Thank you for watching and for your support. I want to clarify a few things regarding my experience with Bluetti. I can’t speak to what other creators may have signed or agreed to, but in my case, I received the unit without signing any contract initially. From memory, this is the first time Bluetti asked me to sign an agreement, and this has only started happening over the past 12 months or so. When I requested a replacement unit, they insisted on a contract for re-delivery, which they described as a “delivery arrangement.” However, the wording of the contract made it clear that it wasn’t just about delivery. They even said, “Sorry Steve, this contract is for the delivery arrangement. We need to use the contract for shipment. If you think there is something that needs to be changed in the contract, we can discuss it. But if you don’t sign it, I’m sorry, I can’t request the shipment because I can’t change the company’s rules.” This felt a bit like gaslighting, as the contract clearly included terms beyond delivery. It also often feels like I’m communicating with someone in China, and while my English isn’t perfect, I seem to comprehend the situation better than the people I’ve been emailing with. Additionally, I gave Bluetti the opportunity to provide a solution or explanation for the issues I encountered. They had around two months to address the concerns I raised, including a detailed video I sent them explaining what I believed to be wrong. Unfortunately, my concerns were dismissed, and no satisfactory resolution was offered.
I've had a very similar experience with them - I'd bought a unit through a Facebook campaign that promised a unit and a solar panel set and, of course, I only got an EB3A, no panels. I complained friendly, they said I misread the offer, I countered stating I had a sales receipt for a unit and a panel - that's when they ghosted me the 1st time. I made a review, and it was not great, nor bad when the unit started smelling extremely bad and started emitting white smoke - whilst running. So I contacted tech support, telling them about the review, the smoke, the scam ... and I got ghosted again ... I finished the review put it online and was done with them - I followed up looking for the source of the smoke, and it was conformal coating getting too hot, when the unit was under stress (from a light load). The unit was pretty good, only the 220V inverter was very inefficient at moderate loads, and power spikes made it to the USB outputs. But then, all of a sudden - I got a mail from demanding I take down the video - because it was bad for them. So I summed up my experience - stated it was a private purchase, asked about the scam sale, why they would not replace a smoking unit and what they thought of ghosting their factory shop customers. Their reply was short: contact support. Now they were ghosting me the 3rd time. You can no longer get anything from them directly without agreeing to not talk bad about it -
Reviews should NOT come with " dont give us a bad review " clause with threatening wording. And should be called out every time, I hope they lose business due to this
They will lose a small portion. I am looking for exactly this set of features but because of this agreement I will not buy Bluetti and will keep looking.
@@bazza2540 Why? He hardly said a bad thing about the Bluetti. Stupid cord and the screen refresh - so what. I drive a new trucks of one make that in every truck the user interface is so poorly designed that it is utterly incredible - windows go up when you push down, the heater gets stuck on full, the windscreen washers don't wash in the line of sight, the cruise control needs 4 buttons pushes to activate it every time, the trailer brake and windscreen washers are easily mistaken, endless warnings cover the entire dash blocking the speedometer, the touch screen interface needs 4 or 7 touches before it responds on every single truck in the fleet - it goes on. They're crazy making. The Bluetti is good.
Makes you wonder how many reviews of all sorts of products are genuine or if they are just manufacturer-controlled puff pieces. Thanks for opening this window into the behind-the-scenes UA-cam goings-on.
Agree, I have lost count of how many new content creators are being given power banks to “Review” I just don’t bother watching. Stefan is genuine and can’t be bought!
It is difficult to sort the chaff from the hay. When I was contemplating my Bluetti purchase, I watched a lot of videos. I joined the Facebook page for Bluetti users and the general consensus there was that the brand is reputable, so that helped me decide my purchasing decision. The problem though, is there are no local Bluetti retailers. Mine was ordered via its Australian website. If I have problems with my AC180 I'll have to ship it back to them. That will not be cheap if Bluetti won't pay for shipping as it's a large and heavy item.
@@mjpt57 From my understanding, Jaycar, BCF and Road Tech Marine are local retailers. Moorabbin Batteries also sell the premium line, so they are another local retailer.
This video has opened my eyes to the terms that are likely behind a lot of review videos. Thank you for having personal integrity and spending the time to read and scrutinize terms.
Your Very honest reviews are refreshing, and UA-camrs are not meant to be the marketing department of companies. Your values are outstanding, keep up the good fight!
You are my new hero, congratulations on your integrity. Many content creators have been given power banks to review and many are just hogwash and I don’t even bother watching. The marketing departments seem to target young content creators who are hungry for attention and “freebies”. I have donated to your legal costs on your DCS issue and will now sign up to buy you a coffee. Again thank you and congratulations Mark
Amazing to see a creator with some integrity and sticking to his principles no what! Really annoys me seeing script reader channels, know absolutely nothing just reading numbers. So they can get free product
I've also had success in declining to sign agreements with suppliers. Bluetti included. Like you I've also still received the products. Having read a number of contracts , it becomes very clear when watching other UA-cam reviewers how many of them are copy and paste reviews following the instructions given by the suppliers. Frankly it disgusts me to see how prevalent this is becoming .
Thank you for shining a light on how these agreements operate. I hope your approach is taken on board by other reviewers. I'd like to echo the comments of others, that your credibility is massively enhanced by taking us behind the scenes. This is all the more impressive given the DCS situation.
Kudos to you for calling this out! The agreement alone is enough for me to avoid Bluetti and validate buying all the separate components and building my own system. Now knowing what I suspected, that most reviews of Bluetti gear are probably self serving suck pieces, I don't care if the functionality I want costs double, thank you for the parts list. That is with my brother owning a Bluetti, doing the great loop with it and loving it! Like most things, bloodsucking lawyers kill all trust in something with standard corporate scumspeak. EVEN if it is a good product the design decisions and corporate posture are indicative of much worse things to come (think BMW rented heated seats). The nail in the coffin is anything proprietary. For me that plug is a massive red flag and non-starter. Totally non-consumer self immolating junk and they are quite happy to have people gloss over issues and lie to you about their product. Well done Bluetti, you just shot another potential customer right between the eyes, right after the bullet went through both your feet. Call it own goal yoga. It is almost as if some corporate a-holes bought it and are now trying to cash cow Bluetti with lawyers and lies. If you want to waste a load of time, just try to figure out who is pulling the strings at Bluetti. 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 (sky), Technology Tomorrow, Innovation. 10% of the product cost went into making that BS up so it sounds Italian not Chinese. My bother loves his and it has worked flawlessly. My personal opinion referencing companies not people not Stefans' views you plonker of a lawyer, Australian liability laws be damned, I am in the GWN!
Hi from the oldest town in Texas, USA, Nacogdoches. Good on you by not signing the agreement, major respect. Those requirements are terrible and I wouldn’t sign it either. Thanks for your honest opinions and reviews.
Great to see your transparency. Please keep it up. Forcing content creators to sign such agreements is a huge red flag for the product and Thank you for being transparent with this.
I would have you review any of our products Stefan. Any review is a good review as it discloses the good and bad of any product of your opinion which we rate highly. Good luck with DCS to BTW.. Cheers from iCheckTPMS
Thank you for giving us a behind the scenes look at the tactics used by manufacturers which would seemingly prevent negative reviews. I stopped watching several touring/4wd UA-cam channels as I suspected this was the case, and now it appears my hunch was correct. Keep up the great (and honest) work!
