days of sunshine every year down here in the Caribbean.

I don't think that you're going to find any "small" windmills producing 5kw of power. All of the manufacturers are a bit sneaky in that they give you power ratings under ideal conditions which is usually winds of 28mph and higher. In lower wind speeds the output drops off quite dramatically. If your average wind speed is less that 15mph per day I wouldn't bother with a windmill at all, and don't trust anyone who tells you that your roof is a good place for a windmill. It should be on a pole at least 50' high and then you have to deal with permits, noise, neighbours etc.

John
 
578 Posts
Nov 2, 2007 05:26 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

unfortunately ken, no small system will produce 4000 to 5000 watts of electricity.�  that would cost around $20,000 or more in solar photovoltaics.�  with wind, that is larger than any turbine we sell, and would be around the same scale of investment.� 

for most renewable energy systems that are not tied to the grid, we point people to a loads list.�  so common is the fundamental misunderstanding of electricity, that is tool is often necessary to help use correct terminology amongy newcomers but also to have an understanding of the scale of a proposed system in terms of physical size and in budget.
http://store.altenergystore.com/calculators/load_calculator/

[Munched by Nick]

james- Alt-E staff


AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/

Tel: 877.878.4060 x107  or +1.978.562.5858 x107
Fax: 877.242.6718  or +1.978.562.5854
« Last Edit: Jul 22, 2008 03:17 pm by Nick Albright »
 
Nov 2, 2007 05:39 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

thank you for your information,wish i had knew or did more research at first,this company freetricity and Carl vetts has made this a nightmare.now he is threatening to take me to court for fraud,lol i paid in good faith and he made numerous promises both from hes web site and verbal on phone,and most of which never happened.and the product wasn't what was stated on site.have any others reading on this site had a bad experience with this company please post or send me a mesage 

thank you
 
Nov 3, 2007 04:25 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

after speaking with carl Vetts for over a half hour on friday the 2 of november he has agreed to send a new head (upgraded one) and ship to me on november 9th.we discussed a few deatials about the miscommunication on both sides,he will send the ehad and 220 volt inverter we had disccused when i palced my order,as a business person myself i know some problems fall thru the cracks and every company should have a chance to resolve the issue.i will post at a later date when i get new product.

Carl has said they are revamping there website to rpovide more information to the consumer.my only suggestion would be a better line of comunication to resolve customer problems.


ken schumann
 
1 Posts
Nov 4, 2007 09:13 am
Re: Freetricity.com

I can tell you that our experience with Freetricity has been a very positive one. In fact I googled them and ended up here somehow.

We have had our little wind mill for over a year and it is still lighting our barn. It is always spinning.

But my question today is about LED light bulbs. My husband and I saw these at a convention last year and we can't find them anywhere now. They looked exactly like normal light bulbs, the base, the bulb, exactly.

Has anyone seen these?

Thank you

Lisa
 
578 Posts
Nov 5, 2007 11:14 am
led lights

thanks for your opinion, here is where i buy my led light bulbs.  they are expensive, and light is suitable for a bedside lamp.  they are awesome to me though, consuming at a rate of less than 1 watt.

http://www.ccrane.com/lights/led-light-bulbs/cc-vivid-plus-led-light-bulb.aspx

not for everyone, and a few on our staff were disappointed by price to light ratio. 

james Alt-E staff

AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/

Tel: 877.878.4060 x107  or +1.978.562.5858 x107
Fax: 877.242.6718  or +1.978.562.5854
 
3 Posts
Nov 19, 2007 09:36 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

Kenneth, You may find this site interesting. It is about vertical axis wind generators that look to have numerous advantages over horizontal axis models. I am giving them serious consideration as there are a couple of low cut-in models. Jay Leno is going to install a 10KW model at his garage/shop. www.pacwind.net
 
52 Posts
Nov 20, 2007 01:58 pm
Re: Freetricity.com

PacWind has some cool units. I like the company; they are very friendly people and they have a nice website. Does anyone have any third party testing of these units? If I can find some I'll post it.
 
12 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 10:18 am
Re: Freetricity.com

I find it very interesting that the alternative energy store would have it's employee's "under the guise of a public forum" bash a competitors products like Freetricity's!

What kind of business does this kind of thing?

Especially given the fact that they sell a product that everyone knows does not work! The Air X systems!!

Judge for yourself but something is definitely smelly about this!

 
12 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 10:30 am
Re: Alternative Energy Store Scam

These are the facts you decide:

1) The alternative energy store has its employees "under the guise of a public forum" smear competitors products!

What kind of business does this? Is this the kind of company behavior/practice that you want to do business with?

2) They also sell a known fraudulent product. The Air X wind generators "do not" preform as advertised. Not any where near!

They do not start to produce any viable power until wind speeds of over 35 MPH.


Again, judge for yourself but at least now you know what kind of business practices they employ.

