TravelTech: Mohu Leaf50 - Poor Product - Best Buy And Mohu Refuse To Honor Warranty

Mohu
2720 Discovery Drive, 
Raleigh, N.C. 27616
Phone: 1-855-446-6648
Email: support@gomohu.com

Mohu Leaf 50 Amplified Digital Indoor TV Antenna

Maybe you like to travel in your motor home, RV, 5th Wheel, or camper and watch TV along the way. A portable, amplified antenna with a range of 50 miles would come in handy in many locations around the U.S., eliminating the need for an expensive satellite dish. Enter the Mohu Leaf50, just the thing you need and only $70, what a bargain ... NOT!

The Mohu Leaf50 is advertised as a small, portable amplified multi-directional antenna that gets great reception with a range of 50 miles. I beg to differ.

After paying $70+tax for this piece of plastic the size of a laptop screen, 10 feet of coaxial cable and connectors, and a USB that plugs into your TV, I have had nothing but problems. Watch the video below.

We are less than 40 miles from all broadcast towers in Kansas City and Topeka, well within the "50 mile" radius of the Mohu Leaf50, but reception is poor, sporadic and frustrating,

Having bought the Leaf50 at Best Buy, Best Buy and Mohu refused to refund my money even though even though I am only 5 months into the one-year warranty. Mohu also requires me to pay shipping if the product is defective, which it is.

Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna by Mohu does not work as advertised. Ten feet of coaxial cable connects to a piece of plastic the size of a laptop computer screen and it is supposed to get "great" reception with a "50 mile range". We are not on the road, but live in Lawrence, Kansas and it is a straight shot (flat) to Kansas City and Topeka with transmission towers 35-40 miles away (see photos below) and the signals fade out constantly, a real irritation.

I bought the Leaf 50 at Best Buy in August because of the reviews and figured that being an amplified, multi-directional antenna with a 50 mile radius, 35-40 miles of flat Midwest terrain should be a breeze. Wrong!

It worked "OK" for a couple months with intermittent but tolerable cut-outs, but when winter started to set-in, the cut outs became more frequent and longer on all channels. We have a few trees around the house so you would think that with the leaves being gone reception would get better, but it got worse, a lot worse.

FCC Transmission Tower Locator Website

I took the Mohu Leaf 50 back to Best Buy in December, but they would not honor Mohu's 1-year warranty, telling me "it's outside our 15-day return policy". That is exactly why this was the first thing I had purchased at Best Buy in seven years, their lousy return policy, and it will be the last thing I ever buy at Best Buy!

TV Reception Maps - Transmission Tower Locator Website

$70 plus tax for this cheap piece of plastic and co-axial cable is absurd and I cannot recommend that you buy one unless you are very close to the transmitters. Even though the FCC online digital reception map indicates that Fox (WDAF - 35 miles), CBS (KCTV - 35.7 miles), and ABC (KMBC - 39.3 miles) are all in the "green" (strongest) signal category, the constant loss of signal and reception is an aggravation I can live without. What a waste of $75. My $10 rabbit ears get better reception than the Mohu Leaf 50.

I contacted Mohu on January 11th, asking for a refund.  Here was their response:

"Dear Combatcritic,

We would like to acknowledge that we have received your request and a ticket has been created with Ticket ID - xx360.  A representative will be reviewing your request on and will send you a personal response. This usually happens within 24 hours.   

Please remember should you need troubleshooting assistance or if you would like to know what channels you should receive at your location you will need to send us your complete address so we can provide you with the most accurate assistance on the first contact.  Should you need to provide us with any additional information such as your address, order number, etc. simply visit your inbox and reply to the email confirmation.  

You may also be able to find immediate help using the links below.

Sincerely, 

Mohu Sales and Service

Business Hours: Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm EST"

I sent them my address on January 11th as requested, but here it is ten days later later (January 21st) and I still have not been contacted by a Mohu Representative. So much for doing what they promise.

Here is the warranty and return verbiage from the Mohu website: 

"Mohu Warranty and Returns

Warranty Details
Mohu warrants our products against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. During this period, the products will be replaced or repaired at no charge. This warranty does not cover damage due to acts of nature, commercial use, accident, misuse, abuse, or negligence. This warranty is valid only in the USA and Canada.