I am pretty sure that cable does not meet Australian standards. I was under the impression that the 3 conductors should be separated by a divider where they are bare (if you look at any of those transparent replacement plugs, they have a divider in the middle to stop any sort of twist related short.) they also tend to have some sort of strain relief, with the cable wrapping around something or being pinned down with a bar and a couple of screws before being terminated so the wire cannot just be torn out (this is an even bigger issue here than with a the power point side, as if the cable pulls out of the power point, it does not really matter, but if this pulls out, you potentially have 240v bare wires just hanging about)
Interesting I didn't look further into that, but the cable design didn't make sense to my laymen's eyes and I would have thought as I mentioned in the video it would need to be fully encased and the cables separated
Great Video Review, Thank You There is now in all States Legislation that requires compliance to AS/NZS 3001.2:2022 Electrical installations - Connectable electrical installations and supply arrangements Part 2: Connectable electrical installations, cl 2.7.2.3.2 includes: be designed to operate up to an ambient temperature of 50 °C and withstand an ambient temperature of 70 °C without damage Which means Portable inverters must also comply
Its funny really because your honest review you didn't paint Bluetti product in a negative light at all. Your factual and honest review was excellent which for me has placed faith in your content which is the reason I watch your channel. In my opinion I wouldn't sign their content creator agreement either. However, I have just purchased a Bluetti AC180 for my caravanning/camping trips as I don't own an inverter or an lithium battery. Plus for its ease of use which trumps a generator with its weight advantage, size and noise levels. With my research, I found AC!180 great product and value for money at 1,099 dollars and it gives me the portability of transferring the AC180 to house , van , 4x4, etc. Tomorrow the electricity is being shut off in my whole street for essential maintenance work. So I am looking forward to seeing how it performs. Thank you again and keep up the good work.
I agree whole-heartedly with your refusal to sign such restrictive contracts. It's the great to have someone with such principles as yours, doing full disclosure reviews in the 4x4 market. With all the extra publicity your reviews have received because of your stand with DCS products, it's most important that you maintain your integrity. Transparency and honesty are the basis of unbiased reviews...that's what we the consumers require. Thanks for maintaining your standards...and describing the product and your experience with it, as it is. Any manufacturer that is trying to put good products on the market, should value the opportunity to have their product reviewed honestly, and then have the chance to remedy, or rectify issues, and improve it. All the best...
Da gibt es wirklich nichts mehr dazu zu sagen. Dass es Mietmäuler auf YT gibt, dachte ich mir schon aber so ein Vertrag ist indiskutabel. Danke fürs Rückgrat! Viele Grüße aus der alten Heimat. Keep up the good work!
I really appreciate your honesty and integrity Stephan, it is refreshing. IMO, all content creators should disclose any agreement terms applicable to their reviews. It's all about transparency, which builds trust. Kudos to you for bravely standing up and saying "no" to Bluetti's unreasonable terms. As an aside, I too have contributed to help fund your legal dispute with DCS, and you have definitely won me over as a new subscriber to your channel. Mucho respect 👍
Blimey. That contract is astonishing. There are some sharp practices in business these days. If Bluetti's products are good enough (I own two of them and have had no issues so far), then requiring contracts for reviewers to be signed shouldn't be necessary. I have purchased an AC200L and have had no issues with it. It is very powerful and its capacity exceeds my needs while camping. The amount of solar input it can take is brilliant, and pretty much negates the need to charge from the grid. Overall, your review has come to the same conclusion as me. It's not perfect, but it is very good. Thank you for a balanced review.
I don't do product reviews, but I was approached by Bluetti with a very similar contract. I also refused to sign. The one I had showed an unlimited expiry date on the video once uploaded, as well as a clause stating I must not share any aspect of the contract. They were a bit shady about making these changes to the contract. Very worrying. Let me know if you wish to discuss.
Good on you for not signing, you have my respect. Thank you for your review. I will purchase on of these units for my car, also to replace the noisy 2000 watt generator i use during power outages at home. thank you for your honest and unbiased reviews.😄
I'm here because of that current litigation you have and I subscribe because of it. I'm watching all of your videos because of it. Hopefully you are getting enough kickbacks on UA-cam now to help pay for that litigation. Good luck and we support you here from the US!!
Even as small youtuber I would walk away immediately from such agreement. But I understand some people are willing to sign it, cause they relay 100% on YT income.
Size of channel should not matter. It's about integrity. Stefan has buckets of it. Others may choose selling out for exposure and accelerated subscription numbers instead of hard work.
@@andrewk579 Yep. But there are channels with almost 20M subs which are just a sellouts. So yes, channels size does not matter but I see smaller channels do it more often, as as shortcut to faster growth. But it's shortsighted approach in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing this. There are so many others out there 'reviewing' these units when it is really just a paid add. They approached us too, and after looking at what they wanted, we walked away. Keep up the great work!👍👍🍻
I bought a AC200L in June this year for $2300 AUD. The next month in July for the "Prime Day Sale" which ran until the end of July, Bluetti INCREASED the price of the unit to $2700! Now in August, the price has decreased to $2500 after the Bluetti July "sale". If you want to buy Bluetti, don't fall for their "sale prices", follow the prices for a few months to choose the best time to buy.
Mate I once met you briefly on the Madigan line ...I cherish that moment and am so proud of the fact you are really gaining traction ..you have so much to offer the 4WD community 👍
Too late for me as I bought one, no issues too date but 🤞I have no issues. I bought mine based on a mates recommendation who has one and is a qualified electrician. I have donated to your go fund me and wish you all the very best
Thank you for your honesty and commitment to open unbiased reviews. There are so many utubers right now who do not follow these essential and ethical principles and as a consequence I do not watch their content.
Note to Bluetti. I’m more likely to buy your products if reviewers are able to truthfully test it. After watching this review I’m considering buying one.
Thanks for the video! Looked like a great product, i deceded not to sign that contract and not work with them. The Ownership and review before publish, 2 weeks are big breakpoint for me too. For me its hobby i don't need extra contracts on top of my day job and home obligations Thanks for sharing this!
@@AlloffroadAu Aspecialy what happened to you with DC... i changed my conditions also, that i can not be sued for a bad review, but that i am willing to correct if i made an (proven) mistake. most still agree on this.
Sorry to break it to you but no matter what contract you have it will not prevent any company from someone suing you, trust me I looked into this now extensively. I can only recommend not doing reviews for small accompanies with less than 10 employees which is quite sad as they probably are the ones who could use these kind of honest advertising the most.
@@AlloffroadAu This is not good for honest reviews.... not good at all. Good luck in your fight, good to see all the support you get from the big channels.. this non-sense needs to stop! Stay strong!
Hi Stefan and once again thank you for your efforts. You've got a big red FAILED stamped on the home screen 'AC2001 Overview, but you didn't fail the product in the video. I think the screw-in cable is a good idea. These cables are too easy for dogs and people to accidentally dislodge. But I heed your reasoning. If you think such contract unlawful, take it to your lawyer and also your local MP. You know what I'd like to see as I think you're worth it? You sitting with Bluetti representative and you offering your bouquets and brickbats and the other side contributing to the conversation. Finally, I agree totally, Far too many UA-cam reviews (reviewers) are absolutely fraudulent. I've noticed it with action camera reviews, e-Bike reviews and numerous other product reviews. They all seem to come to one conclusion and the road travelled to get there is the one road. Sometimes, I'm sure they're all reading the same script. So thank you so much for having the decency to say this out loud. Please don't let the pressure get to you. Take time to smell the roses. 🎉❤
first unit failed but yes overall at this stage I still like the unit, overall I can see the purpose with a screw in cable just needs to be designed so it can't short the unit. I never said contract is unlawful but keeping sponsorship agreements secret is at best not ethical. No I wont take it to lawyers, or I need another GoFund me, I just wont sign and work with such company anymore and expose the agreements.
I admire you Stefan! Very detailed analysis of performance of the product and your own experience . . .which is very impressive considering recent experiences. Stick to your guns and your audience will appreciate it. I know I've benefited a lot from your knowledge and unbiased opinions. It really opens the eyes up to just how much control sooo many youtubers would be under. You must feel proud not to ever want to lower yourself into that sort of position and its extremely admirable 👌 Keep up the great work mate 👍
I love honest people like you who lets us know whats really going on behind the scenes with all these companies. The agreement really stinks and makes me sick. Things are getting worse quickly and seing someone like you who dares to stand firm is a fresh breeze. You have my sub and I hope you will crush DCS in october. Came here from Rossman and EEV. Keep it up and stay true in a mad world. Cheers from Sweden!