 
578 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 01:30 pm
scam?

hi george and forum readers,

1. staff posts have the signature in the bottom
2. i did not find any smearing in all the posts i read in this thread, but you are entitled to your opinion
3. calling products fraudulent would seem to be smearing to me, but you are welcome to your opinion, as this is a public forum, and ultimately the discourse moves all closer to a common goal of more renewables education and implementation.
4. in this thread i found one customer for and one against their freetricity experience, and the one against even reported progress, so i want to make clear that in no way have we active tried to get opinions on either side this issue besides posting.
5. there are thousands of air-x in the field.  we dont make them, we sell them.  they work well for their typical application on sailboats or cabins to supplement pv.  i agree with you that to new folks, power numbers rated at high windspeeds in atypical installations can be difficult to understand.  i believe that a wind constant should be developed for more objective testing and industry rating of wind turbines.  recent articles in home power magazine have taken to reduce the mystery of wind power for folks and should be checked out by those interested in wind.
6.have a great remainder of thanksgiving weekend everyone!

james Alt-E staff

AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/

Tel: 877.878.4060 x107  or +1.978.562.5858 x107
Fax: 877.242.6718  or +1.978.562.5854
 
12 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 01:57 pm
Re: Alternative Energy Store Scam

James,

That's not true and you know it!!

Perhaps you should dig deeper into your own forum!

The very first post (among others) regarding Freetricity (on your forum) is no longer on this particular thread but is the one that started this entire discussion and its obvious web/goggle/yahoo positioning.

Who first stated "for a good laugh check out Freetricity"?

It seems the laugh is on you!
 
578 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 02:52 pm
good discussion

that thread was removed for several reasons, including inappropriate posts.  regarding that thread, the original info was regarding scams and bogus claims (to the best of my memory).  At the time there were issues with watt/watt-hours listed on the site and i did not think they were realistic.

that being said, you are right that if i decide to give my opinion on this or any public forum, i should make sure that i identify it as my own.  regardless of your or my opinion on something I will agree that this forum is not intended for smearing anything. 

in my opinion, the product and claims represented at that time did deserve critical attention, but perhaps the delivery could have been better.

I hope that you and others will accept that like most, I am a work in progress not without faults, and that hopefully in the present and future i can present ideas either objectively or as opinion in a friendlier fashion so as not to incite negativity.

please accept this not as an invitation for further tit for tat posting, but rather as a recognized opportunity for growth for myself personally as well as the industry as a whole (in my opinion).  The spread of site appropriate renewable energy is common ground i hope all can embrace.
posts that slant towards the personal dont work towards that goal, and it is my aim, starting with this post, to step back be critical of myself first, diffuse negativity, and invite others to continue using the forum to push RE further.

so really, cheers, have a swell weekend.

AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/

Tel: 877.878.4060 x107  or +1.978.562.5858 x107
Fax: 877.242.6718  or +1.978.562.5854
 
109 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 03:34 pm
Re: Alternative Energy Store Scam


  Hello George!

  I'm the guy in charge our our website and hopefully can shed some light on these issues.

These are the facts you decide:

1) The alternative energy store has its employees "under the guise of a public forum" smear competitors products!

What kind of business does this? Is this the kind of company behavior/practice that you want to do business with?

  I fear I am a bit confused by your post.  Are you implying that our posts here are not as official representatives/pretending to be other folks?  If so, our employees only post here under their accounts and as representatives of the company, not pretending to be otherwise.  If you have any posts in question that you believe aren't so, please let me know, and I can dig into to find out.  = )

2) They also sell a known fraudulent product. The Air X wind generators "do not" preform as advertised. Not any where near!

  I fear I am not knowledgeable enough on the RE side to address the technical side question, but if you have an order or specific issue, please let me know and we can certainly look into!

  I hope this has been helpful!  Smiley 

  Best Wishes,
   -Nick

AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/
 
109 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 03:46 pm
Spirited Discussion

  Hello again George!

The very first post (among others) regarding Freetricity (on your forum) is no longer on this particular thread but is the one that started this entire discussion and its obvious web/goggle/yahoo positioning.

Who first stated "for a good laugh check out Freetricity"?

  In an effort to see which posts you were talking about I did a google search on "freetricity", and came up with this thread.  So if are talking about another thread, please let me know.  But if this is the one in question, here is what I have found.

* The originator of the thread "Sue" is not an employee of the Alternative Energy Store

* Re: it's google position was not intentional on our part.  But I believe is rather due to "freetricity" being an unusual word, and this thread being one of the few fresh sources of information.  (And by fresh, I mean continually added to as these replies do = )

* Couldn't find the "laugh" comment, so if you could point me to it, we can perhaps better address then.

  Best Wishes!
   -Nick


AltE
"Making Renewable Do-able"
http://www.altEstore.com/
 
12 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 04:01 pm
Re: Alternative Energy Store Scam

Hello Nick,

Read James response, he knows what I am referring to.

The original statement "want a good laugh ..." was not only a negative attack aimed at eliciting a negative response but was also submitted in a very dubious way.

That original discussion (started by your employee) has made it's way into the www by its google/yahoo positioning to the determent of Freetricity.

What's happening here is questionable at best and could carry hefty legal ramifications.

I am not Freetricity's legal counsel but if I were I would seek damages.



 
12 Posts
Nov 23, 2007 04:11 pm
Re: Alternative Energy Store Scam

"detriment".

...
 

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