Has anyone purchased a door from cooptender.com?

[jsouza112]

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! (COOP TENDER Solar Automatic Door with back up battery that doesn't work)

I ordered the item and it took almost 5 weeks to receive, I didn't get the tracking number until I called. Then I got the item and installed the solar automatic door with battery back-up. The door wouldn't open, I tried every trouble shooting item that was presented. I then called the customer service line at 1030, they told me I would get a call back shortly. I called again at 130, they told me someone would call me back shortly, so I asked what time they close and they replied 400 PM. I called again at 330 and was told someone would call me but it now may be until Monday. So I have a $325 door that doesn't work and I have to grab each chicken and bring them around to the back door. Absolutely Horrible customer Service, if I would have know how badI would have not bought the product.

 

[Buckethead71]

Unreliable, horrible customer service, constantly malfunctioning. We've experience stranded birds in run and trapped birds in the coop due to constant malfunctions. Backyard Birds message board and other off the grid website also has many negative reviews for very same issues we experienced. Amazon has only a 50% satisfactory rating.I didn't do enough research before purchasing. For the cost you would assume a better product. Jim Miller promised me a refund and I shipped the door back at over a $90.00 expense. Jim short paid my refund by over $190.00. We have chickens with frost bite and a dismantled coop with a temporary door at this time. I RECOMMEND STAYING AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY AND THE PRODUCT.

 

[Merrick]

I have purchased two of the doors. This is my experience:

1) The door/s has not worked reliably for as much as 1 week. As this moment my chickens are stranded inside the coop. It took me an hour the last time this occurred to remove, troubleshoot and reinstall the door on the coop.

2) NEVER install one without having a manual door to let the chickens in and out when a glitch occurs in the door (which I assure you it will).

3) lots of people to answer the phone to take a sales order from you...Never have I been able to talk to a tech when I was in need.

4) Had one of my brainless chickens try to leave when the door was closing...needless to say that chicken is now on the other side. I cannot understand how a chicken could get itself caught is such a slow moving door.

5) My door is set "Dusk to Dawn" ...an auto mode that opens and closes the door based on intensity of sun light. For some reason...it will on it's own...go into "Manual Mode".

6) In summary:
a) door Most of the time works well
b) door cost about twice what is should cost...having had to open it up and see it's contents
c) use it for fun....to let the chickens out on the weekends when you want to sleep in...it's not reliable enough to leave it on its own
d) Install a manual door for a backup when it fails...this happens to me as I'm leaving for work and see"green indicator" lights instead of red (which indicates the door is open) and cant spend the time to fix the problem
e) the company needs to install a sensor to detect objects in the path of the door so it will reopen if a chicken is in the doorway....unfortunately this is could be good and bad...if it let a predator in
f) Plan on fixing it on your own as you wont get help when you need it the most
g) Company needs to do more research on there product to get some "bugs" out of it

 

[featherhead007]

I am looking into an auto door as well, This seems like a good idea, I'm doing research to find practical purposes and installations.... I am an Engineer after all!

 

[featherhead007]

I am looking into an auto door as well, This seems like a good idea, I'm doing research to find practical purposes and installations.... I am an Engineer after all!

 

[Merrick]

I have now owned my Coop tender doors(two of them) for a few months. I will add that the solar power system seems under powered. I bought 2 extra batteries from Amazon (cheaper and same physical size, voltage and mAh) to keep a battery with adequate power. Just now I had to open my manual door as the automatic door (coop tender) on it's own went back into manual mode.

The doors fail about 1 time per week. The motor is starting to make noise and struggling despite my opening up the system and greasing the spiral rod that turns to open and close the door. The motor speed/sound is fine when you run it directly from 12 volt battery. So I feel there is a glitch developing in the "brains" (or lack thereof) in the controls.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS: UNLESS THE COMPANY REVISES OR MODIFIES THE SYSTEM DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. TOO EXPENSIVE AND TOO UNRELIABLE.

I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT IF THEY REALLY STOOD BEHIND THERE PRODUCT WARRANTY SERVICE WOULD INCLUDE THE COST (AND THE HASSEL WOULD BE LESS) OF RETURNING A MALFUNCTIONING UNIT. AFTER ALL. A GOOD PRODUCT SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE RETURNED.

I WOULD LOVE TO SELL MY DOORS BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER AND MY WARRANTY AS WELL. AND THE HOLE IN THE WALL OF MY COOPS WAS SIZED TO FIT A DIFFERENT AUTOMATIC DOOR.....STILL SEARCHING.

 

[featherhead007]

I built an auto door using an old 12vdc car antenna motor and actuator... fancy things being sold as "just what we need", are usually too good to be true!

 

[Pstock44]

I've been using this door for about a year. It's battery operated, solar charged and the door operates automatically with a light sensor. Just added another one to my 2nd coop and tied into the same battery. I love the doors and have never had any issues of any kind. Has made life and sleeping in so enjoyable!
Chickendoors.com

 

[Pstock44]

BTW, I have no affiliation with chicken doors. Just posting my feedback because I've seen so much against the one this thread was started about.