Thank you for an honest and detailed review. Your work is impeccable. I follow for your honesty and attention to detail. The value for trust relies on the creator providing unbiased and unconstrained work. You do this.
Great review of the unit. I think the imposing legal fight will be a win for you and the people who watch your reviews. I am very grateful for the transparency of the interactions between the reviewer and the supplier of the item for review. You are clearly going to gain a reputation of fair and transparent reviews. I honestly believe this review has been the most trustworthy and transparent review on UA-cam. Keep up the great work and setting very high standards of quality and transparency.
1000% agree. how dare they try such restrictions! Clearly not so confident in their product. I was thinking about becoming a customer, but not now. I can set up my system out of separate components. My electrician is bribable for a slab.
I found your review very informative and honest I have been looking at these units and this is the one I will get, but will get the lead changed the screw in types are useless I have them on stage speakers and had the same problem with the wires turning being the power unit will be used travelling I want a good connection. What bluetti and a lot of other products being reviewed by UA-camrs is people want honest reviews not made up shit for money, thanks mate keep up the good work
Stefan I went through something very similar with Bluetti early 2023. They also wanted me to sign a contract before reviewing one of their products, and I had similar concerns about the influence this would give them over my content. I specifically said to them in one of my (many) emails: "...This I feel undermines the independence of my review and is a concern I expressed early on, that I don't want the content of my review to be in any way influenced by the result you would like to see." In the end I never went ahead with working with Bluetti.
Great honest review Stefan. I for the life of me can’t see why someone would buy such a unit though when you can buy a lithium battery, battery box, etc for half the cost.
Appreciate your feedback and genuinely helpful insights into the agreements that these companies are forcing reviewers to sign. It screams ultimate integrity from you when I'm not hearing about this from others. I have watched 'autoexpert' review this exact product in various models many times and never a bad opinion was formed, nor mention of the clause to sign. He also routinely pushes out other brands such as Olight, which markets all types of flashlight. I did purchase a set of these and found design flaws and failures in this product. Thanks for your honesty and hard work.
Thank you. Please keep in mind I don't know what other creators sign or don't sign and I received the unit also without signing. From memory, this is the first unit that Bluetti wanted me to sign an agreement for, so earlier units were without an agreement. This only started to happen, say, over past 12 or so month
@@AlloffroadAu I did think this may be the case as you did state that. It has been a while since autoexpert mentioned anything regarding this product. Maybe I've jumped the gun as I've generally found him to be a straight shooter.
My son had a UA-cam channel with over 100,000 subscribers - it was an Aussie cooking show. He gave it up because the marketing people from associated products came at him with demands to do all sorts of promo which he did not want. Has cost him quite a lot of revenue over the last 6 years.
I do these as a hobby. For anyone contemplating doing UA-cam as a business, I would strongly advise not to. It's probably one of the worst business ideas as you will be investing tons of time and effort into something you have little control over and will not generate any lasting value. Of course, unless you are one of the very few ones who can make a few million and save them.
It is hard to choose for a decent lithium battery. The price is not anymore an indicator about the quality (at least in Australia) and reviews are probably not that genuine but ads. From the customer point of view, the definition of a good battery is not just about the impressive performances but mostly the safety. Nobody want his 4WD, caravan, van to catch fire because of a poor lithium battery. Sometimes I have the feeling that batteries are almost all the same boxes with different stickers. I believe we need some more specific strict regulations on the quality control and scams. Thanks Stefan for your work, I hope you will test more batteries in the future; I have in mind a couple of brands.
Great review, very well laid out with both pro's and con's which enables individual people to make up their own mind... The DIY solution you proposed in Liu of going with a pre built unit was based on a 12V system which I can understand you doing that coming from an automotive background but these ready made solutions are known to use 48V battery configurations and it might have been better to base the diy solution also based on a 48V system which is what I would have preferred in a mobile situation. Me, coming from a DIY background regarding my home off grid solar installation and also the system I have setup in the Nissan Navara, I have found that the DIY solution can cut the cost of going solar in half! It is in my opinion also reliable which it has been over the years I have been using it! And I get it, DIY isn't for everyone! I didn't decide to go with DIY because I have seen other guys do it and since I'm also a guy, well if they can do it, then I should be able to do it too! No! I knew before I decided to go with DIY that I could do it! I had a deep understanding of electricity and electronics and understood the correct procedure's required for a safe and reliable installation to be undertaken..... So the DIY route was definitely for me, there was a lot of new tools that I had to purchase in order to ensure that the DIY solution is safe and reliable which I have tool's that I can continue to use for any upgrades, modifications or new Jobs that may pop up, for example... My recovery winch that came with the second hand bullbar has a history which is unknown to me and I'm planning on replacing it myself and doing a better job of the cables than what is currently there, and I have the crimping tools and crimp lugs to do it along with the experience.... The knowledge and skills is a great form of self fulfilment... Hopefully this will be done before I return to Fraser island early next year..... Maybe we can share a beer sometime, it's a small world out there. You never know LoL. Otherwise, excellent video, I'm glad that things have turned out the way they did as who knows when I would have come across your channel! I really appreciate this honest approach to reviews, this will keep me coming back even if it's not a product that I would ever own myself like these mobile power banks, I would prefer my vehicle to be a mobile power plant that can do everything, but I will still watch regardless..... If you ever need a good resource for DIY solar system solutions, I would recommend The Off Grid Garage channel run by Andy, an amazing German who has adopted Queensland Australia as his home and I'm thankful that he has! A future collaboration would be amazing between you two! Here's hoping!
Interesting. Bluetti has sent me 3 products now and never asked me to say or sign anything. I quite like their products and find their customer service to be pretty good.
Every lithium battery powered product maker ever: 1) we're marketing the product with borderline-phisically-impossible specs 2) boy we're milking that battery like there's no tomorrow so that we look good in the market: discharge to 0%, charge to 100%, amperes, temperatures like we're Nikola Tesla gotten drunk.. 3) that *may* cause you some issues but don't make a big fuss about it else we call the legal dept
Even if its not in a contract I think its implied to most creators that if they give a bad review they are out of new stuff to review. So unless you can afford to pay for the items out of pocket or through crowd fundning you are out of luck. Since reviews are not the only thing you do that means you are not as vulnerable. And you have more credibility due to your other content and through sharing information behind the scenes.
yes I 100% agree and that is why the UA-cam channel only is a hobby for me, I like to work with companies who value honesty and transparency and over the past 10 years I never had a problem Ing to work with companies who don't align with my values. I think UA-cam as a business model is horrible and I'm glad I'm retired because I would not want to be making a living from UA-cam. that may work for a few big players who make their money quickly but being at the mercy of UA-cam or other companies is not something I'm interested in.
Excellent work airing out this "secret" garbage. Hey Bluetti and other companies doing this, its really obvious when you try to push in this way. Just make a good product and put all other effort into excellent customer service. The promotion is then done for free by your clients who love you, and your reputation just gets better and better.
My understanding is the BLUETTI D40 DC-DC Battery Charger is not bidirectional so will not charge the AC200L only provide 12v DV output for other batteries etc. This is a shame but the other options you provided seem better, and cheaper. Thanks for the great 'overview'.
Another great video Stefan, especially given your current situation! It would be quite easy, and i dont think anyone would blame you if you didnt review anyrhing for a while. A bit sad though now that you have all these discalimers throughout your video, the large caveat at the start and "its my personal opinion" throughout. But understandable at the same time. Makes you wonder how many "review" videos are actually genuine. Kepp doing wjat you are doing, dont let none of these companies bully you into doing something that goes against your principals 💪🏼. And thanks!
