Harmony Remotes

[Harm900JUNK]

I have the Harmony 900 ($399.99 JUNK Model) and cannot remove the battery.  Took it to Best Buy and  their Geek Squad cannot do it either.  I have about 20 e-mails from Lopgitech with an incident report, each e-mail followed by a similar e-mail as part of their automated loop.  Buyers beware, why doesn't this company support their expensive products?

[CatLogitech]

Hello Harm900JUNK,

I am very sorry to hear about your experiance with our Email Support team.

I would like to assure you that we take swollen batteries seriously.

If you still have the remote and your case number I would like to take a look into it for you.

Please check your PM.

[KyleRobotN]

Hello Cat,

I have the exact same problem. Can someone please contact me?

[CatLogitech]

Hello KyleRobotN,

You need to contact Harmony Support. Best thing to do would be to call in as you will get things taken care of more quickly.

[gotanewone]

just got off phone with support.  26 mins total time (hold and support).  Logitech is sending me a new 900 to replace the swollen one.  My device is no longer under warranty but it didn't matter. 

They said problem was from overcharging. Only charge for 3-4 hrs at a time. 

Thanks Logitech for making this easy. 

[rhachey]

Did your old battery have a blue stripe on it?  If so it is not  from over charging, it is the battery.  I have 4 Harmony remotes that are 3 and 4 years old and are on the charger every night for the last 3 or 4 years, the only problem I had was with one that had the blue stripe on it and it expanded, Logitech replaces it free even though it was over 2 years old at the time, I was still able to get the battery out.

[drsue]

My battery for Harmony 900 is going dead.  Took it to Best Buy -- they couldn't remove the battery and told me they don't carry the replacement batteries and that I have to deal directly with you. 

Please tell me -- how to remove the battery and where to get a new one.  I was sorry to see all of the problems with this remote.  It cost a fortune. 

[CatLogitech]

Hello drsue,

If you cannot remove the battery please call into our Harmony Support center. You should just need to push the battery in and then pull up slightly to get it over the lip that is holding the battery in. If it is a swollen battery we take those seriously and will assist you with this even if you are out of warranty.

[ssquire]

I had an issue a little less than a year ago with a swollen battery and was told the best I could do since I was out of warranty (more on that) was %50 off a new remote because mine was DOA.

About the out of warranty, I was on TDY for a year for the Navy and brought my (older yet still perfectly functioning) Harmony One to use in the apratment I was in. The 900 had a few months of use prior to the move and was disconnected from power for the year. When I came back and plugged it in, the screen went white and it was dead. That was when I discovered the battery was almost impossible to remove due to swelling.

Fast forward about 10 months and my new Harmony 900 has flaked out a couple of times (no backlight, black screen, unresponsive). I try to pull the battery and lo and behold, it is swollen and may be able to be pried out, but also not a good thing. Hopefully this time when I contact, it is better taken care of since it is still in warranty.

[Amfortas]

I too have ran into the swollen battery issue with my 900. After charging it'll work for a bit and then stop working. A "?" will appear in the battery status area.

For now I'm having to use my Harmony One remote's battery for both remotes since the 900's battery will not fit nor work properly. This is ridiculous! Based on everything I've read on-line a recall is overdue. Otherwise, a class action suite will be forthcoming.

I've used Harmony remotes for years. With the exception of the Harmony 1000 (which you could fix by placing something between the battery and cover) this is the worst yet. Logitech has a number of great products. How they handle the battery issue will be the deciding factor on if I continue supporting Logitech overall. I've long recommended Logitech products to my clients as well. I will not put my reputation on the line for a company's products when said company has lost my faith for backing their product.