If you purchased solar panels from Costco, return them!

[DavidCruiseSF]

I purchased 6 solar panels from Costco when they had their recent special. I installed 5 of them (kept 1 as a spare) and they all seemed to work fine for 3 months, at least until the first rains came. One panel stopped charging a camera, another stoopped charging a light. I did the RMA with Arlo for the first one, and I just recieved a replacement solar panel from Arlo. I opened the box up and there are these new "wind brackets" that attach the cable in a much more snug fit to the camera AND the new panel has a warning sticker on the bottom of the panel next to the cable that says to not disconnect the cable "or damage may occur". 

Unbelievable.. Basically, all of the panel models purchased from Costco are defective units... Thanks Arlo! Maybe you guys should issue a recall now and stop trying to charge us $ to ship you guys back these defective products. I am glad I purchased these from Costco (along with my entire camera system) so I can easily just return them all. It is too bad that Arlo is screwing over all of its customers and a retailer like Costco. 

[steve_t]

I've had an original solar panel for over a year. It's been through torrential rain. But I was concerned about the connection so that part of the panel is facing downwards. No problems. But I guess other people had theirs positioned in such a way that water could get in and that triggered the change. So I don't believe the old units are necessarily defective but at the same time, if you can swap it for a "new" one, then I guess why not?

[DavidCruiseSF]

Mine are positioned just fine, and your panels have the same design defect the rest of all of ours have.

[jguerdat]

Except for all the rest of us that have no problems.