I had purchased an AC200Max together with 3 x 200W portable solar panels a couple of years ago based on a review by a UA-camr whom I had been following for a while and consider reliable, thorough and most importantly honest and unbiased. Whilst I experienced a few 'teething' issues with the product, it has all worked reasonably well for me both in a domestic (home) capacity and camping setting. I also found Bluetti ok'ish to work with regarding product warranty-wise ... but definitely not the best and yes, the company's staff grasp of English seemed to be a big part of the problem. This review has however, opened my eyes as to Bluetti's apparent 'modus operandi' when it comes to supply of the their products to prominent UA-camrs such as Stefan. That contract agreement ultimately gives Bluetti full control of Stefan's (and anyone else's) review which I assume is something that is fairly recent but even so, is complete and utter BS in my eyes. Suffice to say that as a result of Stefan's video alone, I will NEVER EVER purchase another Bluetti product again. Good product or not, these sort of tactics where content output is seemingly 'dictated' by a company, has no place on UA-cam ... in my opinion. Good on you Stefan for highlighting this!! Keep fighting the good (DCS) fight mate. I have made a tidy donation to your 'Go Fund Me' page and am keenly watching the progress of your case. 👍
Back in the 1990's, I was loaned press cars so that I could write reviews for a club magazine. One shook hands when the car was loaned and that was it. Conscience ruled what was written.
Oh, why did Bluetti change the AC input plug like that? Looking at the contacts they don't look like they can handle a lot of current, but then, that's by watching it on the TV. I guess that in order to pass the electrical safety standards, they'd have to be compliant, I guess. Luckily the AC180 uses the standard "appliance" plug which can be swapped with my Dometic fridge's cord (the reason why I have the Bluetti in the first place).
This device seems to be a good quality device for the multi-function device it is. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's attitude towards reviewers is despicable. And some important connectors are proprietary, including the mains input. I'm all for open standard connectors. It being multi-functional, it does not excel in anything. As a mobile power station, it needs more kinds of DC output ports and a built-in fast-charge option from 12VDC and maybe 24VDC. For all inputs, it should be easily possible to setup a max amp draw. For use in a home setting, there should be a network connection and it should be able to integrate with 'smart home' systems that monitor energy usage, control loads, etcetera. In a UPS setup, it should be able to automatically shutdown the computer when the battery is about to run out. I'd like an external bypass switch, so it would be possible to use it with a load that needs to be always on, while still making it possible to temporarily disconnect and use it for something else, while the always-on load gets power straight from mains. The only real issue is that AC input connector. Everyone who owns a Bluetti with such an AC input connector should immediately order 2 spare leads, drill a small hole in the one that came with the device, in order to fill it up with resin. That should stop the internals from being able to rotate and twist the conductors together into a short circuit.
I would definitely not sign the paperwork as you’ve described in this video. Because it would turn it from a review to an advertisement pretending to be a review. I have suspected something like this with a number of battery system systems being used by a number of viewers that I follow saying it’s the most ideal battery system for their vehicle. As a qualified motorcycle engineer specialising in motorcycle electronics I started seeing through some of these reviews. From anywhere as long as you All the best for your other court case,
Good for you. The NDA over a 'review agreement' would be a deal breaker for me as well, not to mention all the other ludicrous terms you can see in that agreement.
very interesting video at minimum i would have expected that power plug to have heat shrink over the exposed wire or some sort of silicone to stop them touching im Really surprised about the hidden contracts ive seen heaps of videos about this unit and a lot of reviewers i trust like australian4x4adventures but i dont recall him mentioning it in his videos so always leaves you wondering whats real and whats fake at the end of the day
WOW! That agreement make wonder about the reviews of other youtubers that have reviewed bluetti products. Are they (the influenceer )rust worhy? And there are many 😢
Does the app work without Internet access? So many products I test (general smart ones, not battery packs) require the app to use it and an Internet connection and contact the company's servers, so that if they ever go down or the company goes out of business, the product becomes useless.
Good question I will test that but I think it would if you connect via Bluetooth, I've never come across a battery bank I tested which I could not connect to when remote.
First and foremost, irrespective of the negative publicity which will have Bluetti squirming, you have done them a huge favour by discovering a design flaw with the power cable. They should have found this themselves during product development. You have done a service to the overlanding community by exposing the restrictive terms imposed by Bluetti and, I suspect, many others. It also casts doubts on the claimed independence and objectivity of the other reviewers. What I find most interesting about your battle with DCS is the YT content creators who have chosen to stay silent rather than publish statements of support - I wonder why? I will say more about this when that case is resolved. Keep up the good work and I hope that one day you will review a product which is relevant to my kind of overlanding 🙂
Sad thing is, most people who will buy a camping "all in one", will expect to get several years of good service out of it, the investment is not insubstantial for most... Thanks for having our best interests, as one of us...
Funny thing, at my location in Australia the grid runs at 240+ VoltsAC most of the time - 10pm Thursdaý evening, 244.25VAC at my solar inverter- as reporting to BigBro... (Regardless of whst the standard is - Aussies colloquially call it 240Volts...) So 10 Amps, is as good as 2400W... lols..
I also politely, declined to sign the contract with Bluetti. I would have liked to review their power station, but I also could not put my good name on that contract. What really annoyed me, was that they brought up the contract, after multiple emails where I've spent a considerable amount of time communicating with the them. I dream of making my own contract,, where the company has to sign for all stuff that really should be easy,, like : We do not use child labor or subcontractors that uses child labor, we follow all consumer regulations, in the areas where we sell our products. etc. would be nice to throw such a thing back at them.
Yes 100% they first make you waste time. The first thing I do if it's a product which interests me is sending my product review guidelines which completely contradict their agreement and then after a few more emails they come with that agreement. It's time wasting and annoying but Bluetti are not the only ones trying this.
Thank you for watching and for your support. I want to clarify a few things regarding my experience with Bluetti. I can’t speak to what other creators may have signed or agreed to, but in my case, I received the unit without signing any contract initially. From memory, this is the first time Bluetti asked me to sign an agreement, and this has only started happening over the past 12 months or so.
When I requested a replacement unit, they insisted on a contract for re-delivery, which they described as a “delivery arrangement.” However, the wording of the contract made it clear that it wasn’t just about delivery. They even said, “Sorry Steve, this contract is for the delivery arrangement. We need to use the contract for shipment. If you think there is something that needs to be changed in the contract, we can discuss it. But if you don’t sign it, I’m sorry, I can’t request the shipment because I can’t change the company’s rules.” This felt a bit like gaslighting, as the contract clearly included terms beyond delivery.
It also often feels like I’m communicating with someone in China, and while my English isn’t perfect, I seem to comprehend the situation better than the people I’ve been emailing with.
Additionally, I gave Bluetti the opportunity to provide a solution or explanation for the issues I encountered. They had around two months to address the concerns I raised, including a detailed video I sent them explaining what I believed to be wrong. Unfortunately, my concerns were dismissed, and no satisfactory resolution was offered.
they are in China and that is the biggest problem. I receive offers to buy something over $3k-$5k with a $10 discount code)
I belive i have been sensord : ) You cant send them an invoise seens you do not do payd rev.
I've had a very similar experience with them - I'd bought a unit through a Facebook campaign that promised a unit and a solar panel set and, of course, I only got an EB3A, no panels. I complained friendly, they said I misread the offer, I countered stating I had a sales receipt for a unit and a panel - that's when they ghosted me the 1st time.
I made a review, and it was not great, nor bad when the unit started smelling extremely bad and started emitting white smoke - whilst running.
So I contacted tech support, telling them about the review, the smoke, the scam ... and I got ghosted again ...
I finished the review put it online and was done with them - I followed up looking for the source of the smoke, and it was conformal coating getting too hot, when the unit was under stress (from a light load). The unit was pretty good, only the 220V inverter was very inefficient at moderate loads, and power spikes made it to the USB outputs.
But then, all of a sudden - I got a mail from demanding I take down the video - because it was bad for them.
So I summed up my experience - stated it was a private purchase, asked about the scam sale, why they would not replace a smoking unit and what they thought of ghosting their factory shop customers.
Their reply was short: contact support. Now they were ghosting me the 3rd time.
