Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Re: Your favorite battery supplier or seller?
41 views
Skip to first unread message
mrob...@att.net
Jan 29, 2015, 11:56:01 PM1/29/15
to
Crossposted to sci.electronics.repair; it gets more traffic.
John Doe <alway...@message.header> wrote:
> I'm impressed by the number of clearly illegitimate battery deals on
> Amazon. Some of them are obviously too good to be true, even given
> Chinese dumping. Don't know if the problem is knockoffs, don't even
> know how products can be knockoffs nowadays when it's all made in
> China anyway... But obviously many of them are just substandard
> batteries.
Sometimes if you scroll waaaay down and read the fine print, it will say
"compatible replacement", or some other words that mean that you're not
actually getting what is in the big picture at the top of the page.
> So what's your favorite online retailer for batteries? Or your
> favorite battery seller on eBay or Amazon?
Depends on what kind of battery it is. I am in the US so I look at US
suppliers.
For gel cells - the things that go in most every "computer" UPS under
1000 VA or so, house alarm systems, etc - I order from Digi-Key or
Mouser, either Panasonic or Power-Sonic brand. I've been unhappy with
every other brand of these that I've tried.
For NiMH AAs, the only online shopping I've done is a pack of Eneloops
from Amazon. As far as I can tell, I got genuine cells, and their
performance has been as expected. Make sure it says "sold by and ships
from Amazon.com" in the listing; I think there's a check box for that,
which you can use when searching.
For a Li-ion battery for an older cell phone, I sighed deeply and bought
from the seller with the most sales and best feedback who stocked that
particular battery on eBay. I'm pretty sure I got a genuine battery,
but it had an old date code; it had probably been sitting on the shelf
for a couple of years. It took a few charge cycles to wake back up, but
it is doing as well as can be expected.
I don't think I've ever bought alkaline / carbon-zinc primary batteries
online. I've checked prices from online-only sellers, but in the small
quantities of AAA, AA, C, D that I use, it's usually just about the same
as going to the local discount store. For coin or button batteries, the
local prices seem to be vastly inflated vs. online, but then the minimum
shipping charge cuts in. If I happened to be ordering something else
from Digi-Key or Mouser, then it might pay to order a coin cell from
them.
For NiCd power tool batteries, I had my existing packs rebuilt by a
local Batteries Plus store. I don't know what kind of cells they used,
but they work a lot better than the worn-out original ones, and the
rebuild price of about $35 was better than the new-pack price of $50+.
The last time I was involved with buying lead-acid traction batteries
several years ago, I think the place where I worked got them directly
from the manufacturer (Enersys, nee Hawker, nee Gates). That seemed to
work OK.
Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration
from any companies mentioned.
Matt Roberds
John Doe <alway...@message.header> wrote:
> I'm impressed by the number of clearly illegitimate battery deals on
> Amazon. Some of them are obviously too good to be true, even given
> Chinese dumping. Don't know if the problem is knockoffs, don't even
> know how products can be knockoffs nowadays when it's all made in
> China anyway... But obviously many of them are just substandard
> batteries.
Sometimes if you scroll waaaay down and read the fine print, it will say
"compatible replacement", or some other words that mean that you're not
actually getting what is in the big picture at the top of the page.
> So what's your favorite online retailer for batteries? Or your
> favorite battery seller on eBay or Amazon?
Depends on what kind of battery it is. I am in the US so I look at US
suppliers.
For gel cells - the things that go in most every "computer" UPS under
1000 VA or so, house alarm systems, etc - I order from Digi-Key or
Mouser, either Panasonic or Power-Sonic brand. I've been unhappy with
every other brand of these that I've tried.
For NiMH AAs, the only online shopping I've done is a pack of Eneloops
from Amazon. As far as I can tell, I got genuine cells, and their
performance has been as expected. Make sure it says "sold by and ships
from Amazon.com" in the listing; I think there's a check box for that,
which you can use when searching.
For a Li-ion battery for an older cell phone, I sighed deeply and bought
from the seller with the most sales and best feedback who stocked that
particular battery on eBay. I'm pretty sure I got a genuine battery,
but it had an old date code; it had probably been sitting on the shelf
for a couple of years. It took a few charge cycles to wake back up, but
it is doing as well as can be expected.
I don't think I've ever bought alkaline / carbon-zinc primary batteries
online. I've checked prices from online-only sellers, but in the small
quantities of AAA, AA, C, D that I use, it's usually just about the same
as going to the local discount store. For coin or button batteries, the
local prices seem to be vastly inflated vs. online, but then the minimum
shipping charge cuts in. If I happened to be ordering something else
from Digi-Key or Mouser, then it might pay to order a coin cell from
them.
For NiCd power tool batteries, I had my existing packs rebuilt by a
local Batteries Plus store. I don't know what kind of cells they used,
but they work a lot better than the worn-out original ones, and the
rebuild price of about $35 was better than the new-pack price of $50+.
The last time I was involved with buying lead-acid traction batteries
several years ago, I think the place where I worked got them directly
from the manufacturer (Enersys, nee Hawker, nee Gates). That seemed to
work OK.
