Before you buy anything from LiTime, should know my consumer experience!!

[mortmann1]

The purpose of this is to let everyone know about my purchasing experience with LiTime so hopefully it will save you un-necessary waste of time and money.

I needed 2, 12v 100 Ah batteries for some equipment at work. After watching a lot of Williams videos I settled on LiTime’s self-heating batteries.





The batteries arrived around the 1st week of April.

I brought the batteries to our shop and prepared our equipment for the electrical system. The 3rd week of April I attempted to install one battery and test the electrical system. After opening the second battery I recognized that the battery was sloshing whenever I tilted it. There was some sort of liquid sloshing around inside, so I did not install or charge it. I contacted LiTime support and the following are the screen shots of the email correspondence with them.






*** FYI this video link is dead. It times out after a few days. Here is a new link.***

This is where our conversation has ended. They have not messaged me again nor do I expect a message.

It is worth noting that the battery has a puncture hole in the bottom about the size of a nail. I am guessing somewhere in their processing line it was set down on a pallet that was in rough shape with nails exposed then batteries were stacked on top of it. This caused the hole, and I have no clue where the liquid came from.

At this point I do not expect to get any money back, or even a new battery. I would prefer to get the money back but I doubt that will happen.

I hope this helps anyone on the fence with buying from LiTime!

Mike

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Does that damaged battery have a unique serial number?

 

[Mattb4]

Yeah it is sad the state of customer service these days from some companies. They ask for information that is spurious to the matter and than avoid responsibility after some back and forth.

"We 100% Warranty your product unless it fails."

 

[sunsurfer]

Thanks, I will avoid them in the future.

 

[Crowz]

I wonder if they are using pouch cells and that liquid in it is from a puncher of a cell?

 

[IGBT]

I have just received a few days ago my second set of four Li-time group 24 batteries with Bluetooth. I just cycled them and the voltage stayed within 1mV!! of each other (series connected, 48V system). They arrived in 3 days from when I placed my order, packed in a huge amount of foam.

I wouldn't hesitate to order again. But I always inspect and test my batteries the day of arrival, and I save all packing materials.

 

[Crowz]

If they won't make it right then mail it to @Will Prowse for a tare down.

Then wait for the crap to hit the fan !

 

[IGBT]

Wait a sec....why does that battery you have in the video say Ampere Time? How old is this video?

Oh...you bought used batteries...

 

[IGBT]

Looks like a new self heating 12V from Li-time is $273 with the 8% discount code. I'd not buy a 2 year old used battery that likely has been through unknown troubles to save $8. If I did buy said battery though, I would test it the day of arrival.

 

[Will Prowse]

What is the warranty for these "like new" batteries. I have never seen something like this before, this is awful.

 

[IGBT]

What is the warranty for these "like new" batteries. I have never seen something like this before, this is awful.

Did you ever do a tear down of the older Ampere Time batteries? Maybe they used pouch cells back then?

 

[outboard1196]

They claim same as new , 5 years ....

 

[Will Prowse]

Just told my contact this is not acceptable and that they need their money back now. Sent them your email that you registered the forum with. @mortmann1

 

[Will Prowse]

This one makes me mad. This should never ever happen.

 

[IGBT]

I agree that the OP should get their money back. Nobody goes through that much trouble to scam a company and his video and pictures prove he at least tried to meet their demands.

That being said, I imagine most any Chinese company would balk at someone not reporting shipping or other damage until almost month after receiving the item. They would again balk if you did not have pictures of the shipping container. Go ahead, try this with SOK, Vatrer, Chins etc. Heck, I bet even Battleborn would give you a bit of grief if you reported a damaged battery 3 weeks after receiving it.

I also think Li-time is pretty silly selling used batteries that old. Why? I know these companies must have razor thin margins, because they keep dropping the price against each other to the point you can't even buy raw cells as cheap. Still, I would think they could not need to resort to yard sales.

They should refund OP money and quit doing the used sales IMO.

