Before you buy an AFERIY Power Station, read this.
Thinking about buying an AFERIY power station or solar panel?
by Mads – September 28, 2026
UPDATE – 29 September 2026
I have now received my money back.
Not through the AFERIY customer-service process described below.
After AFERIY stopped responding, I opened a case with PayPal, documented the return, collected and submitted the relevant evidence, and pursued the matter through PayPal’s dispute process.
The purchase price has now been refunded following that process.
So the financial part of this story is resolved.
That is good news, and since I said I would update this article if I received my money back, I am doing exactly that.
But there is an important distinction:
I did not simply wait for AFERIY to process my return. I had to escalate the matter through PayPal.
The article below documents why.
My AFERIY customer service experience: a delivered return, tracking confirmation, Proof of Delivery — and still no refund
This is not a review about battery chemistry, inverter efficiency or whether an AFERIY power station can run a coffee machine.
It is about something considerably simpler:
What happens when you need AFERIY customer service after the sale?
In my case, I returned a solar panel.
GLS documented the parcel as delivered to AFERIY.
I gave AFERIY the tracking number.
I sent AFERIY a screenshot showing the successful delivery.
That was not enough.
AFERIY then required me to obtain an additional official Proof of Delivery (POD) from GLS.
I did.
I sent it.
And then?
AFERIY stopped replying.
At the time of writing, AFERIY has the returned product, the delivery documentation and my money.
So if you found this article while searching for an AFERIY review, wondering about AFERIY customer service, researching an AFERIY refund, or deciding whether to buy an AFERIY power station:
My advice based on this experience is very simple.
Look at the alternatives before you buy.
EcoFlow. BLUETTI. Jackery. Anker SOLIX. Zendure.
I am not claiming that every competing product is better than every AFERIY product.
I am saying something much simpler:
You have a choice.
And after my experience with AFERIY after-sales service, I would exercise it.
Here is why.
My AFERIY return should have been spectacularly boring.
Customer service is not an especially complicated discipline.
A customer buys something.
The customer returns something.
The return arrives.
The company refunds the money.
Four steps.
You might reasonably assume that a company selling power stations, solar panels and sophisticated electrical equipment would be capable of navigating this sequence without turning it into an international administrative expedition.
You might.
Then you meet AFERIY customer service.
The beginning: I would like my money back.
I returned an AFERIY solar panel.
Nothing particularly adventurous happened.
I did not teleport it.
I did not put it on an unregistered cargo vessel somewhere in the South China Sea.
I did not hand it to a man called Rüdiger in a supermarket car park because he said he “knows someone at the warehouse.”
I sent it as a parcel.
With GLS.
With tracking.
I even bought the return shipping label myself.
According to GLS, the parcel was delivered to AFERIY on 15 September 2026.
At this point, the story could have become spectacularly boring.
AFERIY could have processed the return, refunded the purchase price, and all of us could have gone back to doing something more interesting with our lives.
AFERIY, however, apparently had bigger plans.
AFERIY customer service had another idea: Would I like to buy something else?
On 17 September, AFERIY customer service contacted me.
They told me that their warehouse team had been asked to confirm my returned parcel.
Fair enough.
Then came this:
“Could you please let us know which solar panel you would like to replace – 200 W or 400 W – and how many solar panels you need?”
Once I confirmed this, they would calculate the price difference and send me a payment link.
This was interesting.
Because I had already explained that I did not want to order a replacement.
I wanted a:
Refund.
No new solar panels.
No 200 watts.
No 400 watts.
No price difference.
No payment link.
Money back.
A concept occasionally encountered in international commerce.
So I explained it again.
This time rather emphatically.
Not because I have developed an experimental interest in typography, but because there was a growing suspicion that ordinary letters might not be fully supported by the AFERIY customer-service system.
REFUND. PURCHASE PRICE.
Surely nothing could go wrong now.
Ha.
AFERIY’s warehouse needed to find the parcel GLS had already found.
The following day, AFERIY informed me:
“Once our warehouse confirms receipt of your returned solar panel, we will arrange your refund.”
By then, GLS had already shown the parcel as delivered for three days.
I pointed this out.
Because I am helpful.
And, apparently, now also an unpaid member of AFERIY’s returns department.
AFERIY asked me to allow some time for the process.
Of course.
Perhaps the parcel had physically arrived but had not yet arrived emotionally.
Perhaps there was a small welcoming ceremony.
Perhaps it needed to acclimatise.
Perhaps the solar panel was sitting in goods-in, patiently waiting for someone authorised to acknowledge its existence.
We do not know.
What we do know is considerably simpler:
GLS: DELIVERED.
AFERIY: We need to establish whether it has arrived.
And this is where my AFERIY customer-service experience became rather special.
