ComplaintsforPhyn LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  The problem is that Ive purchased a new water management system from this company and upon initial installation the unit never worked correctly. I immediately the same day of installation, called the company, their tech group evaluated it, and determined that the unit was bad. This unit cost over $500, and now a month later they cant tell me when its going to be replaced. They wont allow me to return the unit for a full refund as its been installed.The problem is no one in the company will escalate it to anyone of authority to resolve the issue. so Im sitting here unable to get my money back theyve requested an additional $250 to send another unit which I sent so now the company is holding over $750 of my money and no one can tell me when a replacement unit will be sent for a brand new unit that never worked properly. Theyre treating this issue under the same process as a warranty replacement. They have no process in place for a new unit that never worked correctly to replace that unit.Any company Ive ever worked with if you purchased a new unit that never worked properly usually a company will go out of their way to get you a new unit that works properly for the money you paid. That is not the case here. *** had multiple phone calls with them spoken with supervisors and no one seems to care or can do anything or will escalate it to get me a new unit or at this point give me a full refund and Ill gladly send the unit back.

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  The Phyn device stop working. I started a ticket with the complany. I sent them a picture of the bottom of the device. There device monitors water leaks and is supposed to be outdoor rated. It worked for 6 months. We have had a heat wave and a lot of rain. It looks like their product melted inside, either from the product or outside. Part of the power cord is still stuck within the unit. Something would have had to melt it within the product. Regardless it is outdoor rated I'm told. Given the picture I attached, they determinded that it was installed incorrectly and I was at fault and they will not cover it under warranty. I would like my money back as they are not a company that is willing to honor my warranty.

• Initial Complaint

  01/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On 12/20/2022 a supply line disconnected from my humidifier that is inline with my geothermal hvac unit.The installed Phyn leak detection device failed to shut off the water supply in spite of approx 100 gallons of leak that occured from 11 pm until 7 am the next day when we woke up.We had a geothermal error code on our email.Major basement flooding!New home.Major emotional trauma!When I notified Phyn of failure I was eventually called by a supervisor who told me the leak was detected however the unit did not shut water off.He said it was a software issue on their end,and that it was rectified.I was told our device was working normally.No offer to assist w remediation of damage.Entire basement engineered flooring needs to be replaced secondary to water damage.I have shaken confidence that Phyn offers protection that it claims.How much is a product worth when it doesn't work as touted?Be aware.

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  The product never worked and Phyn was either unable or unwilling to honor the warranty. Phyn sent us a device that we handed to our plumber, who installed it correctly. It never functioned. In fact, it never even turned on. It also appeared to be leaking from the device itself (not the connections). I followed all of Phyn's troubleshooting instructions, sent them pictures and videos as they requested, etc. Eventually Phyn said they couldn't determine whether it was defective (despite the fact they couldn't make it work and had no alternate theory), they had nothing else they would do to find out, they were unable to attempt a repair, they wouldn't refund my money, and they didn't have any replacement units. The warranty specifies that Phyn must either repair/replace the unit for free or refund the purchase price. The only thing Phyn offered was that I could put down a $250 deposit on a new unit. Then, at an unspecified time in the future, they would send a replacement unit, which I could swap out at my expense (note that requires the services of a plumber, and in my state warranties cannot exclude that cost in these circumstances). Then I could send them the old unit and they'd refund the deposit. Even putting aside the fact that they're required to replace it for free and the warranty makes no mention of a deposit, Phyn refused to commit to a timeline of any length. I asked. They literally said they will make no promises about the timeline *at all*. So even though they currently have the money from my original purchase and never sent a working unit, they want to hold more of my money for an unlimited amount of time, until at some point maybe they'll send a replacement. Note that the warranty also gives Phyn the option of just refunding the purchase price. They refuse to do that, even though they're unable to fix or replace the unit.