You can no longer get anything from them directly without agreeing to not talk bad about it -
good to know and just confirms that I will never use another product from them
You are fast becoming the number one overlanding reviewer.
Good companies will work with you and people watching will believe you.
Reviews should NOT come with " dont give us a bad review " clause with threatening wording. And should be called out every time, I hope they lose business due to this
They will lose a small portion. I am looking for exactly this set of features but because of this agreement I will not buy Bluetti and will keep looking.
ANY NDA is a non starter with someone truly open source transparent... smFh
if i had not already got a 200max last year today.. i would not buy one of these.. sorry i contributed to a lousy company.. it wont happen again..
Finally, a bluetti review with integrity.
I feel another lawsuit coming on...
I would expect nothing less from Stephan.
@@bazza2540 Why? He hardly said a bad thing about the Bluetti. Stupid cord and the screen refresh - so what.
I drive a new trucks of one make that in every truck the user interface is so poorly designed that it is utterly incredible - windows go up when you push down, the heater gets stuck on full, the windscreen washers don't wash in the line of sight, the cruise control needs 4 buttons pushes to activate it every time, the trailer brake and windscreen washers are easily mistaken, endless warnings cover the entire dash blocking the speedometer, the touch screen interface needs 4 or 7 touches before it responds on every single truck in the fleet - it goes on. They're crazy making.
The Bluetti is good.
John Cadogan’s favourite mobile power bank 😂
@@ThePaulv12 Exactly. do you think the other lawsuit is deserved?
Makes you wonder how many reviews of all sorts of products are genuine or if they are just manufacturer-controlled puff pieces.
Thanks for opening this window into the behind-the-scenes UA-cam goings-on.
Agree, I have lost count of how many new content creators are being given power banks to “Review” I just don’t bother watching. Stefan is genuine and can’t be bought!
It is difficult to sort the chaff from the hay. When I was contemplating my Bluetti purchase, I watched a lot of videos. I joined the Facebook page for Bluetti users and the general consensus there was that the brand is reputable, so that helped me decide my purchasing decision.
The problem though, is there are no local Bluetti retailers. Mine was ordered via its Australian website. If I have problems with my AC180 I'll have to ship it back to them. That will not be cheap if Bluetti won't pay for shipping as it's a large and heavy item.
@@mjpt57 From my understanding, Jaycar, BCF and Road Tech Marine are local retailers. Moorabbin Batteries also sell the premium line, so they are another local retailer.
This video has opened my eyes to the terms that are likely behind a lot of review videos. Thank you for having personal integrity and spending the time to read and scrutinize terms.
Glad it was helpful!
@@AlloffroadAu Agree, cheers again.
You can usually spot the Videos that are , basically , Pure Marketing , even when they claim an " Honest Review " .
Your Very honest reviews are refreshing, and UA-camrs are not meant to be the marketing department of companies. Your values are outstanding, keep up the good fight!
Even without the "contract", they should be pleased with your balanced review that "more or less" said it was a good unit and provided a good value.
You are my new hero, congratulations on your integrity. Many content creators have been given power banks to review and many are just hogwash and I don’t even bother watching. The marketing departments seem to target young content creators who are hungry for attention and “freebies”. I have donated to your legal costs on your DCS issue and will now sign up to buy you a coffee. Again thank you and congratulations Mark
Amazing to see a creator with some integrity and sticking to his principles no what! Really annoys me seeing script reader channels, know absolutely nothing just reading numbers. So they can get free product
Thank you for your honesty and integrity. Keep fighting the good fight.
I've also had success in declining to sign agreements with suppliers. Bluetti included. Like you I've also still received the products. Having read a number of contracts , it becomes very clear when watching other UA-cam reviewers how many of them are copy and paste reviews following the instructions given by the suppliers. Frankly it disgusts me to see how prevalent this is becoming .
Thank you for shining a light on how these agreements operate. I hope your approach is taken on board by other reviewers. I'd like to echo the comments of others, that your credibility is massively enhanced by taking us behind the scenes. This is all the more impressive given the DCS situation.
Much appreciated!
Kudos to you for calling this out! The agreement alone is enough for me to avoid Bluetti and validate buying all the separate components and building my own system. Now knowing what I suspected, that most reviews of Bluetti gear are probably self serving suck pieces, I don't care if the functionality I want costs double, thank you for the parts list. That is with my brother owning a Bluetti, doing the great loop with it and loving it! Like most things, bloodsucking lawyers kill all trust in something with standard corporate scumspeak. EVEN if it is a good product the design decisions and corporate posture are indicative of much worse things to come (think BMW rented heated seats). The nail in the coffin is anything proprietary. For me that plug is a massive red flag and non-starter. Totally non-consumer self immolating junk and they are quite happy to have people gloss over issues and lie to you about their product. Well done Bluetti, you just shot another potential customer right between the eyes, right after the bullet went through both your feet. Call it own goal yoga. It is almost as if some corporate a-holes bought it and are now trying to cash cow Bluetti with lawyers and lies. If you want to waste a load of time, just try to figure out who is pulling the strings at Bluetti. 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 (sky), Technology Tomorrow, Innovation. 10% of the product cost went into making that BS up so it sounds Italian not Chinese. My bother loves his and it has worked flawlessly. My personal opinion referencing companies not people not Stefans' views you plonker of a lawyer, Australian liability laws be damned, I am in the GWN!
Thanks for showing the agreement. No reviewers with integrity should sign those agreements. Glad you stuck to your guns.
Honesty is a virtue Stephan. I sincerely appreciate your transparency and have a far greater respect for your opinions.
Hi from the oldest town in Texas, USA, Nacogdoches. Good on you by not signing the agreement, major respect. Those requirements are terrible and I wouldn’t sign it either. Thanks for your honest opinions and reviews.
good to see honesty and transparency in reviews - thank you.
Great to see your transparency. Please keep it up. Forcing content creators to sign such agreements is a huge red flag for the product and Thank you for being transparent with this.
I would have you review any of our products Stefan. Any review is a good review as it discloses the good and bad of any product of your opinion which we rate highly.
Good luck with DCS to BTW..
Cheers from iCheckTPMS
You have just convinced me to buy your TPMS and deflators in the not to distant future.
Thank you for giving us a behind the scenes look at the tactics used by manufacturers which would seemingly prevent negative reviews. I stopped watching several touring/4wd UA-cam channels as I suspected this was the case, and now it appears my hunch was correct. Keep up the great (and honest) work!
I am pretty sure that cable does not meet Australian standards. I was under the impression that the 3 conductors should be separated by a divider where they are bare (if you look at any of those transparent replacement plugs, they have a divider in the middle to stop any sort of twist related short.) they also tend to have some sort of strain relief, with the cable wrapping around something or being pinned down with a bar and a couple of screws before being terminated so the wire cannot just be torn out (this is an even bigger issue here than with a the power point side, as if the cable pulls out of the power point, it does not really matter, but if this pulls out, you potentially have 240v bare wires just hanging about)
Interesting I didn't look further into that, but the cable design didn't make sense to my laymen's eyes and I would have thought as I mentioned in the video it would need to be fully encased and the cables separated
@@AlloffroadAu those pins also look pretty close together, I would not be surprised if it fails an insulation test at a fairly low voltage.
Great Video Review, Thank You
There is now in all States Legislation that requires compliance to
AS/NZS 3001.2:2022
Electrical installations - Connectable electrical installations and supply arrangements
Part 2: Connectable electrical installations, cl 2.7.2.3.2 includes:
be designed to operate up to an ambient temperature of 50 °C and withstand an ambient temperature of 70 °C without damage
Which means Portable inverters must also comply
And portable Power Stations
oh, so the operating temp is not compliant?
