Hanna?

[Barfly]

Just curious if you are going to address the many issues with the ca checker. I've noticed that despite checking the following thread on almost a daily basis...

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2050181

you have failed to comment about the ongoing issues. Is it Hanna's position that we must buy new syringes and lab grade water to properly perform the tests?

With all the issues that are being discovered with the use of the ca checker, why does Hanna continue to let them be sold?

You put an unusable and unreliable product on the market and you continue to sell this product despite the numerous unhappy users. You guys at Hanna should really be ashamed of yourselves. Not so much for putting another untested product on the market (although that practice is getting old), but rather for your lack of action. Ignoring your customers is not good business. Your silence is deafening.

[thomashan]

@Barfly - agree and thank you for posting this.

Hanna - I just bought 3 checkers (Alk, Phosphate and Ca) from BRS and I about to return the Ca one w/o even opening it b/c of all these I'm reading on the forum. I'm scared to open it and find out that I always get the "flashing 600"! Please give me a good reason to trust that this product is quality worthy and I can go ahead and open it.

[basser1]

Do I hear crickets chirping???

The silence is deafening! :worried:

[Barfly]

Hanna, continuing to view these threads without offering a response is a horrible business practice. While I understand that problems do happen, good companies stand behind their products and do not run, hide, and avoid addressing the issues. I seriously question the ethics of Hanna due to the fact that this product is still being sold despite not working as advertised.

And BTW, I called the phone number you have posted, but after 15 minutes, I got tired of waiting on hold. As I said before, you guys should be ashamed of yourselves.

[aleonn]

It seems that Hanna's company response has been consistent with previous releases of their checkers. Which was why I didn't pre-order the calcium checker despite being offered a good price on it. It's an unfortunate pattern, but ultimately I believe they'll figure out a solution, which will eventually appease us.

[James77]

They did post this a few weeks ago:

Thank you all for your valuable feedback.
Due to the hurricane, the office has been without power for several days. Please be patient with us while we resume normal office functions.

We DO care about our customers and are committed to providing quality instruments and service.

The personnel that provide support for this forum often have to consult with our Chemistry and R&D departments to obtain the correct answers to your concerns, and to have the issues raised properly addressed.
As a multinational corporation, Chemistry and R&D provide support for offices in 32 countries. As such, getting the desired results sometimes takes time. Especially when it comes to results that require physically changing production lines, such as packaging or product accessories.

We understand your frustration and regret that our customers are unsatisfied with the product. Part of the reason for the delay in our response is that we want to be 100% sure we are providing the correct solution.
Initially, it seemed to be an issue with source water. If this is in fact the case, we will provide pure water for the dilution for all current and future customers.
However, current testing seems to indicate that the issue may be the precision required when dosing 0.1 mL of tank water.
Previous posters have indicated that the unit is too complex to use by the average person. The fundamental issue here is that out of necessity, our instruments are designed and created by engineers and technical personnel. As such, the instructions and methods may seem complex or intricate. However, an instrument that the target user finds too burdensome to use properly serves no one's best interest and we are working to correct this.

We are exploring all options for a speedy and thorough resolution. We will make sure that all of your concerns are properly addressed.

Thank you again for your critical feedback, it keeps us on our toes and better understand areas we can improve on.

Thank you!
Hanna USA

IIRC correctly, it took them about a month to a month and a half to correct the alkalinity checker issue. Maybe they don't see the point in continuing to come here and say the same thing? Just like their last checker, and pretty much any new piece of aquarium equipment, I chose to sit back and wait while the bugs are worked out. All products have them to some extent or the other, I do not like them when they happen to me, so I wait a few months after intial release. No guinea pig here ;).

[xp964]

Thank you all for your feedback.

As Jim pointed out, we did post our current stance on the HI 758 Calcium Checker several weeks ago. However, we continue to communicate with the product developers at Hanna Inc. regarding this product with the goal of providing a more satisfactory solution. We will post any new information regarding this as it develops.
All product development, research, and packaging for all 32 Hanna branches is handled by our international parent company, Hanna Inc. and we must coordinate our responses with them.

Our office hours are 8:30 to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We dedicate a portion of that time to respond to posts on this forum. As a manufacturer, we rely on our distributors to stock our products and provide customer support. While we do make ourselves available and provide support as promptly as we are able, sometimes there is a wait time. Barfly, if you would like to PM us your contact information, we will be glad to call you at a time that is convenient for you.

We are fortunate to have a highly educated staff at this location, with degrees in such fields as marine biology, environmental science, and chemistry. We are working diligently with the international R&D department to determine the source of the issue.

[Barfly]

Thank you all for your feedback.

As Jim pointed out, we did post our current stance on the HI 758 Calcium Checker several weeks ago. However, we continue to communicate with the product developers at Hanna Inc. regarding this product with the goal of providing a more satisfactory solution. We will post any new information regarding this as it develops.
All product development, research, and packaging for all 32 Hanna branches is handled by our international parent company, Hanna Inc. and we must coordinate our responses with them.

Our office hours are 8:30 to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We dedicate a portion of that time to respond to posts on this forum. As a manufacturer, we rely on our distributors to stock our products and provide customer support. While we do make ourselves available and provide support as promptly as we are able, sometimes there is a wait time. Barfly, if you would like to PM us your contact information, we will be glad to call you at a time that is convenient for you.

We are fortunate to have a highly educated staff at this location, with degrees in such fields as marine biology, environmental science, and chemistry. We are working diligently with the international R&D department to determine the source of the issue.

While I appreciate your response, it once again fails to answer the questions asked which seems to be par for the course with Hanna.

Let's try this once again...

Is it Hanna's position that we must buy new syringes and lab grade water to properly perform the tests?

why does Hanna continue to sell the ca checker despite the numerous problems?

