SounderMN

Last year I got a boat plug light, and liked it. But, I wanted a brighter light. So, this year, we added their "Y Knot" adapter, and two more lights. Should be a fantastic amount of light.

Big mistake! I'm going to summarize, and then give you the details in two more posts, because what happened is unbelievable! in summary:

• One of the lights didn't work. They told me first to switch the positive and negative wires, which I tried with no luck. So, I sent it back.
• They blamed me, saying I had wired it incorrectly and shorted out the "driver". I connected everything with shrink-solder connectors, and then wrapped with shrink wrap, and completed all of that before connecting to power. So, it was a PITA to pull it out. They wanted me to take it all apart so I could test, which I chose not to do after all the work to put it together.
• They refused to send a replacement until they could look at it. This is crappy customer service.
• They engaged in an email argument with me, blaming me... and telling me that everyone on THT is a liar about their product.
• When I finally got a replacement, it worked. Then, the major disaster - read below.

Next is the transcript of the email exchange with them - you tell me who's unreasonable here. Of course, it's in reverse chronological order, so read from the bottom.

captainbaker

OMG...the attached was soooo epic. (you forgot to attach the epic part).

SounderMN

Since I know that the installation was done correctly, and I did install two other lights successfully, I definitely did not short the outputs. But, they argued with me about it.

On Apr 26, 2020, at 12:51 PM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

touching the outputs together while power is applied to the inputs..

Thank You for contacting us.

Check us out on Facebook:  Diablo Royale Customs

www.BoatPlugLight.com
PH: 682-459-3895

On Apr 26, 2020, at 10:57 AM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

while your at it.. get on hull truth and then tell the whole truth.. because no one does on there.

Thank You for contacting us.

Check us out on Facebook: Diablo Royale Customs

www.BoatPlugLight.com

PH: 682-459-3895

From: Steve

Sent:Sunday, April 26, 2020 12:43 PM

To: BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject: Re: New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm

How could I short out a sealed unit?

Steve

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 26, 2020, at 10:55 AM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

We test every light we, build them, and yours did work, instead of doing what we requested you stated "it was too much work to try the other driver because everything was soldered..."

Your light was fine, you shorted out the driver.

You said your light was bad it wasn't.

we KNOW our lights aren't bad... they are tested at 3 different stations by three different people..

and you proved once again, that we KNOW our lights aren't bad when shipped.

Please let us know how this is our fault since YOU said "the light doesn't work"

Thank You for contacting us.

Check us out on Facebook: Diablo Royale Customs

www.BoatPlugLight.com

PH: 682-459-3895

From: Steve C

Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2020 3:12 PM

To: BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject: Re: New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm

I really don't understand why you refused to send me a new one immediately when I had a problem. obviously I know how they work since I have two others that work. If you sent a new one and it was good you could send it to someone else.

Instead you have me waiting on your schedule while you send a replacement for the defective unit. Saturday afternoon 70 degrees and waiting for youR package that I assume is not coming. It's not right. This just because you don't believe me when I said it's not working. We only get so many boating days in MN and I have to either waste this weekend or not have the lights I paid for. Or pull the boat out again to accommodate your schedule.

You should have just sent a replacement in the first place.

Not a positive customer service experience. You haven't even apologized for the inconvenience. Maybe next time you should test before you mail your stuff.

I've seen your hull truth reviews and know this isn't an isolated case.

Steve

----------

On Apr 21, 2020, at 5:16 PM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

The light was fine.

The driver out put. It was shorted.

www.BoatPlugLight.com
www.SpeakerSpacer.com

-------- Original message --------

From: Steve

Date: 4/21/20 4:21 PM (GMT-06:00)

To: "BoatPlugLight.com" <drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject: Re: New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm

I'm sorry, what? It was shorted? But, you're sending it back to me? Sorry, I don't understand.

Have a great day!

Steve C


On Apr 21, 2020, at 3:56 PM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

light works.. the cube driver was shorted out the outputs. sending it back tomorrow.

Thank You for contacting us.

Check us out on Facebook: Diablo Royale Customs

www.BoatPlugLight.com

PH: 682-459-3895Â From:Â Steve C

Sent:Â Friday, April 17, 2020 2:07 PM

To: BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject:Â Re: New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm

I sent the bad one back. It should be there tomorrow or Monday.

Are you able to send me a new one while it's in the mail? It's never been wet, and was only installed a very short time, and since it failed to work, I pulled it out. Thing is, I'd like to get my boat in the lake soon, like over the weekend, and don't want to pull it mid-season just for this.

Thank you!

Have a great day!

Steve

On Apr 13, 2020, at 4:02 PM BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

you can try another driver on it and see. Or send the light back and we will take a look at it

Thank You for contacting us.


Check us out on Facebook: Diablo Royale Customs

www.BoatPlugLight.com

PH: 682-459-3895

From: Steve

Sent: Monday, April 13, 2020 3:12 PM

To: BoatPlugLight.com<drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject: Re: New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm


Thanks, again for your help.

So, over the weekend, I tried what you suggested. To recap: there is a driver attached to each light individually. The short wire goes to the light. The one I had last year still works. I got 2 new ones. One works, and one does not. For the one not working, I tried to switch polarity such that from the driver to the LED, red goes to black and vice versa. The light does not work either way. I would try to switch to a different driver, but everything is soldered and shrink wrapped… so I’d rather not take it all apart again if not necessary.

Any other suggestions for me?

Have a great day!

Steve



On Apr 8, 2020, at 7:58 PM, BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com> wrote:

Make sure all the drivers are used, one per light, short wire on drivers to the light. On the light not working, it could be that you need to swap the polarity between the short wire on the driver to the light (black to red and red to black) between the driver and light, not anywhere else.