Its funny really because your honest review you didn't paint Bluetti product in a negative light at all. Your factual and honest review was excellent which for me has placed faith in your content which is the reason I watch your channel. In my opinion I wouldn't sign their content creator agreement either. However, I have just purchased a Bluetti AC180 for my caravanning/camping trips as I don't own an inverter or an lithium battery. Plus for its ease of use which trumps a generator with its weight advantage, size and noise levels. With my research, I found AC!180 great product and value for money at 1,099 dollars and it gives me the portability of transferring the AC180 to house , van , 4x4, etc. Tomorrow the electricity is being shut off in my whole street for essential maintenance work. So I am looking forward to seeing how it performs. Thank you again and keep up the good work.
thank you for posting this , it doesnt only make me question all reviews from this company but also the company itself
keep up the good work !
You’re a good man. The fact you cannot be scared off from telling the truth is admirable.
I agree whole-heartedly with your refusal to sign such restrictive contracts. It's the great to have someone with such principles as yours, doing full disclosure reviews in the 4x4 market. With all the extra publicity your reviews have received because of your stand with DCS products, it's most important that you maintain your integrity. Transparency and honesty are the basis of unbiased reviews...that's what we the consumers require. Thanks for maintaining your standards...and describing the product and your experience with it, as it is. Any manufacturer that is trying to put good products on the market, should value the opportunity to have their product reviewed honestly, and then have the chance to remedy, or rectify issues, and improve it. All the best...
Da gibt es wirklich nichts mehr dazu zu sagen. Dass es Mietmäuler auf YT gibt, dachte ich mir schon aber so ein Vertrag ist indiskutabel. Danke fürs Rückgrat! Viele Grüße aus der alten Heimat. Keep up the good work!
vielen dank and gruesse nach deutschland
I really appreciate your honesty and integrity Stephan, it is refreshing. IMO, all content creators should disclose any agreement terms applicable to their reviews. It's all about transparency, which builds trust. Kudos to you for bravely standing up and saying "no" to Bluetti's unreasonable terms. As an aside, I too have contributed to help fund your legal dispute with DCS, and you have definitely won me over as a new subscriber to your channel. Mucho respect 👍
I appreciate that!
Blimey. That contract is astonishing. There are some sharp practices in business these days.
If Bluetti's products are good enough (I own two of them and have had no issues so far), then requiring contracts for reviewers to be signed shouldn't be necessary.
I have purchased an AC200L and have had no issues with it. It is very powerful and its capacity exceeds my needs while camping. The amount of solar input it can take is brilliant, and pretty much negates the need to charge from the grid.
Overall, your review has come to the same conclusion as me. It's not perfect, but it is very good.
Thank you for a balanced review.
I don't do product reviews, but I was approached by Bluetti with a very similar contract. I also refused to sign. The one I had showed an unlimited expiry date on the video once uploaded, as well as a clause stating I must not share any aspect of the contract. They were a bit shady about making these changes to the contract. Very worrying. Let me know if you wish to discuss.
Good on you for not signing, you have my respect. Thank you for your review. I will purchase on of these units for my car, also to replace the noisy 2000 watt generator i use during power outages at home. thank you for your honest and unbiased reviews.😄
I'm here because of that current litigation you have and I subscribe because of it. I'm watching all of your videos because of it. Hopefully you are getting enough kickbacks on UA-cam now to help pay for that litigation. Good luck and we support you here from the US!!
Even as small youtuber I would walk away immediately from such agreement. But I understand some people are willing to sign it, cause they relay 100% on YT income.
Yes... small channel here too, i walked away...
Size of channel should not matter. It's about integrity. Stefan has buckets of it. Others may choose selling out for exposure and accelerated subscription numbers instead of hard work.
@@andrewk579 Yep. But there are channels with almost 20M subs which are just a sellouts. So yes, channels size does not matter but I see smaller channels do it more often, as as shortcut to faster growth. But it's shortsighted approach in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing this. There are so many others out there 'reviewing' these units when it is really just a paid add. They approached us too, and after looking at what they wanted, we walked away. Keep up the great work!👍👍🍻
I bought a AC200L in June this year for $2300 AUD. The next month in July for the "Prime Day Sale" which ran until the end of July, Bluetti INCREASED the price of the unit to $2700! Now in August, the price has decreased to $2500 after the Bluetti July "sale". If you want to buy Bluetti, don't fall for their "sale prices", follow the prices for a few months to choose the best time to buy.
Interesting.
If you can prove whatvyour saying I would contact the ACCC with the revelent information. They may be interested
Mate I once met you briefly on the Madigan line ...I cherish that moment and am so proud of the fact you are really gaining traction ..you have so much to offer the 4WD community 👍
Much appreciated!
Thanks for addressing the temp usage range... it's crazy how restrictive the company is... not to mention others that are similar or worse.
Cheers!
Was about a week from buying one...thanks mate! Will give it a miss now.
Thanks for the honest review Stefan, I would be alarmed if I saw a contract was required to be signed prior to reviewing a product myself.
Too late for me as I bought one, no issues too date but 🤞I have no issues. I bought mine based on a mates recommendation who has one and is a qualified electrician. I have donated to your go fund me and wish you all the very best
Thank you for your honesty and commitment to open unbiased reviews. There are so many utubers right now who do not follow these essential and ethical principles and as a consequence I do not watch their content.
Note to Bluetti. I’m more likely to buy your products if reviewers are able to truthfully test it. After watching this review I’m considering buying one.
So in short: you are becoming the eierlegende Wollmilchsau of outdoor/overlanding/4wd reviews.
Takes guts, thanks for your efforts !!
Thanks for the video! Looked like a great product, i deceded not to sign that contract and not work with them.
The Ownership and review before publish, 2 weeks are big breakpoint for me too.
For me its hobby i don't need extra contracts on top of my day job and home obligations
Thanks for sharing this!
yep same here, good product but bad company policies (in my opinion)
@@AlloffroadAu Aspecialy what happened to you with DC... i changed my conditions also, that i can not be sued for a bad review, but that i am willing to correct if i made an (proven) mistake. most still agree on this.
Sorry to break it to you but no matter what contract you have it will not prevent any company from someone suing you, trust me I looked into this now extensively. I can only recommend not doing reviews for small accompanies with less than 10 employees which is quite sad as they probably are the ones who could use these kind of honest advertising the most.
@@AlloffroadAu This is not good for honest reviews.... not good at all.
Good luck in your fight, good to see all the support you get from the big channels..
this non-sense needs to stop! Stay strong!
Hi Stefan and once again thank you for your efforts. You've got a big red FAILED stamped on the home screen 'AC2001 Overview, but you didn't fail the product in the video. I think the screw-in cable is a good idea. These cables are too easy for dogs and people to accidentally dislodge. But I heed your reasoning. If you think such contract unlawful, take it to your lawyer and also your local MP. You know what I'd like to see as I think you're worth it? You sitting with Bluetti representative and you offering your bouquets and brickbats and the other side contributing to the conversation. Finally, I agree totally, Far too many UA-cam reviews (reviewers) are absolutely fraudulent. I've noticed it with action camera reviews, e-Bike reviews and numerous other product reviews. They all seem to come to one conclusion and the road travelled to get there is the one road. Sometimes, I'm sure they're all reading the same script. So thank you so much for having the decency to say this out loud. Please don't let the pressure get to you. Take time to smell the roses. 🎉❤
first unit failed but yes overall at this stage I still like the unit, overall I can see the purpose with a screw in cable just needs to be designed so it can't short the unit. I never said contract is unlawful but keeping sponsorship agreements secret is at best not ethical. No I wont take it to lawyers, or I need another GoFund me, I just wont sign and work with such company anymore and expose the agreements.
Truth and transparency is the key. Companies need to be aware that as consumers we can vote with our feet and wallets.
Utmost respect to you chief
From one Australian to another, you’re a national treasure mate
I admire you Stefan! Very detailed analysis of performance of the product and your own experience . . .which is very impressive considering recent experiences. Stick to your guns and your audience will appreciate it. I know I've benefited a lot from your knowledge and unbiased opinions.
It really opens the eyes up to just how much control sooo many youtubers would be under. You must feel proud not to ever want to lower yourself into that sort of position and its extremely admirable 👌
Keep up the great work mate 👍
I have a bluetti at home. The warranty is really good. They sent for it to be picked up and had it back in less than a fortnight.