AFERIY wanted more proof that its return had been delivered.
On 20 September, ordinary customer service quietly left the building.
By then, AFERIY had been given the GLS tracking number.
AFERIY had also been sent a screenshot of the GLS tracking information.
That screenshot showed the parcel as:
DELIVERED.
Not “in transit.”
Not “delivery attempted.”
Not “we think it might be somewhere near Düsseldorf.”
Delivered.
To AFERIY.
At this point, one might imagine that the retailer had two obvious options.
Option A
Accept the courier’s documented delivery and process the return.
Option B
If the parcel could not be located internally, ask its own warehouse what happened to a parcel GLS says was delivered there.
AFERIY discovered:
Option C
Ask the customer to investigate it.
The tracking information was apparently not sufficient.
The screenshot showing successful delivery was apparently not sufficient.
AFERIY now wanted a:
POD — PROOF OF DELIVERY.
from GLS.
This deserves a moment.
The courier had already recorded the parcel as delivered.
I had already supplied AFERIY with the tracking number.
I had already supplied AFERIY with a screenshot documenting the successful delivery.
And yet the burden of establishing whether a parcel had arrived at AFERIY’s own warehouse had somehow travelled backwards through the entire logistics chain and landed on my desk.
Let us reconstruct the AFERIY return process.
I buy the product.
I decide to return the product.
I buy the return label myself.
I package the product.
I hand it to GLS.
GLS transports it.
GLS records it as delivered.
I provide AFERIY with the tracking number.
I provide AFERIY with a screenshot showing successful delivery.
AFERIY cannot establish whether the parcel is in its own warehouse.
And therefore:
I contact GLS.
At some point, one begins to wonder what precise role AFERIY is playing in the AFERIY returns process.
But fine.
Perhaps tracking systems make mistakes.
Perhaps screenshots can be manipulated.
Perhaps somewhere in Europe there is a thriving criminal underground dedicated to falsely claiming refunds for returned solar panels.
AFERIY wanted stronger evidence.
So I did exactly what they asked.
I contacted GLS and requested the official Proof of Delivery.
Not because GLS had failed to deliver the parcel.
Not because the tracking information was unclear.
Not because the tracking number was missing.
But because the company to which the parcel had been delivered required its customer to obtain additional evidence from the company that had delivered it.
There is something almost beautiful about that.
AFERIY had effectively outsourced the investigation of its own goods-in process to the customer.
And I complied.
I obtained the Proof of Delivery.
I sent it to AFERIY.
At that point AFERIY had:
The returned product.
The GLS tracking number.
The GLS delivery status.
The screenshot documenting delivery.
The additional Proof of Delivery AFERIY itself had requested.
There was really only one piece of evidence left for me to provide:
A photograph of the solar panel inside the AFERIY warehouse holding that day’s newspaper.
And then AFERIY stopped replying.
After providing the additional document AFERIY had requested, I wrote again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Four further emails.
Number of replies:
Zero.
Refund:
Zero.
As of 28 September 2026, twelve days after the documented delivery, the situation was therefore refreshingly easy to summarise:
AFERIY had the returned goods.
AFERIY had the tracking number.
AFERIY had the GLS delivery confirmation.
AFERIY had the screenshot.
AFERIY had the additional Proof of Delivery it had specifically requested.
AFERIY still had my money.
AFERIY had stopped replying.
You almost have to admire the efficiency.
The problem with my AFERIY experience is not twelve days.
This is important.
I am not writing this because I believe a retailer should be publicly crucified if its accounting department fails to issue a refund within 48 hours.
Mistakes happen.
Returns take time.
Warehouses and customer-service departments are separate operations.
Parcels can be incorrectly booked in.
Things go wrong.
Fine.
Customer service becomes interesting precisely when something does go wrong.
Because that is the entire point of having customer service.
Anyone can provide excellent customer service when nothing needs servicing.
The test begins when there is a problem.
That is when you discover whether somebody reads the case, understands it, takes responsibility and solves it.
Or whether pre-written messages are fired at the customer until the customer either gives up or accidentally orders a 400-watt solar panel.
In my case, AFERIY produced this remarkable sequence:
I ask for a refund.
AFERIY asks which new solar panel I would like to buy.
I explain again that I want a refund.
AFERIY says it is waiting for its warehouse.
I point out the documented GLS delivery.
I provide the tracking number.
I provide a screenshot showing delivery.
AFERIY says this is not enough.
AFERIY asks me to obtain additional proof from GLS.
I contact GLS.
I obtain the additional Proof of Delivery.
I provide exactly what AFERIY requested.
AFERIY stops replying.
That is not merely a delayed refund.
That is performance art.
AFERIY customer service as occupational therapy.
There is a particularly irritating form of bad customer service.