There are no implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purchase except to the extent that implied warranties of either sort are required by applicable law, in such case, each warranty is limited in duration to the one year.

Return Procedure
If you cannot locate your packing slip, please contact us via our Contact Us page http://www.gomohu.com/contact/ or by phone at our toll-free number 1-855-4GOMOHU (919-896-7696, 8am-5pm EST, M-F) about items you would like to return. Include your name, order number and approximate date of purchase for faster service. 

Customer is responsible for all return shipping charges. 

Items should be returned to the following address: 

Mohu, Inc.Attn: Return Department2720 Discovery Drive,Raleigh, NC 27616 

Returns sent to any other address will not be accepted."

I sent Mohu Customer Support the following message on January 17th:

"I disconnected the amplifier as your website suggests, but reception only got worse. I have a strong signal on most channels, just like the FCC website (and yours) says I should based on our location and that of the towers. Here’s a video showing the problems: 

As you can see, the signal is strong, but the picture fades in and out. Please let me know how to troubleshoot because I am not paying shipping to return your defective product. If we cannot fix this quickly, I’ll take the $70 loss and publish my review for Moho and Best Buy based on my experience.

I have moved the antenna everywhere in the room based on the limitations of the cables provided and nothing helped. I also unplugged the amplifier from the TV because Mohu said the amplifier could be faulty, but I had zero reception with the amplifier disengaged. 

Mohu finally contacted me and they refuse to fix the problem or stand behind their product:

"I apologize the below reply was not received, unfortunately this antenna will not work for your needs. 

Unfortunately the reception at ground level is weaker than shown of the FCC due to hills between you and the broadcast towers.  

At ground level the signal strength for most of the transmitters are in the low 30 decibel range which is typically too weak for the antenna to receive. To improve reception or have signals similar to the FCC database the antenna needs to be elevated. You should try the Leaf 50 antenna on the second floor or in the attic, you can use an extension coax cable after the amplifier to the TV less than 20 feet. 

The Sky 60 antenna is the only Mohu antenna that can be mounted on the roof for the best signal reception as well as connect more than 1 TV through a splitter. This antenna is also the best option for customers interested in recording the TV shows. 

Please let me know if you have any additional questions. 

Sincerely, 

Michelle, Mohu Sales and Service, 855-446-6648"

Oddly enough, contrary to Michele's claim that my "antenna will not work", their very own website claims that the Mohu Leaf50 is in-fact recommended for my location (note zip code for Lawrence, Kansas and the date in the screenshots below), adding that it will receive "25 channels":

So why does Mohu now claim that I have the wrong antenna? Here was my response to Michelle:

"Then why does your website recommend the Leaf50 for Lawrence, Kansas residents (66044) like me, falsely advertising 25 channels received? 

Your company has some serious integrity problems, false advertising included, and I will report you to the FCC as well as the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office.   

I will eat the $75 I wasted on your product, take it with me to the firing range, and use it for target practice with my 9mm Beretta, posting the video on my popular YouTube channel with a link to my review of Mohu on my popular blog: http://www.combatcritic.com/2016/01/traveltech-mohu-leaf50-antenna-with-50.html. Can you say “viral” video? Sure you can! 

Good luck with your lousy products and deceptive business practices. What goes around, comes around!"

I have already lost $75 on this product and I am not about to waste another minute dealing with this unscrupulous company. Their product is defective, not my fault, so why should I pay for shipping or another antenna? Most reputable companies cover shipping and send pre-paid return labels when their products go "tits-up". I guess that tells us what kind of company we are dealing with at Mohu ... Excuse me while I go buy a real antenna from a reputable company ... and it WILL NOT be at Best Buy.

CombatCritic Gives Mohu, The Mohu Leaf50, and Best Buy 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My 'WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

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Title: TravelTech: Mohu Leaf50 - Poor Product - Best Buy And Mohu Refuse To Honor Warranty

Key Words: Mohu Leaf50, Mohu, leaf, 50, amplified, HDTV, HD, multi-directional, antenna, TV, best, buy, false advertising, Best Buy, travel, value, product, technology, tech, review

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked-Up Beyond All Repair"