Leisure Battery

[dnks34]

I have just been to my local broadland chandlers for some small sundry items, whilst in there I happened to notice that they had a particular leisure battery on sale at 112.95, having confirmed my first thought by checking online I have found exactly the same battery is available online with free delivery for 63.97.  

Now i do try my best to support local business but really I half expected the till operator to be wearing a mask and carrying a gun!   

[Heron]

I recently purchased a new leisure battery locally on the Broads and like you I had checked prices on line. The reason I was willing to pay a bit more was that a few years ago I had a 110ah that failed within the guarantee period.

I returned it to the seller myself and a new replacement was provided. I do not know how much it would cost to return a battery to an online supplier but I am sure it would be an expensive and time consuming exercise.

My new battery 110ah, cost a little under £80 and I am quite happy to pay that in the knowledge that should there be a problem I can get it resolved quickly. If you want to know my Broads supplier let me know for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dnks34]

I do agree with that train of thought.

Im not actually in the market for batteries at the moment but may well be soon as the 5 units i have onboard are now into their 5th year.  If i were to replace them all together the savings i could make over 5 batteries could well be worth the guarantee / returns hassle / risk.  Up to now I have never ever ended up with a faulty battery, maybe I am just lucky in that respect! 

[sos247]

Just a note - marine batteries can be a bit misleading and a simple 110amp battery can be very different to another 110amp battery....

if its manufactured and labeled the same, then i agree the price does seem much to high. Unfortunately after being involved with distribution of marine equipment for over 30 year , and there are several pitfalls!!!  Batteries especially, ive witnessed 'labels' being removed from 100amp batteries and 110amp labels added instead!!!!! The 'Weight' of a battery is a good judge of its quality.....

I.e. Manufacturers need local agents as some customers require local after-sales  support who they can visit etc. However, large manufacturers  no longer really care, how or where they sell product - they are under pressure to sell. There are also no restrictions where we purchase i.e. We can purchase elsewhere in Europe etc. 

As an example i once arranged an £50k order of Vetus equipment direct from Holland, imported it and sold at 50% less then the local agent could....Who holds stock 365 days a year, employ local people and is there on weekends etc.......Personally i don't believe i was correct in doing it, but thats modern day business.....The internet is key the this but longterm we may still have a moan on a weekend of bank holiday saying  why is this local not b""£dy open thus weekend???   

Its all a bit messy regard to sales descriptions so homework is always needed to be done before you buy anything now!

 

regards 

Edited August 31, 2015 by sos247
Spelling (not grammar!)

[TheQ]

The last time I bought a battery it was for my landrover, I found that I had a much bigger range of batteries to choose from and they were cheaper online. It now done several years with out a problem. The packaging the company (Tayna) used was quite impressive, and they had taped all the breather holes with warning labels.

 

[dnks34]

What I was really getting at is I would expect a local retailer to sell at a slightly higher price but a difference of over £40 to an online price for exactly the same product cant really be ignored!  

I for one wouldnt want to see any local retailer out of business but I am not throwing my money at them for something being sold at a price that may aswel be daylight robbery!

The battery was labelled as a Numax 100ah.

Shop around folks but do consider the local retailer.  They can be good for many things but unfortunately this week its not Batteries!!  If they go out of business over selling batteries that far over the odds then its down to their own stupidity

[Oddfellow]

Batteries are a minefield. 

We can get very good prices on 110ah leisure batteries with a good guarantee. We use them in fleet and find them acceptable for the hammering they get, set against the price and the guarantee. 

There are some suppliers charging an awful lot for batteries and others charging much less for the same units. The fact that you can return them in person is a big attraction for purchaser trying to ship something that weighs nearly 30kg. 

The biggest problem with batteries is how they are treated by the owner. Are they left to rot over winter? Does a faulty charging system over charge them, boil them dry? It can be difficult to determine for the supplier who is being asked for a warranty exchange.