Harmony Remotes

[h0ckeypuck]

I took a small flat jeweler file and inserted it behind the battery to lift it over the tabs at the back. (It also provided a little friction to help slide the old battery out).Then I drilled a 1/8 inch hole halfway into the back of the battery and used a sharp needle (small finishing nail would do) to pry it out.Be careful not to drill all the way through the battery or you might be disappointed with the result..I inserted a replacement battery that I got on eBay for about 8 bucks..Probably voided any warrantee that I ever had but its better than listening to Tech Support from what I've seen here!  Seems to be working fine so far.

[CatLogitech]

For ANY swollen battery issue please call Harmony Support. We take swollen battery issues seriously and we will assist with this. Please do not troubleshoot swollen battery issues.

[illusionist]

Yeah what good does that do.  I talked with support and was given a 50% off code and told to buy a new one.  I find this highly unacceptable as I mearly went to find out what battery I needed since my remote is no longer holding a charge for more than a day before it starts yelling at me saying I need to charge it.  This is a very serious issue and needs to be dealt with as such.  I will not buy a new remote.  I would rather wait for it to catch fire burn my house down and promptly get a lawyer.

Well after speaking with a Supervisor the issue was finally resolved.  This however is extreme.  These remotes need to be promptly recalled as I fear if it wasnt for my rapidly depleting battery life and desire to fix what has been a great remote that I would have only caught this issue when I came home to a burnt down house.

Sincerely,

James

[CatLogitech]

Hello Illusionist,

I am very sorry to hear about your experience with our Harmony Customer Care. This is not normal and I do apologize. We take swollen battery issues very seriously and encourage customers who are experiencing this issue to call into our Harmony Support for the most prompt resolution.

[illusionist]

This is an Exact quote from the Rep Via email.  "I would just like to let you know that it is a normal behavior for the battery for your Harmony remote to expand slightly in size during normal use. The only time we should take action is if secondary symptoms occur as a result of the swelling. Such as: the battery not holding the charge for very long; and the battery swells to the point where you are unable to properly secure the battery cover" 

The remote is now being replaced but if you truely do take them serious why did I get the above response and only when I had to call to speak to a supervisor did the problem get resolved.  I was quite upset and still am that I was told "its normal and here is 50% off coupon buy another"  How is a customer who just spent this kind of money on a remote to feel when a rep tells them this is normal not a big deal and you have to buy a new one every year or so.  Has this issue been resolved with the new harmony one remotes?  Am I going to have to deal with this again?  I am at this point in time a bit uneasy about even using a repalcement remote for fear that it could catch on fire at any point in time.

James

[labrat6]

Thanks for this tip (from h0ckeypuck).  I used a small jewlers screwdriver instead of a file to pry the battery up after placing the remote in the freezer for about 2 hours (tip from another post).  Drilled a hole and used a small nail to pull the battery out.  I put in the new battery (purchased from Amazon) and the remote is charging as I write this.

[contempt1]

I just ran into the exact same problem. My remote no longer holds a charge and won't turn on. I was hoping to just reset it by removing the battery but can't remove it. Thanks to this forum, I now know it's just bad design from Logitech to make this as difficult as possible. Anyway, I got a really small flat head screwdriver and then a grippable form of pliers and was able to pull the battery out.

Only to discover this battery is completely swollen. Logitech has a major problem here with defective products. This requires a recall or something proactive from Logitech.

[rhachey]

Contact Harmony Support, they shoud replace the battery even if you are out of warranty.

[netbeans]

Amazing! The 1st post was @ 2009, and now is 2012. After so many years, and the swelling battery is still an issue?

I wonder if Logitech is taking this issue seriously.

My Harmony One can no longer hold it's charge for more than 5hrs. Decided to take out the battery and get the part # to buy a replacement battery. I can't take out the battery. Seems to be stuck in the remote. Contacted Logitech support and awaiting for response. The case was logged as 'not able to remove Harmony One battery', and Logitech support asks for a photo of the battery? Sigh...

[cmgrant]

I just dealt with the same problem. Didn’t bother calling support because I was out of the warrantee period. I was able to slide the battery up with a small screwdriver and the friction from the swelling held it in place. I then semi gently hit the bottom of the remote against my palm until the batter slid out enough that I could get a grip on it.