Buying a battery - where not to get it!

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Buying a battery - where not to get it!

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Dec 10, 2007
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Hi
Our original Varta battery lasted about 6 years which isn't bad for a diesel engined car. When it came to changing it I googled 'Varta' but found no suppliers in Suffolk.
Opted for a Varta Silver E44 5-year guarantee one from http://www.advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/carbatteryvartasilvere44.html
Before you consider using the same company I would not recommend them at all. The supposed next day delivery for an order placed and paid for on a Wed (and 'confirmed' by an automatic email sent by the company on the same day) did not come until the following Tuesday, and would never have come if I hadn't twice chased them. As a result I was unable to collect a trailer I had booked for the Monday from Indespension. They seemed unconcerned, didn't apologise and no compensation was received. I would suggest you avoid Advanced Battery Supplies and disregard their glossy website.
Also I was informed by another supplier that there is no difference between the Varta Silver E44 with 4 year guarantee and that with the 5 year guarantee. I was told that the supplier has to pay a higher price to Varta, presumably for the insurance policy. In the case of Advanced Battery Supplies their guarantee is pretty well worthless, because you have to post it back to them and it is then at their discretion - in the meantime you have no car!
Avoid Advanced Battery Supplies.
 
Hi
Our original Varta battery lasted about 6 years which isn't bad for a diesel engined car. When it came to changing it I googled 'Varta' but found no suppliers in Suffolk.
Opted for a Varta Silver E44 5-year guarantee one from http://www.advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/carbatteryvartasilvere44.html
Before you consider using the same company I would not recommend them at all. The supposed next day delivery for an order placed and paid for on a Wed (and 'confirmed' by an automatic email sent by the company on the same day) did not come until the following Tuesday, and would never have come if I hadn't twice chased them. As a result I was unable to collect a trailer I had booked for the Monday from Indespension. They seemed unconcerned, didn't apologise and no compensation was received. I would suggest you avoid Advanced Battery Supplies and disregard their glossy website.
Also I was informed by another supplier that there is no difference between the Varta Silver E44 with 4 year guarantee and that with the 5 year guarantee. I was told that the supplier has to pay a higher price to Varta, presumably for the insurance policy. In the case of Advanced Battery Supplies their guarantee is pretty well worthless, because you have to post it back to them and it is then at their discretion - in the meantime you have no car!
Avoid Advanced Battery Supplies.

Good one
 
Its like anything. You have to pay to return it to the shop. Nothing is different unless you pay the premium from a high street retailer, even then you will be hard pushed to get them to collect a faulty item.

Postage times do vary for one reason or another. Even the best retailers delivery times fluctuate. Especially if the mail is transported by air at this moment in time ;)

Its down to you to make sure that you are prepared well in advance for lifes tasks not a place selling batteries. Was it their fault that you decided to order an essential battery 2 working days before you needed it. (n)

For all we know you could be one dissatisfied customer in a million so we here at FF dont condone slating a company just for the purposes of being damaging on one bad experience.
 
Hi volxstu
Quote
Postage times do vary for one reason or another. Even the best retailers delivery times fluctuate. Especially if the mail is transported by air at this moment in time ;)

Its down to you to make sure that you are prepared well in advance for lifes tasks not a place selling batteries. Was it their fault that you decided to order an essential battery 2 working days before you needed it.


My grouse with them was that despite sending a confirmation and accepting my money they didn't process the order. The delivery section knew nothing about it. Wed for Mon from a firm advertising a next day carrier service is not unreasonable when your battery shorts across two cells. When I called on the Friday morning they said no problem it will come during the day, they didn't check that it had been sent! When I called again in the afternoon they didn't know anything about my order and there was no offer to get one to me for Mon am. I am slating them for their indifference and incompetence and warning others to avoid them if they don't wan't hassle.
 
My grouse with them was that despite sending a confirmation and accepting my money they didn't process the order. The delivery section knew nothing about it. Wed for Mon from a firm advertising a next day carrier service is not unreasonable when your battery shorts across two cells. When I called on the Friday morning they said no problem it will come during the day, they didn't check that it had been sent! When I called again in the afternoon they didn't know anything about my order and there was no offer to get one to me for Mon am. I am slating them for their indifference and incompetence and warning others to avoid them if they don't wan't hassle.


well chalk it down to experience simple check to see if its been dispatched ask for the name of the Courier and the tracking number........ If they are telling porkies you soon catch them out ;)
 
Thanks for the advice, I will not go to them if I ever needed a battery.

Is word of mouth like these that saves people alot of trouble and time. I don't care if he is one in a million, as i don't like be the second.

Reputation means alot in the consumer's worls IMO.

Ming
 
I got a battery from my breakdown company. £55 supplied and fitted - much better than the price of around double that at the place with the orange sign...
 
So you have had a bad experience eh?.....well it happens. My question to you is does it follow that everyone else who chooses to use them will also have a similar experience? I believe they wont and its for that reason I pay no attention to coments such as yours......Sorry.
 
This highlights the importance of supporting your local motor factors. I am very fortunate in that I have two motor factors in my local proximity that are reasonably priced. The woman that runs one of them is like a walking, talking automotive encyclopaedia. If I had similar trouble, I would have got a jump-start at home, driven to the shop (being careful not to stall) and fitted the new battery there-and-then.

I once got stuck one morning in Oxford, attempting to get to Manchester because the cold weather had actually shattered a cell in my battery. I got a jump-start, drove to Stoke (by which time the shop had opened), fitted the battery at the side of the road and then continued my journey.
 
The company must have improved!
I have now bought two batteries from here and on both occasions had excellent, very helpful service with competitive prices.
 
The company must have improved!
I have now bought two batteries from here and on both occasions had excellent, very helpful service with competitive prices.

try http://www.batterymegastore.co.uk/ seem to be about £20 saving on the op battery.
ive used them before and ordered 4pm and had battery on doorstep 9.30 am the next day
 
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