It is not outright refusal.
It is not even rudeness.
It is the continuous transfer of the next administrative task to the customer.
Please send us this.
Please confirm that.
Please wait.
Please obtain another document.
Please explain again what you already explained three emails ago.
Each individual request can sound vaguely reasonable when viewed in isolation.
Taken together, however, they produce a fascinating result:
THE COMPANY KEEPS THE PRODUCT AND THE MONEY WHILE THE CUSTOMER DOES THE WORK.
The customer finds tracking numbers.
The customer checks delivery information.
The customer takes screenshots.
The customer obtains documents.
The customer answers questions that were already answered.
The customer sends reminders.
Eventually, the customer sends reminders about the reminders.
The case appears to be in constant motion.
Only the money remains impressively stationary.
That may be the defining feature of this particular kind of customer service:
An astonishing amount of activity can take place without anything actually being resolved.
“Thank you for your understanding”
There is another beautiful feature of modern customer-service communication.
AFERIY wrote:
“Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.”
A timeless classic.
“Thank you for your understanding” does not necessarily mean that the customer has expressed any understanding whatsoever.
It means:
We have decided that you understand.
Very efficient.
Perhaps the concept could be expanded.
“Thank you for receiving your refund.”
Then perhaps there would be no need to issue one.
AFERIY’s own refund policy makes this particularly interesting.
AFERIY publishes a return and refund policy on its website.
Among other things, the company asks customers returning products to provide a valid tracking number.
I did.
AFERIY also states that refunds are processed after the returned product has been received and inspected.
That is precisely where my case became absurd.
Because GLS documented the delivery.
AFERIY received the tracking number.
AFERIY received the screenshot.
And when that still did not resolve the issue, AFERIY requested an additional Proof of Delivery.
Which I also provided.
At some point, the question ceases to be:
What else can the customer provide?
And becomes:
What exactly is the company doing with the information already provided?
The solution would have been embarrassingly simple.
One sensible email would have been enough:
“According to GLS, your return was delivered on 15 September. We are checking the warehouse intake and will update you within X working days. If there is an internal problem matching the parcel to your return, we will resolve it.”
Done.
That would have been customer service.
Not exciting.
Not revolutionary.
Not disruptive.
Just somebody reading a case, taking ownership and dealing with it.
Instead, an entirely ordinary AFERIY return became a small administrative treasure hunt.
And there is a crucial distinction here.
If a customer provides valid tracking showing that a return has been delivered, and the retailer cannot locate that parcel internally, there is an obvious question:
Why is the customer being turned into the warehouse investigator?
I supplied the tracking information.
I supplied the delivery screenshot.
I then supplied the additional POD AFERIY requested.
There was nothing else for me to investigate.
Perhaps AFERIY is selling the wrong product.
After this experience, I suspect AFERIY may be overlooking its real area of expertise.
Power stations?
Solar panels?
Energy storage?
Sure.
But the company demonstrated an entirely different form of energy management:
THE CUSTOMER SUPPLIES THE ENERGY.
The customer writes.
The customer researches.
The customer tracks.
The customer obtains documents.
The customer follows up.
The customer asks again.
AFERIY stores it.
Perhaps that is the real power station.
Should you buy an AFERIY power station?
I can tell you what I would do after this experience.
I would buy something else.
That is not a technical judgment on every AFERIY power station or solar panel.
It is not a claim that an EcoFlow, BLUETTI, Jackery, Anker SOLIX or Zendure product will necessarily outperform a comparable AFERIY product.
It is something much more fundamental.
A power station is not a €12 USB cable.
Depending on the model, you may be spending hundreds or well over a thousand euros on a device containing batteries, electronics, charging systems and an inverter.
When I spend that kind of money, I care about more than:
watts.
watt-hours.
charging speed.
number of sockets.
price.
I also want to know:
Should you buy an AFERIY power station?
What happens if the product fails?
What happens if I return something?
What happens if a parcel cannot be located?
What happens if I need a refund?
What happens when I actually need customer support?
My experience with AFERIY has answered that question sufficiently for me.
So if I were choosing between an AFERIY power station and a suitable alternative today:
I WOULD CHOOSE THE ALTERNATIVE.
Which one?
Whichever one best meets my requirements.
EcoFlow.
BLUETTI.
Jackery.
Anker SOLIX.
Zendure.
Research them.
Compare them.
Read their warranty conditions.
Read customer experiences involving actual problems rather than only reviews written three hours after somebody opened the box.
And then decide for yourself.
But do not compare only watts, watt-hours and price.
COMPARE THE AFTER-SALES SERVICE.
Because specifications tell you what happens when the product works.
Customer service tells you what happens when it doesn’t.
And the cheapest product can become remarkably expensive once your time becomes part of the purchase price.
