Battery Warranty - What are the chances of replacement? (1 Viewer)

[EuroTrotters]

Hi,

In an Emergency, we had to stop at a boat yard in Spain and get a battery fitted (they also had some caravans and motorhomes for sale and service).

They Fitted a Vetus 100ah AGM Battery and charged us €320 for the privilege. I suspect in-fact that the battery was second hand.

The battery is now not holding charge or powering our inverter.

I purchased it on the 12th August 2017. I am not able to get the battery back until October this year.

Do you think I stand much chance of credit or refund?. Paid by Credit card but don't think that will make much difference after 12 months.

TM

 

[Figaro]

I purchased it on the 12th August 2017.

Are you driving a time machine ?

Did you take a note of the Lotto numbers for Friday ?

 

[Gellyneck]

Hi,

In an Emergency, we had to stop at a boat yard in Spain and get a battery fitted (they also had some caravans and motorhomes for sale and service).

They Fitted a Vetus 100ah AGM Battery and charged us €320 for the privilege. I suspect in-fact that the battery was second hand.

The battery is now not holding charge or powering our inverter.

I purchased it on the 12th August 2017. I am not able to get the battery back until October this year.

Do you think I stand much chance of credit or refund?. Paid by Credit card but don't think that will make much difference after 12 months.

TM

Worth a read -

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[Lenny HB]

Out of interest do you have a proper AGM charger and if using solar does your regulator have an AGM setting as AGM's are very particular on charging.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Are you driving a time machine ?

Did you take a note of the Lotto numbers for Friday ?

Funny thing happened the other morning, think a ghost/spirit threw a piece of paper at me.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Out of interest do you have a proper AGM charger and if using solar does your regulator have an AGM setting as AGM's are very particular on charging.

Its an EBL99 Shaudt Elektroblok

The Chandlers who fitted it set the charger to "GEL"

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[Lenny HB]

Its an EBL99 Shaudt Elektroblok

The Chandlers who fitted it set the charger to "GEL"

There's your answer AGM's don't like that, the pair of AGM's on my last van lasted 18 months charged via EBL set to Gel.

 

[Spanner]

Vetus have quite a few dealers in the UK, maybe this one is near you

Kingslock Chandlery Ltd
E-mail: sales@kingslock.co.uk
Phone: +44 1606 737564
Address: Booth Lane, CW10 0 JJ, Middlewich, United Kingdom

May be worth a try, so are you feeling lucky ?

 

[TheBig1]

a snowballs chance in hell of getting a refund

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[Spanner]

Vetus.co.uk

After all the worst they could say is **** ***

 

[Lenny HB]

a snowballs chance in hell of getting a refund

Agree, they are a dual purpose battery so they will carry out a CCA test which is a starter battery test.
Mine passed the CCA test at 79% but on a low discharge of 5-10 amps only lasted for 10a/h.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Thinking of Going Trojan Gel!

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[Lenny HB]

I replaced the AGM's in the last van with Sonnenschein Gels an Exide company they make the Exide Gels, Sonnenschein branded they are quite a bit cheaper than Exide.
As they were just over a year old put them in the new as I didn't want AGM again, then added a 3rd.

 

[SuperMike]

Battery warranty.

 

[maxi77]

I would contact Vetus directly, an agent in the UK (they are a Dutch company) has no real responsibility. Vetus are a well know company in the boating world and have been around for some time so may be willing to help to avoid losing goodwill

https://www.vetus.com/contact

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[PhilandMena]

Agree, they are a dual purpose battery so they will carry out a CCA test which is a starter battery test.
Mine passed the CCA test at 79% but on a low discharge of 5-10 amps only lasted for 10a/h.

I suspect the reason they carry out CCA test is because there is no national or international standard for a leisure battery. Only a starter battery. The battery industry needs to step up and get this sorted.

 

[PhilandMena]

There's your answer AGM's don't like that, the pair of AGM's on my last van lasted 18 months charged via EBL set to Gel.

I thought those were Banner batteries that failed on your last van. Perhaps it is your view this charger is no good for any AGM batteries ?

 

[Lenny HB]

I thought those were Banner batteries that failed on your last van. Perhaps it is your view this charger is no good for any AGM batteries ?

As I have said before just search the German forums and you will see how good or not AGM batteries are for motorhomes. If you do the research its not hard to find the info Varta's have been failing as well even with the correct charger.
The EBL or any charger set to Gel is unsuitable AGM batteries, if you are going to use AGM batteries in a motorhome you need ones designed for the job and they are around £300 then you need a proper charger not a cheap option.

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[jessthedog]

I suspect the reason they carry out CCA test is because there is no national or international standard for a leisure battery. Only a starter battery. The battery industry needs to step up and get this sorted.

Be difficult with lesiure batteries, because people use them differently. Unless the battery had some type of memory processor that told you what was happening too it and it could be downloaded.
Some abuse their batteries with invertors, drawing alot of power from hair dryers, microwaves etc.
A starter battery just cranks the engine, so will be easier, because you know the job it has carried out.

 

[mitzimad]

ive always been of the opinion that battery warranties are as much use as a chocolate tea pot after the first month i hope you can prove me wrong

 

[PhilandMena]

As I have said before just search the German forums and you will see how good or not AGM batteries are for motorhomes. If you do the research its not hard to find the info Varta's have been failing as well even with the correct charger.
The EBL or any charger set to Gel is unsuitable AGM batteries, if you are going to use AGM batteries in a motorhome you need ones designed for the job and they are around £300 then you need a proper charger not a cheap option.

