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fyi warning about liitokala varicore flagship store aliexpress..do not buy

Diysolar123

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unless you like gambling of course hehe
ordered 8 - 280AH cells for $850 and after a few months they arrived. packing was ok, however, several cells were pregnant by 6mm or more, still I tested all 8 of them using a battery capacity tester, fluke meters, ISDT chargers (calibrated), etc. at a 20Ah rate.
Its not like you need NIST certified gear to measure battery capacity that is off by 20%.

7 of the 8 were 270-280 so thats fine, however, one cell was only 215 on first test. Sent them a message rather that start a formal dispute that the cell was low and they said test again, make sure to test in isolation. So I did another full charge/discharge...and then another just to make absolutely sure. The cell was certainly below 230AH. They then went quiet on the message center.
So I start the dispute via aliexpress and here is where it gets "fun"...
The ONLY evidence they will accept that a batteries is defective if:
1)a professional battery load tester with calibration certs (you cannot use one of the 150W capacity units, probably one of the $400 units would be ok, maybe)
2)a video of the entire 24hour long test for the complete full charge and discharge cycle..which MUST be less than 500mb so it meets the aliexpress upload limit (maybe 320x240 video would fit if highly compressed but you would not be able to actually read the displays).

if you cannot meet those requirements, they will offer $20 which the aliexpress dispute team will agree with as you cannot/did not meet the liitokalavaricore store test requirements.

I would recommend anyone buying to avoid them on aliexpress and consider joining one of the group buy threads here on the forums.
sadly I found this forum just AFTER i made my order. The prices are not worth the trouble...
As we are all here to share triumps and warnings...I am sharing this warning (and I bought a replacement cell for my 8S string using one of the group buy threads as well as another 8 cells for my second string).
 
AliExpress is for the sellers, not the buyers.
Alibaba the same.

Sellers can ask all crazy questions and tests and the trade assurance or dispute department will agree you need to do those useless tests.

Discouraging system.

You might not be able to upload 500MB, but can upload to YouTube.

Usually that works, making YouTube video that have mentioned the name of the seller several times in the video and description.
Also provide a link to the product.

Sorry to read about your problems, but sadly it's with each purchase on aliX or Alibaba.
A gamble.

Look at it the positive side:
7 cells for $850,-
How much would they have costed locally???

The fight will go on and they will want you to return the cell.
After the seller received it, you get the $85-90 (?) Refund.
Sending to China (don't try to send as LiFePO4 cell) probably will cost you $75,-

They know this game better then you...

I would make counter offer, $50,- and let it rest.
You probably can bump it up to $35-40 bucks this way.

Order a new cell. And try to resell the low capacity one as 220Ah second hand.

Your total loss will be minimal.
 
shoot well i ordered the 8x 280ah batteries back in February 15th this year and haven't seen them yet,i hope i don't have the same problems
 
shoot well i ordered the 8x 280ah batteries back in February 15th this year and haven't seen them yet,i hope i don't have the same problems
You are fast approaching the 75 days or refund promise. Please keep us updated.
 
i did have another order that i made a month after i ordered the 280ah.
100ah order which came last week already tested and all up to specs
so its seems the 280,s are on back or been on back order all they tell me is they are in transit
 
shoot well i ordered the 8x 280ah batteries back in February 15th this year and haven't seen them yet,i hope i don't have the same problems

Like another said....your window for options is closing soon.
You have only 60 days to make a credit card dispute (unless your CC company specifically gave you more time)

Be careful of indefinitely waiting with no action on your part.
In some cases if you paid via PayPal you "might" (at PayPal's sole discretion) have up to 180 days.

Your luck getting a full refund from alibaba or aliexpress is just that....luck. It is Chinese custom to favor their citizens first in ANY dispute with foreigners. That's just the way China operates. It's their customs. Fairness has nothing to do with the process.

That said I just received a full refund from an aliexpress vendor who (a month after the order) told me the items was not available after all.
 
unless you like gambling of course hehe
ordered 8 - 280AH cells for $850 and after a few months they arrived. packing was ok, however, several cells were pregnant by 6mm or more, still I tested all 8 of them using a battery capacity tester, fluke meters, ISDT chargers (calibrated), etc. at a 20Ah rate.
Its not like you need NIST certified gear to measure battery capacity that is off by 20%.