My AFERIY review: where things stand
I can only describe my own experience.
Fortunately, it is remarkably well documented.
According to GLS, my return was:
DELIVERED ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2026.
AFERIY was informed.
I supplied the tracking information.
I supplied a screenshot showing successful delivery.
That was not accepted as sufficient.
AFERIY requested an additional Proof of Delivery.
I obtained it.
I provided it.
I then sent further emails.
AS OF 28 SEPTEMBER 2026:
No further response.
No refund.
29 SEPTEMBER 2026:
The refund did arrive.
But not as the conclusion to the customer-service process described above.
After AFERIY stopped responding, I opened a case with PayPal, assembled the documentation and submitted the evidence of the return and delivery.
On 29 September 2026, I received my money back following that dispute process.
So, for the record:
Refund received: YES.
Ordinary return successfully resolved by AFERIY customer service: NO.
And that distinction matters.
Because the question is no longer whether I eventually got my money back.
I did.
The question is why a customer returning an ordinary solar panel had to document the delivery, obtain additional proof at the retailer’s request, send repeated unanswered emails — and finally escalate the matter through a payment provider in order to get the purchase price back.
That is the complete story.
And that is why this article remains online.
AFERIY RETURN & REFUND STATUS – 29 SEPTEMBER 2026
Return shipped: YES
GLS tracking: DELIVERED
Delivery date: 15 SEPTEMBER 2026
Tracking number supplied to AFERIY: YES
Screenshot showing successful delivery supplied: YES
Accepted as sufficient: NO
Additional Proof of Delivery requested by AFERIY: YES
Proof of Delivery supplied: YES
Further emails sent: FOUR
Further replies received: ZERO
PayPal dispute opened: YES
Evidence submitted to PayPal: YES
Refund received following PayPal dispute: YES — 29 SEPTEMBER 2026
Would I personally buy from AFERIY again? NO.
Would I compare the alternatives before buying an AFERIY power station?
ABSOLUTELY.
Patience and understanding:
Still awaiting confirmation from the warehouse.
Frequently Asked Questions about AFERIY Customer Service, Returns and Refunds.
Is AFERIY customer service good?
My experience with AFERIY customer service was poor.
After returning a solar panel, GLS showed the parcel as successfully delivered to AFERIY. I provided AFERIY with the tracking number and a screenshot showing the delivery.
AFERIY did not accept this as sufficient confirmation and asked me to obtain an additional Proof of Delivery (POD) from GLS.
I obtained the requested document and sent it to AFERIY. After that, despite several further emails, I received no response and no refund.
This is my personal and documented experience; other customers may have different experiences.
How does an AFERIY return and refund work?
AFERIY publishes its own return and refund policy, which customers should check before making a purchase or arranging a return.
In my case, I returned an AFERIY solar panel using GLS and supplied the tracking information. GLS recorded the parcel as delivered to AFERIY on 15 September 2026.
Despite this, AFERIY subsequently requested an additional Proof of Delivery. I supplied that document as requested.
As of the latest update to this article, the refund had still not been processed.
How long does an AFERIY refund take?
AFERIY states in its published return policy that refunds are processed after a returned product has been received and inspected.
My experience was different from the straightforward process I had expected.
GLS documented my return as delivered on 15 September 2026. AFERIY received the tracking information, a screenshot showing delivery and, subsequently, an additional Proof of Delivery that AFERIY itself requested.
As of 28 September 2026, I had received neither the refund nor a response to my four subsequent emails.
I will update this article if and when the refund is received.
What should I do if AFERIY says it cannot confirm my return?
Keep all documentation relating to the return.
That includes the shipping receipt, tracking number, tracking history, screenshots of the delivery status and your correspondence with AFERIY.
In my case, AFERIY requested an additional Proof of Delivery (POD) even after I had supplied the GLS tracking number and a screenshot showing successful delivery.
I therefore contacted GLS and obtained the requested POD.
Keeping a complete record also makes it much easier to reconstruct exactly what happened if the return or refund later becomes disputed.
What are the alternatives to an AFERIY power station?
There are numerous other manufacturers of portable power stations, including EcoFlow, BLUETTI, Jackery, Anker SOLIX and Zendure.
Which product is the right alternative depends on your requirements, including battery capacity, output power, solar input, charging speed, weight, warranty and price.
After my experience, however, I would add another criterion to that comparison:
After-sales service.
Specifications tell you what a power station can do when everything works.
Customer service becomes important when it doesn’t.
For that reason, I would compare not only the products and prices before buying an AFERIY power station, but also the warranty terms, return procedures and customer-service experiences associated with the alternatives.
ONE MORE THING:
I wanted to reveal my new project. But I guess, we have to talk about that later.
