Before a charger is boxed for return, three layers of evidence decide whether it should travel at all: what the customer reports, what the charger’s own records show, and what the maker’s documented checks find. Run in that order, remote diagnosis is a return gate — it closes the cases that never needed freight, and sends the rest back with the evidence attached.
Key Takeaways
- Remote diagnosis before a return is a gate, not a repair service: report, records, documented checks — in that order.
- Each layer settles a different question; damage and internal faults are what the ladder cannot clear, and those are what returns are for.
- No published remote-fix rate exists — measure your own from the return log, split by finding.
- The evidence gathered at the gate travels with the RMA; it is what the warranty decision and the bench test both run on.
The Evidence Ladder
| Evidence source | What it can settle | What it cannot settle | The decision it gates |
|---|---|---|---|
| The customer’s report | When the fault appeared, what the unit does or refuses to do, what changed at the site | Whether the charger itself is at fault — reports describe symptoms, not causes | Whether to open a case at all, and which records to pull first |
| Session and fault records | Whether sessions started and stopped, what the unit logged at the time, whether the fault repeats | Physical state of cables, connectors, internals — records show behaviour, not damage | Desk closure for record-level faults, or escalation to guided checks |
| Guided checks from the maker’s documents | Whether the checks clear the unit, the supply or the vehicle side of the report | Anything beyond the checks published for that model — improvisation is not diagnosis | Authorise the return, evidence in the case file, or close at the desk |
| Photos and video from site | Visible damage, connector condition, installation context the records cannot show | Internal faults with no external sign — a clean photograph proves nothing about a board | Whether the case is a warranty claim at all, or damage handled on other terms |
What the Gate Decides
Every case leaves the ladder by one of three doors:
- Closed at the desk. The records or checks settle it — a configuration issue, a supply interruption, a vehicle-side cause. The finding goes in the case file, so a repeat report starts from it.
- Fixed in place. A field-replaceable item fitted by qualified hands under the maker’s documents — the unit never travels.
- Authorised return. The fault survives the ladder. The unit ships under an RMA number, and the evidence travels with the case — the process our spare parts and RMA guide sets out. A return authorised without the ladder usually comes back “no fault found”, at someone’s freight cost.
Network operators run remote work from the other seat — clearing faults on a live estate, under the pairing discipline the OCPP explainer sets out. The reseller’s gate is narrower: not “can this be fixed remotely?” but “has enough been proven to justify a return?”
Where the Evidence Lives on EVDANCE Hardware
The EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station and the EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger (22 kW DC, IP54) both state OCPP 1.6J, so their session and fault records surface on the platform the site is paired with. EVDANCE operates no platform — the records sit with your platform and case file, not with us. The portable range states no remote-diagnosis capability: for a unit like the EV-ACS3210E (32 A Type 2, app with energy monitoring, described as OCPP-ready), the pre-return evidence is the customer’s report plus the checks our documentation supports — never an invented code list. Which checks apply to which model, and what evidence a claim needs, are confirmed in writing via contact us; claims themselves run on the 3-year standard warranty’s terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of reported faults can be settled without a return?
No sourced figure exists, and none is quoted here. The share depends on your fault mix — estates dominated by configuration and supply issues close most at the desk; damage-heavy estates close few. Your return log, split by finding, is the only source entitled to quote it.
Can a portable charger be diagnosed remotely?
Only in the limited sense the model supports: the customer’s report, photos, and the checks the maker’s documentation describes for it. A portable with no stated protocol produces no session records to read. Plan the gate around what the exact model actually documents.
What should travel with an authorised return?
The case file: the original report, the records pulled, the checks run and their results, and photos where they exist. That pack turns the bench test from a fresh investigation into a confirmation — and it is the evidence the warranty decision runs on.
Related Reading
- EV Charger Spare Parts and RMA Process for Distributors
- OCPP Explained: What Charge Point Operators Need From EV Charger Hardware
- Commercial EV Charger Maintenance Checklist
- How Do Commercial EV Charging Stations Work?
