growmo23
Active Member
Okay, here is a nightmare experience I would like to share with you all in order to help prevent any one else from having a similar experience.
Check it out, yo. I finally got the thumbs up from my wife to go ahead and build a small grow room. Yay! After much research I decided on a 600 w HPS/MH system with an air cooled hood and a digital ballast. I searched around on Ebay and found the exact setup I desired at a price I could manage. It was, as I am sure you can surmise, from Yescom USA. I researched their web site and they seemed like a legitimate, if not low budget company and they had accumulated a decent seller rating, so I felt okay abut giving them my money.
About a week later the boxes arrived. Yay!! I put the hood together and pulled out the MH bulb. First sign of trouble: the bulb had some small glass nuggets rolling around in it. Second sign of trouble: I tried both bulbs and the ballast did not work. On the first bulb it flashed for a moment and went dead. I consulted with Yescom and they blamed a faulty fuse and agreed to send me another one. I spent two days searching my city for one, but it is an unusual size and I could not find any in the 10 different radio shacks and electronics repair shops I visited. I took this as a warning sign. Finally, a packet with a replacement fuse and a new MH bulb arrived. Grateful for the bulb, but the fuse was the wrong size, about 1/4 too long and the wrong amperage and voltage. I contacted the company and informed them if this mistake and asked that they priority ship one to me. They agreed and 3 days later the correct fuses arrived. Guess what? The ballast blew both of them with a feeble flash each time. I contacted Yescom and inquired about returning the ballast for an exchange. They told me to keep the faulty ballast, they would send me a new one. Second warning sign- they obviously do not spend a lot of money on their products if they are willing to throw it away rather than pay $10 shipping. They sent me a new ballast, but it took @ WEEKS to arrive, while my seedlings continued to languish under cfls and getting more and more cramped in their tiny pots
Finally, the replacement ballast arrived. See the pics below for the condition it was in when I opened the box. At least it worked...
I contacted Yescom and asked for a partial refund for the month-long ordeal I went through, only to end up with a banged up ballast that frankly I am uncertain about using in a humid environment. They emailed me back today and offered me a $20 refund, which is probably exactly what this ballast is worth. Fuckers.
Morale to this story? Save your money and buy decent shit from well known and reputable companies. It will be worth it in the long run.
Check it out, yo. I finally got the thumbs up from my wife to go ahead and build a small grow room. Yay! After much research I decided on a 600 w HPS/MH system with an air cooled hood and a digital ballast. I searched around on Ebay and found the exact setup I desired at a price I could manage. It was, as I am sure you can surmise, from Yescom USA. I researched their web site and they seemed like a legitimate, if not low budget company and they had accumulated a decent seller rating, so I felt okay abut giving them my money.
About a week later the boxes arrived. Yay!! I put the hood together and pulled out the MH bulb. First sign of trouble: the bulb had some small glass nuggets rolling around in it. Second sign of trouble: I tried both bulbs and the ballast did not work. On the first bulb it flashed for a moment and went dead. I consulted with Yescom and they blamed a faulty fuse and agreed to send me another one. I spent two days searching my city for one, but it is an unusual size and I could not find any in the 10 different radio shacks and electronics repair shops I visited. I took this as a warning sign. Finally, a packet with a replacement fuse and a new MH bulb arrived. Grateful for the bulb, but the fuse was the wrong size, about 1/4 too long and the wrong amperage and voltage. I contacted the company and informed them if this mistake and asked that they priority ship one to me. They agreed and 3 days later the correct fuses arrived. Guess what? The ballast blew both of them with a feeble flash each time. I contacted Yescom and inquired about returning the ballast for an exchange. They told me to keep the faulty ballast, they would send me a new one. Second warning sign- they obviously do not spend a lot of money on their products if they are willing to throw it away rather than pay $10 shipping. They sent me a new ballast, but it took @ WEEKS to arrive, while my seedlings continued to languish under cfls and getting more and more cramped in their tiny pots
Finally, the replacement ballast arrived. See the pics below for the condition it was in when I opened the box. At least it worked...
I contacted Yescom and asked for a partial refund for the month-long ordeal I went through, only to end up with a banged up ballast that frankly I am uncertain about using in a humid environment. They emailed me back today and offered me a $20 refund, which is probably exactly what this ballast is worth. Fuckers.
Morale to this story? Save your money and buy decent shit from well known and reputable companies. It will be worth it in the long run.