  Business response

  12/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 17, 2022/12/01) */ To Whom It May Concern Thank you for your notification and opportunity to provide a response to BBB CASE#: *******. We have reviewed************'s claims in his letter and have found the allegations of Phyn operating fraudulently and unwilling to honor our warranty lacking in merit. *********** contacted the Phyn Support team on 30 September 2022. He reported an issue with a Phyn device that he had purchased from Phyn on 08 March 2022 under Order #****. Phyn promptly investigated the issue and, consistent with our warranty policy, offered to replace the Phyn device for him. Our standard process in these scenarios is to advance ship the customer a replacement device (to ensure the customer can continue to have access to water in their home since the Phyn device is installed on the main line entering the home), request a small REFUNDABLE deposit to ensure the customer returns the original unit ($579 MSRP), and provide a shipping label for the return, at no cost to the customer. The allegation that we refused to repair/replace the unit he received, and request payment for a new unit, as alleged, is inaccurate. When provided with the offer to receive a replacement unit,************ refused to provide the refundable deposit. The agent assisting the customer subsequently escalated the issue to the manager of the Customer Support Department, who then reached out to************ to try and assist in reaching a reasonable compromise.************ was advised that if he wanted to return the Phyn device to us before receiving a replacement he was welcome to do so. As accommodation to************ and, as an exception to our standard processes, the manager also advised him that Phyn would allow him to delay making the refundable deposit until a replacement unit was ready to ship, to which he again refused. Deposit refunds are typically processed within days of receipt and inspection of the returned device, not "for an unlimited amount of time" as indicated in************'s complaint. Phyn upheld the requirements of our warranty policy to address the customer's situation. In his complaint,************ also falsely alleges that we indicated there was no timeline for replacement. What we could not provide was a specific delivery date as he demanded, due to items out of our control, such as the pandemic's impact on the global supply chain, and third-party transportation carrier logistics. On 30 September************ sent Phyn an email, which we have on record, in which he said: "I think perhaps we're miscommunicating. I'm asking for a warranty replacement of the physical device, unless you can fix it ". Phyn attempted to provide a warranty replacement as per his request as well as special accommodation however, he refused to participate in the process. We do not believe this equates to fraudulent business practices nor an unwillingness to honor our warranty. If there are any additional questions, please feel free to let us know. Sincerely, Phyn LLC **************************************************************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 19, 2022/12/03) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Firstly, saying that they don't have any devices, they don't know when they'll get one, but they'll try to replace it at some point is not "offering to replace the device." I asked if they had any timeline at all for a replacement, and they said no. Thus the "unlimited amount of time." If they can't even guess at when a replacement would be available, the only action allowed by the warranty terms is a refund. The warranty is an actual contract that's written down, and does not require me to make a deposit before Phyn has to replace a defective unit. It's not ok for Phyn to simply add that requirement later as a "policy." I insisted that they honor the warranty as written, and they refused to do anything without me sending them money. Claiming they'll refund the money later doesn't change the terms of the warranty. I am not required to lend them money before they abide by the terms. As the company noted in their response, it's not possible to return the defective unit before receiving the new unit, at least not without causing collateral damage. So they knew this in advance, but didn't put anything in the warranty terms about a deposit being required. Also: Colorado law says that the company is responsible for consequential damage when a product fails at its intended purpose. I thought I was being extremely generous by not charging them for the additional plumbing cost of swapping out the units, which I'm entitled to do. Instead of saying "sorry about the defective product, thank you for not billing us for the damage," they asked me to put up collateral to protect *them* in case I forgot to send it back! And then they refused to honor their warranty until receiving collateral, even though they have no grounds for doing that. So no, this response is not accepted.

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  My Phyn Smart Water Assistant stopped sending data after 33 months of use. Customer service/tech support was not interested in doing any troubleshooting after they learned it was a few months beyond the amazing two year warranty. The unit boots, displays lights, joins my network, but will not send data. The only thing tech support was interested in doing was selling me another. I understand it was out of warranty but the company made little to no effort in helping fix this $300 device, only offered to sell me another. They wouldn't even offer to swap the hook up cables, which I would have paid for if it was even an option. Any SOHO router should be able to last 5+ years, this is a substandard product and this company wont stand behind it. I want to know what the projected lifespan is (or if they expect it to fail shortly after warranty) and I want a pro-rated refund.

  Business response

  12/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 17, 2022/12/01) */ To Whom It May Concern Thank you for your notification and opportunity to provide a response to the Better Business Bureau Case #*******. We have reviewed *********'s claims in his letter and have found the allegations of Phyn unwilling to assist the customer and to honor our warranty lacking in merit. ********* contacted the Phyn Support team on 08 August 2022. He reported an issue with a Phyn device that he had purchased from Best Buy on 05 November 2019. Phyn promptly investigated the issue and, consistent with our support policies, worked with him to try and resolve his technical issues. The customer from the inception of the issue simply wanted a replacement device without diagnosing the issues. After consistent efforts over multiple days and being unable to resolve the issue, we advised the customer that if the Phyn device was in warranty, we would replace the device as a matter of service. Our standard process in these scenarios is to obtain proof of purchase to validate that the Phyn product is within warranty and purchased through an authorized reseller. The customer insisted that he had purchased the device directly from Phyn and refused to provide proof of purchase. When we informed him that we could not further assist absent the receipt he produced a receipt from Best Buy and not Phyn. The customer was advised that the product was out of warranty. Phyn provides a 2 Year Warranty that is published on our website and the customer acknowledges: https://www.phyn.com/warranty/. Without obligation, Phyn offered a generous 15% discount on the purchase of a new device with a new full warranty. After this information was shared with the customer, he made demands for a full refund of his product and wrote an email to indicate that if we did not accede to his demands, he would instigate writing complaint letters. By the customer's own admission, he owned this device for more than 33 months. Phyn Technical Support provided service to the customer in trying to resolve his issues. Phyn also provided the customer with the option of a significant discount on the purchase of a new device. Phyn upheld the requirements of our warranty policy to address the customer's situation. In his complaint, ********* also falsely alleges that provided a substandard product for which there is no substantiation. The cables *********** references are an integral part of the complete product and not an accessory or sold as a separate product. In conclusion we find *********'s claim lacking merit. Please let us know if we can provide further assistance. Sincerely, Phyn LLC ****************************************************************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 19, 2022/12/03) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Phyn states I refused to provide proof of purchase? Then goes on to write I sent a proof of purchase from Best Buy. The lack of professionalism displayed by Phyn is astonishing. It's also quite amazing that it took so long to respond to the BBB complaint and whomever responds from Phyn never includes their name, hiding behind anonymity. This company is selling products that die just outside the warranty window and then instead of helping customers with said failed products they offer a "generous" discount on a new one. Planned obsolescence should be illegal, for shame. I've left bad reviews everywhere I could, I hope refusing to provide actual customer service was worth the bad press and time you've wasted.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