7 of the 8 were 270-280 so thats fine, however, one cell was only 215 on first test. Sent them a message rather that start a formal dispute that the cell was low and they said test again, make sure to test in isolation. So I did another full charge/discharge...and then another just to make absolutely sure. The cell was certainly below 230AH. They then went quiet on the message center.
So I start the dispute via aliexpress and here is where it gets "fun"...
The ONLY evidence they will accept that a batteries is defective if:
1)a professional battery load tester with calibration certs (you cannot use one of the 150W capacity units, probably one of the $400 units would be ok, maybe)
2)a video of the entire 24hour long test for the complete full charge and discharge cycle..which MUST be less than 500mb so it meets the aliexpress upload limit (maybe 320x240 video would fit if highly compressed but you would not be able to actually read the displays).

if you cannot meet those requirements, they will offer $20 which the aliexpress dispute team will agree with as you cannot/did not meet the liitokalavaricore store test requirements.

I would recommend anyone buying to avoid them on aliexpress and consider joining one of the group buy threads here on the forums.
sadly I found this forum just AFTER i made my order. The prices are not worth the trouble...
As we are all here to share triumps and warnings...I am sharing this warning (and I bought a replacement cell for my 8S string using one of the group buy threads as well as another 8 cells for my second string).

Contact your credit card company.

Tell them you ordered 8 items and one of them was defective AND that you have been working with BOTH the seller and AliExpress and they have set impossible conditions on you returning the item.

And set back and enjoy the show.

EVERY SINGLE TIME that something like this has happened to me I just smh and contact my CC company ... and every time - I think I am up to 8 now ,,, I have got a REFUND ... as @fhorst said -- Aliexpress and Alibaba is for the SELLERS 1000% of the time and never the buyer ....
 
IMO opinion, a "bad" vendor is not one who sells a bad battery necessarily.....

A "Bad" vendor is one who sells a bad battery then won't quickly make good on it with the customer.

NEVER use PayPal "Friends and Family". That payment method by default has ZERO recourse in case of problems.
 
referring to ontberoadagain

As long as you did not use Friends and Family you should have 180 days to file a dispute.
I agree with Ghostwriter66 and would file a claim at least 30 days before the 180 day deadline.

Your CC company may afford you greater protection than the Credit Card law stipulates.
Check your CC purchase agreement. You might be fully covered and can get your $$ back for that bad cell.
Definitely worth a shot.

Let us know.
 
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was PayPal linked to your bank account or CC???

Either way - start a dispute with PayPal TODAY
i paid through paypal and used their credit psy system which gives me interest free payments if paid off within a year and no i did not use the family and friends
thanks for your reply and advice
 
was PayPal linked to your bank account or CC???

Either way - start a dispute with PayPal TODAY
when i originally ordered tbe batteries from aliexpress it said if i don't receive in 75 days i get a full refund ,which is reassuring .i do have 26 days till the 75 day period as per invoice states and clock ticking
i read all over this forum that large battery shipping delays are happening because of the chinese holiday and ship delays in LA harbor etc.etc.
thanks for your advice and reply
 
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when i originally ordered tbe batteries from aliexpress it said if i don't receive in 75 days i get a full refund ,which is reassuring .i do have 26 days till the 75 day period as per invoice states and clock ticking
i read all over this forum that large battery shipping delays are happening because of the chinese holiday and ship delays in LA harbor etc.etc.
thanks for your advice and reply
And you believe them??
Never thrust a car salesman.

The number of times I have had that date suddenly be extended with 30, 60 and even 90!! days (June, last year during the Corona postage crisis)

I would NOT count on this.
If you open dispute, Ali will ask you to wait 2 weeks, the. Again 2 weeks.
Then probably ask you to proof that you didn't receive them.

The sellers information that they are still in transit isn't proof you didn't receive. (According to Ali)

Start a dispute today with PayPal.
You can always cancel it later.

It can be just the European PayPal.
(I lived in Netherlands when I opened my account)
If we start a dispute, all seems like handled
The tiny letters tell you that you need to come back to the PayPal website (not mobile) after 24 hours and then escalate. (And within a week (or maybe 14 days, don't remember))
Without it..
Your dispute is discarded.
And you can make dispute only once!!!!
So if you forget to escalate... You are screwed double.
First by the seller, then by PayPal.

Crazy system.
 
well i did the dispute with paypal ,as of today i have 9 days for the seller to make his services good or i get a full refund,paypal has already put the money on hold
i have also put in a dispute at Aliexpress .
but in honesty its been 70 days since i ordered these batteries and i have heard on here that there has been people waiting longer due shipping delays etc yesterday o heard a guy just got his order from December last year
i am not too worried about getting my money back as paypal is in control , cheers and thanks for your replies
 
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