Standard disclaimers apply: I don't get money or other consideration
from any companies mentioned.
Matt Roberds
John Doe
Jan 30, 2015, 12:19:29 AM1/30/15
to
mrob...@att.net wrote in news:maf2ro$u9m$1...@dont-email.me:
> Crossposted to sci.electronics.repair; it gets more traffic.
>
> John Doe <alway...@message.header> wrote:
>> I'm impressed by the number of clearly illegitimate battery deals on
>> Amazon. Some of them are obviously too good to be true, even given
>> Chinese dumping. Don't know if the problem is knockoffs, don't even
>> know how products can be knockoffs nowadays when it's all made in
>> China anyway... But obviously many of them are just substandard
>> batteries.
>
> Sometimes if you scroll waaaay down and read the fine print, it will
> say "compatible replacement", or some other words that mean that
> you're not actually getting what is in the big picture at the top of
> the page.
Talking about eBay. Yep, definitely something to look out for.
>> So what's your favorite online retailer for batteries? Or your
>> favorite battery seller on eBay or Amazon?
>
> Depends on what kind of battery it is. I am in the US so I look at US
> suppliers.
Yeah, I have been hitting the "USA" button when sorting eBay results.
Mainly because I don't want the order to take forever to get here. Partly
for fun, I recently ordered 5 (200 V 10 A) diodes shipped from China for
$1.50.
> For gel cells - the things that go in most every "computer" UPS under
> 1000 VA or so, house alarm systems, etc - I order from Digi-Key or
> Mouser, either Panasonic or Power-Sonic brand. I've been unhappy with
> every other brand of these that I've tried.
>
> For NiMH AAs, the only online shopping I've done is a pack of Eneloops
> from Amazon. As far as I can tell, I got genuine cells, and their
> performance has been as expected. Make sure it says "sold by and
> ships from Amazon.com" in the listing; I think there's a check box for
> that, which you can use when searching.
>
> For a Li-ion battery for an older cell phone, I sighed deeply and
> bought from the seller with the most sales and best feedback who
> stocked that particular battery on eBay.
Yep, same strategy here. Sometimes I checked their feedback for that
particular item. Not necessarily easy when they have tens of thousands,
though.
> Crossposted to sci.electronics.repair; it gets more traffic.
>
> John Doe <alway...@message.header> wrote:
>> I'm impressed by the number of clearly illegitimate battery deals on
>> Amazon. Some of them are obviously too good to be true, even given
>> Chinese dumping. Don't know if the problem is knockoffs, don't even
>> know how products can be knockoffs nowadays when it's all made in
>> China anyway... But obviously many of them are just substandard
>> batteries.
>
> Sometimes if you scroll waaaay down and read the fine print, it will
> say "compatible replacement", or some other words that mean that
> you're not actually getting what is in the big picture at the top of
> the page.
>> So what's your favorite online retailer for batteries? Or your
>> favorite battery seller on eBay or Amazon?
>
> Depends on what kind of battery it is. I am in the US so I look at US
> suppliers.
Mainly because I don't want the order to take forever to get here. Partly
for fun, I recently ordered 5 (200 V 10 A) diodes shipped from China for
$1.50.
> For gel cells - the things that go in most every "computer" UPS under
> 1000 VA or so, house alarm systems, etc - I order from Digi-Key or
> Mouser, either Panasonic or Power-Sonic brand. I've been unhappy with
> every other brand of these that I've tried.
>
> For NiMH AAs, the only online shopping I've done is a pack of Eneloops
> from Amazon. As far as I can tell, I got genuine cells, and their
> performance has been as expected. Make sure it says "sold by and
> ships from Amazon.com" in the listing; I think there's a check box for
> that, which you can use when searching.
>
> For a Li-ion battery for an older cell phone, I sighed deeply and
> bought from the seller with the most sales and best feedback who
> stocked that particular battery on eBay.
particular item. Not necessarily easy when they have tens of thousands,
though.
Wayne Chirnside
Jan 31, 2015, 9:53:52 AM1/31/15
to
Fast, worked, cheap.
John Doe
Feb 2, 2015, 2:26:16 PM2/2/15
to
ON THE WAY
That brand (probably Chinese) is falsifying reviews for its products.
http://www.amazon.com/ON-3800mAh-Rechargeable-Protected-Battery/product-
reviews/B00ODO8ANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0
&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
They are verified purchasers, but... Notice almost all of them are
either first, middle/initial, and last names. Then click on "other
reviews" and you can clearly see that they are all the same person.
"I can see for miles and miles and miles, Oh yeah... la la la"
That brand (probably Chinese) is falsifying reviews for its products.
http://www.amazon.com/ON-3800mAh-Rechargeable-Protected-Battery/product-
reviews/B00ODO8ANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0
&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
They are verified purchasers, but... Notice almost all of them are
either first, middle/initial, and last names. Then click on "other
reviews" and you can clearly see that they are all the same person.