I love honest people like you who lets us know whats really going on behind the scenes with all these companies. The agreement really stinks and makes me sick. Things are getting worse quickly and seing someone like you who dares to stand firm is a fresh breeze. You have my sub and I hope you will crush DCS in october. Came here from Rossman and EEV. Keep it up and stay true in a mad world. Cheers from Sweden!
Thank you for an honest and detailed review. Your work is impeccable. I follow for your honesty and attention to detail. The value for trust relies on the creator providing unbiased and unconstrained work. You do this.
I appreciate that!
You have a new subscriber, one thing I value is integrity.
Awesome job. I skipped over the legal disclaimer 😂
Overall looks like a good product but I do feel that power plug should be rectified. Keep up the good honest work you do mate.
Thanks 👍
Great review of the unit. I think the imposing legal fight will be a win for you and the people who watch your reviews. I am very grateful for the transparency of the interactions between the reviewer and the supplier of the item for review. You are clearly going to gain a reputation of fair and transparent reviews. I honestly believe this review has been the most trustworthy and transparent review on UA-cam. Keep up the great work and setting very high standards of quality and transparency.
I appreciate that
1000% agree. how dare they try such restrictions! Clearly not so confident in their product. I was thinking about becoming a customer, but not now. I can set up my system out of separate components. My electrician is bribable for a slab.
YT hero releases a video ... I have to watch it :D
I found your review very informative and honest I have been looking at these units and this is the one I will get, but will get the lead changed the screw in types are useless I have them on stage speakers and had the same problem with the wires turning being the power unit will be used travelling I want a good connection. What bluetti and a lot of other products being reviewed by UA-camrs is people want honest reviews not made up shit for money, thanks mate keep up the good work
Stefan I went through something very similar with Bluetti early 2023. They also wanted me to sign a contract before reviewing one of their products, and I had similar concerns about the influence this would give them over my content. I specifically said to them in one of my (many) emails: "...This I feel undermines the independence of my review and is a concern I expressed early on, that I don't want the content of my review to be in any way influenced by the result you would like to see."
In the end I never went ahead with working with Bluetti.
Great honest review Stefan. I for the life of me can’t see why someone would buy such a unit though when you can buy a lithium battery, battery box, etc for half the cost.
Appreciate your feedback and genuinely helpful insights into the agreements that these companies are forcing reviewers to sign. It screams ultimate integrity from you when I'm not hearing about this from others.
I have watched 'autoexpert' review this exact product in various models many times and never a bad opinion was formed, nor mention of the clause to sign.
He also routinely pushes out other brands such as Olight, which markets all types of flashlight. I did purchase a set of these and found design flaws and failures in this product.
Thanks for your honesty and hard work.
Thank you. Please keep in mind I don't know what other creators sign or don't sign and I received the unit also without signing. From memory, this is the first unit that Bluetti wanted me to sign an agreement for, so earlier units were without an agreement. This only started to happen, say, over past 12 or so month
@@AlloffroadAu I did think this may be the case as you did state that. It has been a while since autoexpert mentioned anything regarding this product. Maybe I've jumped the gun as I've generally found him to be a straight shooter.
definitely, I could not see John Cadogan not disclosing the arrangements he has. He seems to me a pretty straightforward and honest guy.
My son had a UA-cam channel with over 100,000 subscribers - it was an Aussie cooking show. He gave it up because the marketing people from associated products came at him with demands to do all sorts of promo which he did not want. Has cost him quite a lot of revenue over the last 6 years.
I do these as a hobby. For anyone contemplating doing UA-cam as a business, I would strongly advise not to. It's probably one of the worst business ideas as you will be investing tons of time and effort into something you have little control over and will not generate any lasting value. Of course, unless you are one of the very few ones who can make a few million and save them.
It is hard to choose for a decent lithium battery. The price is not anymore an indicator about the quality (at least in Australia) and reviews are probably not that genuine but ads. From the customer point of view, the definition of a good battery is not just about the impressive performances but mostly the safety. Nobody want his 4WD, caravan, van to catch fire because of a poor lithium battery. Sometimes I have the feeling that batteries are almost all the same boxes with different stickers. I believe we need some more specific strict regulations on the quality control and scams.
Thanks Stefan for your work, I hope you will test more batteries in the future; I have in mind a couple of brands.
Great review, very well laid out with both pro's and con's which enables individual people to make up their own mind...
The DIY solution you proposed in Liu of going with a pre built unit was based on a 12V system which I can understand you doing that coming from an automotive background but these ready made solutions are known to use 48V battery configurations and it might have been better to base the diy solution also based on a 48V system which is what I would have preferred in a mobile situation.
Me, coming from a DIY background regarding my home off grid solar installation and also the system I have setup in the Nissan Navara, I have found that the DIY solution can cut the cost of going solar in half! It is in my opinion also reliable which it has been over the years I have been using it! And I get it, DIY isn't for everyone! I didn't decide to go with DIY because I have seen other guys do it and since I'm also a guy, well if they can do it, then I should be able to do it too! No! I knew before I decided to go with DIY that I could do it! I had a deep understanding of electricity and electronics and understood the correct procedure's required for a safe and reliable installation to be undertaken.....
So the DIY route was definitely for me, there was a lot of new tools that I had to purchase in order to ensure that the DIY solution is safe and reliable which I have tool's that I can continue to use for any upgrades, modifications or new Jobs that may pop up, for example... My recovery winch that came with the second hand bullbar has a history which is unknown to me and I'm planning on replacing it myself and doing a better job of the cables than what is currently there, and I have the crimping tools and crimp lugs to do it along with the experience....
The knowledge and skills is a great form of self fulfilment...
Hopefully this will be done before I return to Fraser island early next year..... Maybe we can share a beer sometime, it's a small world out there. You never know LoL.
Otherwise, excellent video, I'm glad that things have turned out the way they did as who knows when I would have come across your channel!
I really appreciate this honest approach to reviews, this will keep me coming back even if it's not a product that I would ever own myself like these mobile power banks, I would prefer my vehicle to be a mobile power plant that can do everything, but I will still watch regardless.....
If you ever need a good resource for DIY solar system solutions, I would recommend The Off Grid Garage channel run by Andy, an amazing German who has adopted Queensland Australia as his home and I'm thankful that he has! A future collaboration would be amazing between you two! Here's hoping!
*Louis Rossmann has entered the chat*
You are doing for 4x4 products what Liz Amazing does for RVs. Keep up the great work.
Good onya Stefan, love your work!
What is Bluetti afraid of? If they work with you Stefan, they can improve any shortcomings like the bad cord design which is a simple fix.
Stefin amazing channel matey. I’ve been following you for years. I hope you WIN ❤❤❤❤
lol thank you mate, Stefan it is, Stuven Clay from A4x4A is still practicing getting my name right :-)
@@AlloffroadAu Haha!! Copy matey. Best wishes keep up the amazing work ❤️🔥💪🪓
Interesting. Bluetti has sent me 3 products now and never asked me to say or sign anything. I quite like their products and find their customer service to be pretty good.
Thank you for your honesty.
Stefen thank you for the content. I think you’re fantastic with your reviews. Appreciate. Keep up the good work.
You are changing how UA-cam works!
Every lithium battery powered product maker ever:
1) we're marketing the product with borderline-phisically-impossible specs
2) boy we're milking that battery like there's no tomorrow so that we look good in the market: discharge to 0%, charge to 100%, amperes, temperatures like we're Nikola Tesla gotten drunk..