Thank You for contacting us.

Check us out on Facebook: Diablo Royale Customs
www.BoatPlugLight.com

PH: 682-459-3895 From: BoatPlugLight.com (Shopify) <mailer@shopify.com>

Sent: Wednesday, April 8, 2020 6:50 PM

To: BoatPlugLight.com <drc@boatpluglight.com>

Subject:Â New customer message on April 8, 2020 at 6:50 pm

You received a new message from your online store's contact form.

Name:

Stephen

Email:

xxxxxx

Phone:

xxxxx

Body:

Hello! I ordered a pair of lights and a Y adapter a month or two ago. Weather is breaking, and today I installed those lights 8n addition to the one I already had from last year. Now, one of the new lights is not working. I unhooked all connections on the bad light and redid them. They are attached using sealed solder shrink connectors. The others work fine. Any suggestions on what I should look for? Thanks! Steve

SounderMN

So, then after all of this, first trip out, we take a cruise across the lake and have dockside carryout dinner at a restaurant. While we are eating, I notice that the bilge pump is running a lot. We were taking on water! It looked like water was streaming in from the plug. I took the boat to a friend's dock, he took me to get the trailer, and we hauled it out of the water. Turns out, the Y-shaped brass adapter had sheared off completely, the lights were gone, and the plug was wide open, with the threaded part of the brass adapter still in the plug hole.

There is absolutely no way we struck anything in the water. It was not related to wear and tear, as it was only installed within the past month. This is a faulty design, and I should have known better. So, I blame myself... which I also know that BoatPlugLIght will also blame me.

For you... buyer beware.

You can see the threaded part of the adapter still in the plug hole.


Do not buy this!!

flatwater17

Man that sucks. My suggestion.. install a normal drain plug, buy two lumitec underwater lights and use your boat worry free for the summer.

Life is too short to worry about the little stuff like that...

svu

Not trying to be snarky but this is a joke right?

Lone Ranger

Feel Your pain..But I don't think the Y part just broke on its own..Something had to snap it off. How about when You Trim the Engine all the way down?

SounderMN

nope, not a joke. Which is the funny part?

SounderMN

That's a fair question. I did not look at it with the drive down, because it was trimmed up on the trailer. There seemed to be plenty of clearance, but in fairness to them, I did not check that clearance. On the other hand, if that's an issue, maybe they should advise to only use it with twin engines.

SounderMN

I will check into this. What would the normal clearance be between the transom and the outdrive? Here is a picture from the Monterey website. It seems like there should be plenty of clearance.

Fordy

Ain't nobody gonna read all that

IMPLiberty

Crappy situation... however, it seems as though you aren’t sure if somehow you ripped the brass fitting and lights off with the outdrive? I also don’t think the designers should warn you, all boats are different and I would put it on the customer to make sure it fits their set up.

Second thing, it seems like a bit of an overreaction about you not wanting to run the boat until you install this 3rd underwater light. This isn’t some safety or mechanical thing keeping you off the water, it’s a light... an underwater one used for decoration at that. Pulling the boat to put the new one in when it comes shouldn’t be a big deal.

LSCboater

Do you trailer the boat? Not sure how much 3 lights and a rather large W shaped piece weighs but that could be a decent weight stressing the threaded part, especially cantilevered out there. In the water I wouldn't think too much stress but bouncing around on a trailer it could be over time.

I have avoided these drain plug lights as all I see is you turn 1 pretty robustly sealed entry point into about 5 or 6 with all the ways water can get into the assembly.

captlucky13

I have had several
over the years when I wanted to change colors

That’s in dark water 1 light
and never had a issue and I have been very happy with the quality of there product considering the price. And also the brightness of them. And I am in Long Island sound. Dark water. There is no way if I had the y light I wouldn’t snap it off trimming the engine down. There is not enough room. But the standard light. Never a issue and I checked when I installed it.

30Concept

A lot of I/O's are at negative trim when the drive is all the way down. The pic above looks to be around neutral trim.

captlucky13

Should be pretty easy to tell looking at the outdrive if there is marks on the outdrive or chipped paint. The force to bend then snap that wasn’t from pressure of water. That had to be forced. I looked at those when I was buying mine and I was nervous at how far they stick out. The one I have sticks out maybe 2 inches. That looks like 6 inches. And that is correct when your trimmed down your outdrive isn’t sitting level. It’s bent inward.

bonestockgoose

who you gonna blame? you did the install, sounds like user error to me. You probably hit something

Bergertime

I had one of these (Loki) but it caused catastrophic ventilation issues for my motor. Not an issue with the product but forced me to pull off. I'd spend the money on a real light as mentioned above and go boating! Since you already have the wiring back to the transom, mounting a new light should be a breeze.

b

dev

This whole thread is exactly what I would expect.

You have a company selling a hacky budget project to DIYers, and their customer support sucks. I can only imaging the kinds of things they deal with selling product to an audience where probably 50% of the customers shouldn't be allowed on the water at all, much less be doing underwater modifications to their boat.

Then the poorly engineered product fails, in multiple ways, some of which may or may not be the products fault.

Sorry for your experience, hopefully you came out of this with a better realization on why these lights are so cheap compared to real options.

flyhigh123

ive bought from them for a while. I would say they are good and bad.

The bad, i had an issue when they first started the company and used thin wiring. The light wiring corroded but still had warranty. I sent them the light and they sent me back a used unit. Would have been nice to get a brand new replacement, but it was used and the brass was green.

i stuck with them and upgraded to the titan 2 flange. The light is bright and have not had issues. It sits flush. I would recommend this item.

I feel where they can improve is customer service and warranty support which will help them in the long run instead of trying to pinch pennies.