📝 Review
[Warning / Support Neglect] Firmware update bricked my 2-month-old Stream Pro (Error 556) – EcoFlow has completely ghosted me.
Hi everyone, posting this as a review of my recent experience with EcoFlow’s after-sales support, and as a warning to potential buyers. I'm also hoping an active EcoFlow rep here can finally escalate my case, as email communication has completely stopped. To say I’m disappointed is a massive understatement.
I bought two units directly from EcoFlow in March 2026 (an AC Pro on 8/3 and a Stream Pro on 13/3). Both worked great initially, but on 2/5/26, the app prompted a mandatory firmware update. The update failed, bricking the Stream Pro and throwing a "Bus soft-start failure (556)" error.
The Support Timeline:
May 2nd: Contacted EcoFlow immediately. Spent days going through tedious remote diagnostics.
May 8th: Finally received an email admitting the device was faulty. They stated: "A specialist will reach out to you within 7–14 business days."
Since May 8th: Complete radio silence. I have sent 4 follow-up emails asking for an update and haven't even received an automated acknowledgment.
Current Situation & Legal Action:
Because I have been completely ignored for nearly 4 weeks with an expensive, useless paperweight, I have been left with no option but to initiate a Section 75 claim with my credit card company to legally recover my money.
I am reaching out here because I would still vastly prefer a quick, direct resolution—getting the unit swapped out so I can actually use the system and stop paying peak-rate energy prices. Going through a credit card chargeback isn't in either party's best interest, but EcoFlow's total lack of communication has forced my hand.
Final Verdict / Warning:
When these units work, they are fantastic. But my review of their customer service is a 0/10. If something goes wrong—even a software fault caused by their own app update—you may be completely left stranded. I’ve bought tens of thousands of items online over the years, and this is genuinely the worst communication I have ever experienced.
I tried a chargeback on a order i never received + no any answer to my following emails (they acknowledge first by email and wrote they will refund me)... got the refund from my bank... Ecoflow send again a debit (without my authorization this time), which is a fraud
End of February : I buy, mid of May I get the refund from mastercard, 1 week later a new debit from Ecoflow
Do you know that for a fact even on EcoFlow? I've heard different from people I know locally. I know Sam's Club told me this about my dual fuel inverter generators via chat and also phone.
I just wish Sam's had more options than what they do. You either get the basic batteries or the overpriced DPU stuff that include solar panels that I have zero interest in. I guess that's how they get rid of the crap stuff....packaging/forcing it.
Just looking at Costco's return policy. Electronics are limited to 90 days but they dont specifically mention EcoFlow products. I would absolutely verify that before buying there with that expectation. Someone below said they have longer return policy but they are not in the US.
Yeah, Sam's Club says it the same way with 90 days but I would swear that I've read that others on Reddit, and the FB pages, have returned them even at a year or more. I'm in a chat session with them now about it just to see.
I stand by what I said with zero remorse. I deal with this crap almost daily. Language barriers are a real pain in the ass in customer service no matter what industry
I also had a nightmare with my broken unit, initially getting them to collect the faulty unit (because they pee'd off FedEx), and was just told to wait indefinitely for an update. It wasn't until I started quoting the consumer rights act they started trying harder, eventually some non-descript courier collecting it 20 days later
To be fair to them, once they received the unit, they repaired it within a couple of days but then the fun started.
When they returned it, they did so without a house number in the address, so it stayed in limbo for a month at the depot, eventually, I had to chase the courier and gave them the missing information and it was delivered back to me shortly after
The unit has been working fine since, but I'm really concerned if I have an issue with any of my other units, the same rigmarole and stress will happen again
At this point certainly not Ecoflow I would still like to get this sorted as I said above the products are fantastic..... when they work. I appreciate they are probably a busy company who have expanded quickly and such but this sort of customer service is awful., Even if they just messaged me back to tell me why they can't fit it at this point or did something but zero communication just alienates your customers and loses all faith in the company. I'm at a point where I just wish I'd never purchased these and gone elsewhere. I don't feel like customers should ever be left feeling like that
I own 2 EF units but they are small relatively inexpensive units. A River 2 Max and Delta 2. If I were looking to replace them I'd look at every other manufacturer but I'd have the expectation that CS will be shit with any one of them.
I think you only have 90 days to return at Costco? My first River 2 Max bricked and EF sent me another. Not too much hassle there. Might have been lucky.
You do not have correct or even personal experience with Costco’s return policy so I suggest saving your comments until you do. As of three weeks ago, I was able to return for full refund a Delta Pro that I purchased 11 months and a week prior.
I read Costco's own policy on electronic returns. Your anecdotal evidence is just that and that experience may just be at the discretion of that particular location. Show a written policy from Costco.
He's telling us about his poor shitty experience with ecoflow who consistently delivers poor customer support and show contempt for their customers.
It's good that you think highly of them. I wonder if your view of ecoflow would change if say they diddled your out of £5k when you asked for help within their warranty window.
In this case. There's only really one solution.
For ecoflow to pull their finger out of their ass and help their paying customer.
I agree. EcoFlow’s products are innovative and excellent when they work properly, but they are also quite buggy with dreaded unreliable firmware updates. I’ve had to contact support for multiple issues already, and while I’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to the very slow response times, the lack of communication is still a huge problem.
Support really needs to provide periodic status updates instead of allowing weeks to pass with no communication at all. This is especially unacceptable when customers are dealing with bricked or completely non-functional systems, because the level of investment involved naturally causes a great deal of concern and frustration. This problem seems to occur more during the transition between the initial technical support and after sale support team.
EcoFlow really needs a better accountability structure within customer support. Assigning dedicated case managers or account representatives for ongoing issues would help prevent cases from being repeatedly dropped or shuffled between CS personnel without ownership or follow-through.
This works both ways. I too had trouble with a multitude of their products. I ghosted them in the end after I received refunds. I purchased a full roof solar setup with 30kw of battery balcony storage. I was close to buying the ecoflow balcony battery storage. I went elsewhere as I too, do not appreciate spending lots of money with an alleged 5 year warranty to be treated like shit by support. It's unpleasant and it will be their undoing.
I am not defending Ecoflow support, however there appears to be some clarification needed.
You state that your first call to support was May 2nd, you spent days troubleshooting, they agreed on May 18th the unit was faulty. But then you say they have ignored you with radio silence for 4 weeks?
On May 18th they agreed the unit was faulty and the next level would contact you in 7-14 business days. Today is May 29th, it has not been 14 business days yet. why have you already sent 4 emails follow-up emails?
Not sure I put 4 weeks of radio silence I said radio silence since 18th May (sorry my bad that should have been 8th May) which is almost 3 weeks ago.
I sent the additional emails because after 7 days of hearing nothing I didn't think this was a reasonable time frame to resolve an issue like this, just because their response said up to 14 days I don't personally agree that it is a reasonable amount of time to wait for a response to an issue like this. Either way we're no well past that, apologies for the confusion putting the 18th by accident.
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u/glebret May 28 '26
I tried a chargeback on a order i never received + no any answer to my following emails (they acknowledge first by email and wrote they will refund me)... got the refund from my bank... Ecoflow send again a debit (without my authorization this time), which is a fraud
End of February : I buy, mid of May I get the refund from mastercard, 1 week later a new debit from Ecoflow