"I can see for miles and miles and miles, Oh yeah... la la la"
default
Feb 2, 2015, 5:28:15 PM2/2/15
to
On Mon, 2 Feb 2015 19:25:39 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
<alway...@message.header> wrote:
>ON THE WAY
>
>That brand (probably Chinese) is falsifying reviews for its products.
>
>http://www.amazon.com/ON-3800mAh-Rechargeable-Protected-Battery/product-
>reviews/B00ODO8ANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0
>&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
>
>They are verified purchasers, but... Notice almost all of them are
>either first, middle/initial, and last names. Then click on "other
>reviews" and you can clearly see that they are all the same person.
>
>"I can see for miles and miles and miles, Oh yeah... la la la"
>
There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
<alway...@message.header> wrote:
>ON THE WAY
>
>That brand (probably Chinese) is falsifying reviews for its products.
>
>http://www.amazon.com/ON-3800mAh-Rechargeable-Protected-Battery/product-
>reviews/B00ODO8ANI/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0
>&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
>
>They are verified purchasers, but... Notice almost all of them are
>either first, middle/initial, and last names. Then click on "other
>reviews" and you can clearly see that they are all the same person.
>
>"I can see for miles and miles and miles, Oh yeah... la la la"
>
Amazon. If it sounds too good, etc. you just need to check the "other
reviews from this buyer" (in the five star category) and you will
invariable see that they only have one review for that particular
product, or just reviews on all of one seller's product, and usually
all written within the space of a week or less...
This is Amazon's fault IMO for making the system easy to game.
I depend on the reviews when buying on Amazon, but sometimes vetting
the reviews is so time consuming it is just easier to find a retailer
that depends on trust to stay in business.
John Doe
Feb 2, 2015, 10:18:44 PM2/2/15
to
default <def...@defaulter.net> wrote:
> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
> Amazon.
The company "ON THE WAYŽ" is recklessly fraudulent. Here's another
> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
> Amazon.
example below. All twenty-one reviews are 5-stars and probably
all by the company itself, on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/ON-Presenter-Pointer-Powerpoint-Presentation/product-reviews/B00NOR9YPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
default
Feb 3, 2015, 9:47:28 AM2/3/15
to
On Tue, 3 Feb 2015 03:18:07 +0000 (UTC), John Doe
<alway...@message.header> wrote:
>default <def...@defaulter.net> wrote:
>
>> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
>> Amazon.
>
>The company "ON THE WAY®" is recklessly fraudulent. Here's another
<alway...@message.header> wrote:
>default <def...@defaulter.net> wrote:
>
>> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
>> Amazon.
>
>example below. All twenty-one reviews are 5-stars and probably
>all by the company itself, on Amazon.
>
>http://www.amazon.com/ON-Presenter-Pointer-Powerpoint-Presentation/product-reviews/B00NOR9YPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
A google search yielded:
>all by the company itself, on Amazon.
>
>http://www.amazon.com/ON-Presenter-Pointer-Powerpoint-Presentation/product-reviews/B00NOR9YPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
"Ms. Carole Adamowicz has left 47 product reviews and they are all 5
star. Raving reviews of all 47 products, coincidentally, all sold by
EcoClean Solutions."
From Amazon's own forum...
NYT article on false reviews
The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy
http://tinyurl.com/asosf73
Forbes
They claim 300 reviews costs $6,000!
http://tinyurl.com/9gzr29o
Rutherford’s venture collapsed when Google stopped him advertising his
services and Amazon pulled many, although not all, of his reviews from
their system. But that hasn’t put a stop to false reviews.
Indeed, many authors will recognize the phenomenon of the malicious
one-star review designed to sabotage their book. Although Amazon
prohibits “spiteful remarks” it is difficult to get such reviews
removed. There’s absolutely no doubt that some of these reviews are
coming from other authors who see self-publishing as a zero sum game
in which if they lose out if another author does well. Others may come
from an author’s fans who see anyone else’s success as a threat to
their idol, or from grifters and trolls who just get off on attacking
strangers in public.
John Doe
Feb 3, 2015, 11:54:00 AM2/3/15
to
John Doe <alway...@message.header> wrote:
> default <def...@defaulter.net> wrote:
>
>> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
>> Amazon.
>
> The company "ON THE WAY®" is recklessly fraudulent. Here's another
> default <def...@defaulter.net> wrote:
>
>> There must be some folks getting paid to write false reviews on
>> Amazon.
>
> example below. All twenty-one reviews are 5-stars and probably
> all by the company itself, on Amazon.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/ON-Presenter-Pointer-Powerpoint-Presentation/product-reviews/B00NOR9YPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
Looks like they removed the product. Now they just need to look at the
> all by the company itself, on Amazon.
>
> http://www.amazon.com/ON-Presenter-Pointer-Powerpoint-Presentation/product-reviews/B00NOR9YPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_top_recent?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
other products from that company, like this one...
http://www.amazon.com/ON-WAY%C2%AE18650-3800mah-Rechargeable-Battery/product-reviews/B00ODMBJ5G/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=byRankDescending
0 new messages