It would be greatly appreciated if you can answer those questions. Seems like it should be simple enough to answer a couple of questions.

[xp964]

We thought that our post here (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2050181&page=7) had answered those questions. We didn't want to simply keep parroting the same response until we had something new to say.

To clarify:
The ratio of feedback to units shipped indicates that most users have been able to get repeatable and accurate results with their calcium checker.

We take all customer feedback very seriously and we ARE exploring all options to offer a better solution for those users who have not been able to get repeatable and accurate results.

Our tech department has worked closely with several users and found that using lab grade/pharmacy grade RO/DI water has in some cases produced more desirable results.
Additionally, though using the 1.0 mL syringe to measure 0.1 mL of sample is doable and practical, some users have had better results using a smaller syringe.

We would love to offer a smaller syringe but have been unable to source one smaller than 1.0 mL without a needle. The needle is not possible for our staff to handle or ship, as it poses a risk to our staff and our customers. In this litigious society, we do have to practice a little CYA. ;)

Barfly - if you are truly this dissatisfied with your product, please PM me your contact information and I will process the return.

[Barfly]

Thanks for the offer Hanna, but the unit has already been returned to the point of purchase and was issued a full refund by the LFS. They also expressed at the time that almost everyone who bought the ca checker from them was dissatisfied with the product.

[icepick511]

Thanks for the offer Hanna, but the unit has already been returned to the point of purchase and was issued a full refund by the LFS. They also expressed at the time that almost everyone who bought the ca checker from them was dissatisfied with the product.



I am new to the hobby (though I am a marine biologist) and I have been looking up devices to make sure my tank is working well, and I found this threrad quite interesting.

Barfly, you say that you returned your calcium checker for a full refund, but in previous posts you stated that you had NOT purchased a checker?

How did you return a checker if you never purchased one???

On that note, does anybody have any more information on the Calcium checker?

If not what should I use to check my calcium levels?

Thanks in advance. :spin2:

[Barfly]

I am new to the hobby (though I am a marine biologist) and I have been looking up devices to make sure my tank is working well, and I found this threrad quite interesting.

Barfly, you say that you returned your calcium checker for a full refund, but in previous posts you stated that you had NOT purchased a checker?

How did you return a checker if you never purchased one???

On that note, does anybody have any more information on the Calcium checker?

If not what should I use to check my calcium levels?

Thanks in advance. :spin2:


You are correct, the checker was not purchased by me, but rather a friend of mine who does not participate on rc. He tried several times to call the number given by Hanna, but was not happy with waiting on hold forever so he asked me to post here for him. Sorry for any of the confusion about the ownership of the unit in question, it certainly was not my intent to mislead anyone. Although the ca checker was not owned by me, I had it in my possession for about 1 week in order to do my own testing of the product. Not only is the product a massive fail, but to date, Hanna's response has also been a massive fail, imo.


As far as calcium test kits go, I like the Elos kit. It is very easy to use and I have found it to be very accurate. I liked the idea of the checkers because my eyes aren't as good as they used to be and I'm not getting any younger. I just hope that another company comes out with a checker type product to compete with Hanna's product. Maybe then Hanna will take their customers complaints more seriously.

[icepick511]

You are correct, the checker was not purchased by me, but rather a friend of mine who does not participate on rc. He tried several times to call the number given by Hanna, but was not happy with waiting on hold forever so he asked me to post here for him. Sorry for any of the confusion about the ownership of the unit in question, it certainly was not my intent to mislead anyone. Although the ca checker was not owned by me, I had it in my possession for about 1 week in order to do my own testing of the product. Not only is the product a massive fail, but to date, Hanna's response has also been a massive fail, imo.


As far as calcium test kits go, I like the Elos kit. It is very easy to use and I have found it to be very accurate. I liked the idea of the checkers because my eyes aren't as good as they used to be and I'm not getting any younger. I just hope that another company comes out with a checker type product to compete with Hanna's product. Maybe then Hanna will take their customers complaints more seriously.


Barfly,

Thank you for your advice, I will certainly look into the elos test kit.

I am unfamiliary with Hanna's products as far as aquariums are concerned (other than this forum and a little bit of browsing on their website), however I do have a fair bit of experience using some of their more advanced equipment. I have used their larger photometers for nutrient studies in coastal regions, as well as one of their multiparameter units to test pH and DO in vernal pools and I have had an overall positive experience with them.

I have talked to technical support several times, and they have always been helpful.


Again I have no experience with Hanna's equipment for aquariums and I am quite new to the hobby. I hope that this works out for you, and I will for now retain my trust in Hanna (as far as their more expensive meters).

Thanks again for your advice!

[Barfly]

Barfly,

Thank you for your advice, I will certainly look into the elos test kit.

I am unfamiliary with Hanna's products as far as aquariums are concerned (other than this forum and a little bit of browsing on their website), however I do have a fair bit of experience using some of their more advanced equipment. I have used their larger photometers for nutrient studies in coastal regions, as well as one of their multiparameter units to test pH and DO in vernal pools and I have had an overall positive experience with them.

I have talked to technical support several times, and they have always been helpful.


Again I have no experience with Hanna's equipment for aquariums and I am quite new to the hobby. I hope that this works out for you, and I will for now retain my trust in Hanna (as far as their more expensive meters).

Thanks again for your advice!

I have always heard good things about Hanna's other products. For some reason, they seem to have missed the boat on the checkers.

[Bryan]

I have always heard good things about Hanna's other products. For some reason, they seem to have missed the boat on the checkers.

Too bad they didn't target users on this board and recruit them as Beta testers for the checkers. I think Hanna has good intentions and trying to provide a good product for teh market, but I suspect most of the R&D was done by techs and engineers. Often flaws in products can be easily identified by the hobbyist's/end users who would be using the product.