Whoops! I missed the post about the charger being set to GEL when AGM were fitted. That would do it for sure.

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[Reallyretired]

A year or two ago I bought a 100Ah flooded battery, very cheap from Chichester caravans. After a year it was kaput, but they replaced it without any hesitation.
Your Spanish boatyard is a different matter though.

 

[Infinity31]

As I have said before just search the German forums and you will see how good or not AGM batteries are for motorhomes. If you do the research its not hard to find the info Varta's have been failing as well even with the correct charger.
The EBL or any charger set to Gel is unsuitable AGM batteries, if you are going to use AGM batteries in a motorhome you need ones designed for the job and they are around £300 then you need a proper charger not a cheap option.

A link to some German forums would be good please. I'm awaiting delivery of a German van with AGM's and would like to be armed all the info I can get.

 

[EuroTrotters]

The Boat Yard have asked me to return the Battery for them to test....

"If we can't load it, we will replace it"

TM

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[Dorset Diver]

You could claim from your credit card company under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. The supplier and the credit card company are jointly and severally liable and you are entitled to claim from either or both but you cannot gain from the claim.

 

[Lenny HB]

A link to some German forums would be good please. I'm awaiting delivery of a German van with AGM's and would like to be armed all the info I can get.

Just do a search on Google.de you need to input the text in the search box in German (use Google translate.
Here are a couple,
Hme

Happy Hymer is also worth a look.

 

[Mike800966]

Sorry to hear of the problem and very interested to read of the comments about AGM charging, personally I'll stick with Lead acid.
I think that your best chance might be through Vetus's head Office. If the Spanish boatyard was an official agent perhaps Vetus trained and it looks to me as if they have supplied an inappropriate battery system for your charger. Did you perhaps pay by credit card, you might be able to make a claim via the card co?

Gosh, I never thought I would use the pc word "inappropriate" they must be getting at me!
Mike

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[PhilandMena]

Just do a search on Google.de you need to input the text in the search box in German (use Google translate.
Here are a couple,
Hme

Happy Hymer is also worth a look.

Thanks for these links which I am reading with great interest. So far, I have come across a repeated problem with AGM batteries failing because of the charging unit being used. In other cases I have read about Banner batteries failing. However, this is down to Hymer fitting Banner starter batteries in place of Leisure batteries. Even in the NCC verified battery tests the Banner starter batteries were only rated as a Class C for their performance. This may well explain why there has been so much complaint on the German forums about Banner batteries. I must admit, I am somewhat surprised to see Hymer cutting corners to reduce costs and German motorhome manufacturers fitting inadequate chargers.
Thanks again for the links.

 

[PhilandMena]

Further to my last post. I thought the following statement taken from one of the German forums, sum's up why Banner are given a bad reputation.
of womofan »11.01.2015, 10:56

Fabric moose, somehow something does not fit in your Exide. I have never heard of a GEL Batt. include the need 14.8V charge voltage.
Exide AGM also Batt. If you maybe have one?
The problem with Hymer are not the BANNER AGM, the problem is the improper charging technology Schaudt EBL for this AGM.
I had the opportunity with the competent technicians Banner Austria to lead a detailed discussion on this subject. The whole vexing issue is a purely commercial between Schaudt and Hymer. Banner is only the victims on its back which is discharged.
An inexperienced Womo owner complains only about his banner Batt. and not over but Hymer the real cause of this misery.

A customer service " only full conviction "to hang they need only long enough electricity they will also fully" !!! The good man apparently knew not even the difference between volts and amps.
Surprised there's anyone?

My Banner AGM are also more four years old and still have almost 100% of their capacity because they are loaded with the correct characteristic and voltage while driving with a B2B booster and the current with a CTEK MXS10 extra charger.
Why this is so well? only full conviction "to hang they need only long enough electricity they will also fully" !!! Why this is so well?

Footprint womofan on 01.11.2015, 13:40, edited 1 time in total.
I am responsible for what I say ...
but not for the ... what you mean !!!
womofan
Posts: 436
Registered: 11/09/2007, 09:33
Car: B 614 HighLight on Fiat, model year 2010-2010
specific to the vehicle: EZL: 11.03, Sterling B2B, 2xAGM Banner95 Ah, VotR. CAP Batteriecomp., SAT Kath. 710

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks for these links which I am reading with great interest. So far, I have come across a repeated problem with AGM batteries failing because of the charging unit being used. In other cases I have read about Banner batteries failing. However, this is down to Hymer fitting Banner starter batteries in place of Leisure batteries. Even in the NCC verified battery tests the Banner starter batteries were only rated as a Class C for their performance. This may well explain why there has been so much complaint on the German forums about Banner batteries. I must admit, I am somewhat surprised to see Hymer cutting corners to reduce costs and German motorhome manufacturers fitting inadequate chargers.
Thanks again for the links.

The AGM batteries the Hymer group have been fitting both Banner & Varta are Dual popse batteries suitable for starting and lesiure according to the battery manufacturers, Banner even state their AGM's should be charged on the GEL setting.
My main beef with Banner is they don't honor their warranty I would never go near one again.
You will also find that the Varta's have been failing with the correct chargers, IMO it is best to give AGM's a wide birth for leisure use.

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