 

[robbob2112]

I wondered what happened to the returned batteries -

I have never had an issue with them or their customer support - I am kinda of two minds about it - used battery not inspected - but regardless of inspection he has an order number and video to prove the battery hasn't been opened.

I would fall on the side of full refund unless there is a written linked policy of no-refund after 30 days or some such -

 

[mortmann1]

Thank you very much Will! I really appreciate your help!

 

[740GLE]

Wait a sec....why does that battery you have in the video say Ampere Time? How old is this video?

Oh...you bought used batteries...

Looks like someone was saving a few bucks and bought discounted batteries which were prob from warranty returns that went through some sort of QC and resold.

For the OP how was the shipping packaging of these units? Any puncture holes in the packaging?

Also if there is a hole in the bottom of the case, how is the fluid not dripping out? Or is it more of an indentation?

 

[Urban Refugee]

This one makes me mad. This should never ever happen.

Will have you seen the new Solid State Batteries by Yoshino? Will you be doing reviews on Solid State in the future by chance? Thank you for all you do!!

 

[NC_hydro]

I love my Litime Self-heating 12v battery. Has worked flawlessly in my remote internet box with 2 solar panels and a 20amp SCC.

 

[Backtrack8189]

I have mine installed on my RV for 6 months and just threw out the box yesterday.

I have the 460ah version. Now Epoch has a comparable version with the heater and i want that one.. Hopefully i don't have any warranty issues with the litime.

 

[seneysolar]

I also think Li-time is pretty silly selling used batteries that old. Why? I know these companies must have razor thin margins, because they keep dropping the price against each other to the point you can't even buy raw cells as cheap. Still, I would think they could not need to resort to yard sales.

Its easier to sell an used battery than it is to recycle.

Reminds me of used solar panels.. there's no recycling infrastructure in place yet for this stuff, can't throw it in the trash on a commercial level, its hazardous. If someone will pay a dollar for it, problem solved.

 

[Will Prowse]

Let me know if they fix the issue:

 

[IGBT]

Folks, this is called Willpower.

He is like the Robinhood of solar and batteries.

 

[50ShadesOfDirt]

Interesting ...

I do keep the boxes on new product arrivals, for at least a couple of months, until I'm sure the item won't need returning/exchanging. After a month or two of successful operation of the device, the box can finally get tossed. I modify this for how expensive the thing is ... if very expensive, like a LiFePO4 battery, that box hangs around even longer. This is a choice, so it differs among everyone, but the vendor has rules, and hopefully posted in their "returns" process on their website or materials.

And, those batteries are extremely well packaged ... about the only thing that could get through them would be a nail or other puncturing piece of shrapnel.

I would not know where the puncture damage came into the product, and the pallet theory is as good as any, but ... I do know that boxes get the crap beaten out of them during shipping, and I have seen some devices come out of some beat to heck and back boxes, miraculously still alive.

This tells me the shipping process is tough on things, and the shipping industry has a process for that ... inspect the box, from all sides, and if there is the slightest outside scratch on it ... start taking pics (a smartphone makes this so easy). If shipping damage got through to the device, file a claim with the shipper (and notify LiTime). I am not so sure that LiTime should eat a battery because someone didn't follow the shipping receive process ... the process is pretty much the same for any vendor ... receive the product from the shipper, inspect it, and if damage, note it and start taking pics. Then start working with both shipper and vendor ... when all else fails, have the credit card company reverse the charge (we all know to use a credit card, right?)

LiTime (back when it was AmpereTime) swapped a battery for me, at their cost ... there was a bunch of pic-taking, but it was pretty obvious that a BMS was faulty, and they swapped it out of a USA facility. Pretty nifty process ... and because I saved the box, I used their shipping label on that box, and done. New battery in no time ...

LiTime is good for many reasons, and is pretty much the only battery I buy ... this particular thread has some interesting flow of how things can go wrong, and not necessarily because of the battery vendor ... just insert panel in place of battery, and replay the thread again.