robbieg
Active member
I have used most the suppliers above over the years. However, I recently got a replacement engine battery rated at 720 EN. It was competitively priced and arrived next day and came from one of the largest online suppliers mentioned by several contributors above. When I received the battery it was only charged to 12.5v. I put it on a smart charger for 24 hours and it will now hold a voltage of 12.8V. However, on my battery tester it will only produce 613 to 628 EN. After some discussion with customer services I have been told that a battery is not considered faulty by them unless it is more than 20% below its rating-so circa 575EN. Since my tester condemns batteries that are more than 15% away from spec this seems odd to me. In my view the battery is not as described and not fit for purpose. I theory I can exercise my right to return the battery under the 30 day rule but in practice this seems to be a theoretical remedy as I cannot find a courier who will take LA batteries from a consumer-if anyone knows of one do let me know. I am still in discussion with them so I will be interested to see if they offer a resolution or whether I need to file a claim in the SCC.
So online is great and I have had many good batteries from this company in the past although to be honest I probably haven't tested them all and just assumed they were good. However, it does seem that there is a surprising (to me) view of what is acceptable in a new battery when it comes to complying with its specs and there seem to be real practical problems in returning a battery if the supplier will not assist. So maybe something to get clear with your chosen online supplier before you buy a battery-are they confirming it will meet spec and if it does not when you get it will they organise its return as faulty or are you expected to try and organise it yourself which seems difficult or impossible!
So online is great and I have had many good batteries from this company in the past although to be honest I probably haven't tested them all and just assumed they were good. However, it does seem that there is a surprising (to me) view of what is acceptable in a new battery when it comes to complying with its specs and there seem to be real practical problems in returning a battery if the supplier will not assist. So maybe something to get clear with your chosen online supplier before you buy a battery-are they confirming it will meet spec and if it does not when you get it will they organise its return as faulty or are you expected to try and organise it yourself which seems difficult or impossible!
