Re: Anyone else having problems with Duracell batteries?

On 2023-01-13 13:19:55 +0000, Wade Garrett said:
> On 1/12/23 7:45 PM, Your Name wrote:
>> On 2023-01-12 23:54:46 +0000, Wade Garrett said:
>>> On 1/12/23 1:53 PM, Marc M wrote:
>>>> On Tuesday, August 9, 2022 at 1:39:37 PM UTC-7, Your Name wrote:
>>>>> On 2022-08-09 13:08:33 +0000, Wade Garrett said:
>>>>>> On 8/9/22 8:37 AM, alan vincent wrote:
>>>>>>> On Saturday, 18 December 2021 at 01:02:19 UTC, Your Name wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2021-12-18 00:11:19 +0000, Wade Garrett said:
>>>>>>>>> On 12/17/21 11:14 AM, Larry Hornsby wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> On Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 4:31:09 PM UTC-5, Elaine Sigo wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> On Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 11:18:12 AM UTC-4, jtmpreno wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/5/2020 5:51 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/4/20 11:08 PM, [email protected] wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Monday, 2 April 2012 04:40:21 UTC+5:30, AS wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> :::::SNIP
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes it happens to me, too, and has been for several years. I switched
>>>>>>>>>>>> to Duracell because Kirkland (Costco) batteries were much worse.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Not to be The Party Pooper, but Kirkland alkaline batteries are made
>>>>>> by..........Duracell :-)
>>>>> As with many other products, there is an illusion of "market
>>>>> competition", but the reality is that different brands are often made
>>>>> and sold by the same company or parent company, and therefore very
>>>>> little actual competitiveness.
>>>>> 
>>>>> The same happens with store branding, with different brands actually
>>>>> owned by the same company (e.g. here in New Zealand the "New World" and
>>>>> "Pak n' Save" supermarkets brands are owned by the same company - just
>>>>> up the road there is one of each almost next door to each other, giving
>>>>> an false illusion of competition).
>>>> I bought a large pack of AAA Duracell batteries from Costco. Expiration 
>>>> date: 2028.  They were stored properly (with all my other batteries). 
>>>>  After about six months I went to open the package and HALF the 
>>>> batteries were corroded.  The other half lose their capacity very 
>>>> quickly - they are essentially trash.  I contacted Duracell for a 
>>>> replacement under warranty.  They sent me a couple of coupons, but had 
>>>> the nerve to tell me this was a "goodwill gesture" and sent two pages 
>>>> of instructions on how to use and store batteries.  They clearly 
>>>> suggested this was MY fault and they were doing me a "favor" by sending 
>>>> me the coupons.  I will never buy Duracell batteries again.
>>> 
>>> Last year I had a similar problem with a 60-pack of Rayovac AA 
>>> batteries datd good till 2028 that I bought from the Home Depot.
>>> 
>>> They corroded/leaked and trashed a $100 Apple wireless keyboard. And 
>>> 15-16 of the batteries still in the retail package had corroded/leaked 
>>> and were covered with a white pastey powder. The ones in the keyboard 
>>> were wedged in there so tightly they could not be removed.
>>> 
>>> Rayovac (owned these days by Energizer) eventually sent me a check for 
>>> the keyboard and the pack of batteries-- but dragged me through hot 
>>> grease for about two months with numerous requests for additional 
>>> seemingly irrelevant info and pictures of the batts and the keyboard 
>>> from many different angles. I had initially submitted 11 clear pictures 
>>> and a lengthy detailed description of the damage and circumstances. We 
>>> traded a couple of dozen emails before they paid me.
>>> 
>>> Four other batts from the same package also leaked/corroded in a $40 
>>> ATT desk phone. But I was able to remove the crud and restore it to 
>>> function and decided not to go around with them again. They got off 
>>> cheap!
>> 
>> When you buy the batteries, you have no idea how long or how well 
>> they've been stored by the warehouse, delivery, and shop. Buying huge 
>> bulk packs is often not worth the supposed savings over buying smaller 
>> packs more often.
>> 
>> 
> Well I guess that's possible. But can't small packages be warehoused 
> just as long as the large ones?

They can be stored the same, but you're hopefully wasting less 
batteries in one go on the smaller packages because you know how you 
are storing each new pack - just don't buy lots of smaller packs at the 
same time, get them as needed instead and check the dates to get the 
latest expiry dated pack you can (which would have started it's 
shelf-life later).

Probably best to also avoid buying batteies at the big warehouse-style 
stores where they buy in massive bulk and sit around for long 
timeframes.



> Plus-- these days, many brands of alkaline AAA. AA, C and D batteries 
> claim a 10 year shelf life and have the expiry date printed right on 
> the battery case.

Expiry dates are in ideal conditions. If they've been stored 
inefficiently, then those dates are meaningless. Your ice cream pack 
may say it expires in six months, but if you don't store it in a 
freezer, it won't last anywhere near that long.



> I also give a failing mark to Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable AAs.
> 
> I paid a lot for a 12-pack of them-- includi9ng the correct Panasonic 
> charger. Eneloops claim to retain an 80% charge after a year's storage. 
> For mine though, after a year's light use and recharging, they all 
> started to self-discharge to zero in a week or so.
> 
> I emailed Panasonic Customer No-Service several times but never got any 
> kind of response from them. Phone calls went into Voicemail Hell and 
> were not returned.
> 
> These days, I just buy Costco private label batts which are 
> manufactured by Duracell. Haven't had any problems with them---so far!