3) that *may* cause you some issues but don't make a big fuss about it else we call the legal dept
Even if its not in a contract I think its implied to most creators that if they give a bad review they are out of new stuff to review. So unless you can afford to pay for the items out of pocket or through crowd fundning you are out of luck. Since reviews are not the only thing you do that means you are not as vulnerable. And you have more credibility due to your other content and through sharing information behind the scenes.
yes I 100% agree and that is why the UA-cam channel only is a hobby for me, I like to work with companies who value honesty and transparency and over the past 10 years I never had a problem Ing to work with companies who don't align with my values. I think UA-cam as a business model is horrible and I'm glad I'm retired because I would not want to be making a living from UA-cam. that may work for a few big players who make their money quickly but being at the mercy of UA-cam or other companies is not something I'm interested in.
Excellent work airing out this "secret" garbage.
Hey Bluetti and other companies doing this, its really obvious when you try to push in this way. Just make a good product and put all other effort into excellent customer service. The promotion is then done for free by your clients who love you, and your reputation just gets better and better.
My understanding is the BLUETTI D40 DC-DC Battery Charger is not bidirectional so will not charge the AC200L only provide 12v DV output for other batteries etc. This is a shame but the other options you provided seem better, and cheaper. Thanks for the great 'overview'.
oh really? I didn't look much into it you would think it will charge the AC200L otherwise it would not make much sense
New Sub. I like your transparency here. Thank you for doing what you do!
Appreciate your honest review
Another great video Stefan, especially given your current situation! It would be quite easy, and i dont think anyone would blame you if you didnt review anyrhing for a while.
A bit sad though now that you have all these discalimers throughout your video, the large caveat at the start and "its my personal opinion" throughout. But understandable at the same time.
Makes you wonder how many "review" videos are actually genuine. Kepp doing wjat you are doing, dont let none of these companies bully you into doing something that goes against your principals 💪🏼. And thanks!
yea I started this video before all the DCS stuff started I don’t think I would have afterwards
@@AlloffroadAu just keep on trucking mate, don't let anyone stop you (apart from your own lawyer 😂)
Appreciate your work and honesty
I had purchased an AC200Max together with 3 x 200W portable solar panels a couple of years ago based on a review by a UA-camr whom I had been following for a while and consider reliable, thorough and most importantly honest and unbiased. Whilst I experienced a few 'teething' issues with the product, it has all worked reasonably well for me both in a domestic (home) capacity and camping setting. I also found Bluetti ok'ish to work with regarding product warranty-wise ... but definitely not the best and yes, the company's staff grasp of English seemed to be a big part of the problem.
This review has however, opened my eyes as to Bluetti's apparent 'modus operandi' when it comes to supply of the their products to prominent UA-camrs such as Stefan. That contract agreement ultimately gives Bluetti full control of Stefan's (and anyone else's) review which I assume is something that is fairly recent but even so, is complete and utter BS in my eyes.
Suffice to say that as a result of Stefan's video alone, I will NEVER EVER purchase another Bluetti product again. Good product or not, these sort of tactics where content output is seemingly 'dictated' by a company, has no place on UA-cam ... in my opinion.
Good on you Stefan for highlighting this!! Keep fighting the good (DCS) fight mate. I have made a tidy donation to your 'Go Fund Me' page and am keenly watching the progress of your case. 👍
Back in the 1990's, I was loaned press cars so that I could write reviews for a club magazine. One shook hands when the car was loaned and that was it. Conscience ruled what was written.
Oh, why did Bluetti change the AC input plug like that? Looking at the contacts they don't look like they can handle a lot of current, but then, that's by watching it on the TV. I guess that in order to pass the electrical safety standards, they'd have to be compliant, I guess. Luckily the AC180 uses the standard "appliance" plug which can be swapped with my Dometic fridge's cord (the reason why I have the Bluetti in the first place).
This device seems to be a good quality device for the multi-function device it is. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's attitude towards reviewers is despicable. And some important connectors are proprietary, including the mains input. I'm all for open standard connectors. It being multi-functional, it does not excel in anything.
As a mobile power station, it needs more kinds of DC output ports and a built-in fast-charge option from 12VDC and maybe 24VDC. For all inputs, it should be easily possible to setup a max amp draw.
For use in a home setting, there should be a network connection and it should be able to integrate with 'smart home' systems that monitor energy usage, control loads, etcetera. In a UPS setup, it should be able to automatically shutdown the computer when the battery is about to run out. I'd like an external bypass switch, so it would be possible to use it with a load that needs to be always on, while still making it possible to temporarily disconnect and use it for something else, while the always-on load gets power straight from mains.
The only real issue is that AC input connector. Everyone who owns a Bluetti with such an AC input connector should immediately order 2 spare leads, drill a small hole in the one that came with the device, in order to fill it up with resin. That should stop the internals from being able to rotate and twist the conductors together into a short circuit.
Yes, I agree with most things you say; resin is a good idea may fill mine up with silicon.
Great review. Thanks, Stefan!
I would definitely not sign the paperwork as you’ve described in this video.
Because it would turn it from a review to an advertisement pretending to be a review.
I have suspected something like this with a number of battery system systems being used by a number of viewers that I follow saying it’s the most ideal battery system for their vehicle.
As a qualified motorcycle engineer specialising in motorcycle electronics I started seeing through some of these reviews.
From anywhere as long as you
All the best for your other court case,
Good for you. The NDA over a 'review agreement' would be a deal breaker for me as well, not to mention all the other ludicrous terms you can see in that agreement.
very interesting video at minimum i would have expected that power plug to have heat shrink over the exposed wire or some sort of silicone to stop them touching
im Really surprised about the hidden contracts ive seen heaps of videos about this unit and a lot of reviewers i trust like australian4x4adventures but i dont recall him mentioning it in his videos so always leaves you wondering whats real and whats fake at the end of the day
WOW! That agreement make wonder about the reviews of other youtubers that have reviewed bluetti products. Are they (the influenceer )rust worhy? And there are many 😢
I totally agree that companies are using Grifter UA-cam channels as cheap advertising, often giving them free items where you pay the inflated price.
Does the app work without Internet access? So many products I test (general smart ones, not battery packs) require the app to use it and an Internet connection and contact the company's servers, so that if they ever go down or the company goes out of business, the product becomes useless.
Good question I will test that but I think it would if you connect via Bluetooth, I've never come across a battery bank I tested which I could not connect to when remote.
Definitely supports Bluetooth, is much more reliable than cloud connection
First and foremost, irrespective of the negative publicity which will have Bluetti squirming, you have done them a huge favour by discovering a design flaw with the power cable. They should have found this themselves during product development.
You have done a service to the overlanding community by exposing the restrictive terms imposed by Bluetti and, I suspect, many others. It also casts doubts on the claimed independence and objectivity of the other reviewers. What I find most interesting about your battle with DCS is the YT content creators who have chosen to stay silent rather than publish statements of support - I wonder why? I will say more about this when that case is resolved.
Keep up the good work and I hope that one day you will review a product which is relevant to my kind of overlanding 🙂
I 100% agree with you to not sign the contract.
Sad thing is, most people who will buy a camping "all in one", will expect to get several years of good service out of it, the investment is not insubstantial for most... Thanks for having our best interests, as one of us...
19:02 Olight charger 👀
yep have 2 Olights and Love the lantern
Funny thing, at my location in Australia the grid runs at 240+ VoltsAC most of the time - 10pm Thursdaý evening, 244.25VAC at my solar inverter- as reporting to BigBro...
(Regardless of whst the standard is - Aussies colloquially call it 240Volts...)
So 10 Amps, is as good as 2400W... lols..
I also politely, declined to sign the contract with Bluetti. I would have liked to review their power station, but I also could not put my good name on that contract. What really annoyed me, was that they brought up the contract, after multiple emails where I've spent a considerable amount of time communicating with the them.
I dream of making my own contract,, where the company has to sign for all stuff that really should be easy,, like : We do not use child labor or subcontractors that uses child labor, we follow all consumer regulations, in the areas where we sell our products. etc. would be nice to throw such a thing back at them.
Yes 100% they first make you waste time. The first thing I do if it's a product which interests me is sending my product review guidelines which completely contradict their agreement and then after a few more emails they come with that agreement. It's time wasting and annoying but Bluetti are not the only ones trying this.
You did it right!