A while back I wanted the cheapest but still new cells I could find, ’cause when selling a light, no one wants to pay an additional 5-10bux for one cell. So I got some “genuine LiitoKala” (pffft) cells trussed up like panny-Bs for like 3bux a pop. Flattops.
They were probably rewrapped commodity cells like LiShens, but they were all pretty much to-spec as far as capacity, they’d be going into low-stress lights, so would be fine. I was and am perfectly okay with that, as I knew what I was getting, and the price “fit”.
Now… if you want real 30Qs, or VTC5s/-5As/-6es, or HG2s, NOW we got a problem if they’re fake, as that’s outright fraud, like selling a Bolex watch for the price of a Rolex.
The problem is proving that you got fake name-brand cells, as a 3-leaf clover vs 4-leaf clover on the button, crappy welds vs good welds, leading-‘0’ stenciled on there or not… neither the seller, nor AX/BG/whoever, nor PayPal, nor credit-card company, would want to hear it. No one there is going to do research to see if it’s true, or if you’re just pulling it out your ass to try to make a fake claim and get free batteries. “You got battery, it hold voltage, it good!” Claim denied.
So, caveat emptor, cave canem, all that Latin wisdom.
I think the consensus here is just that. Don’t pay $3.50 for a “Samsung 30Q” and expect to get a Samsung 30Q. You’ll probably get a factory reject at best or a knock-off with a forged wrapper or a steel can with a AAA or capacitor and some sand inside at the worst.
Why not? If you know how and where, it may be possible. Or at least close. €3.75 a pop at NKON, and €3.39/piece if you buy at least 10. Samsung has great pricing and 30Q cells have been in production for quite a bit already. Shipping excluded, of course.
That is what really stinks in all of this. There is a bunch of not so well known li-ion cell OEMs which mostly remain in secrecy before our eyes. Let me remember to all of you fellows, the fact we are buying li-ion cells in their original wraps is a sort of grey market thing. This is because li-ion cells are industrial products, not consumer grade. They are meant for knowledgeable and responsible staff, not for @%$€$ (guess what ;-) word is that). This mostly means that if you get hurt with the stuff, the modus operandi is clean your poopie and get along.
I would love to buy cells in their original wraps, while also having easy access to their OEM datasheets. Really.
Illumn has them on right now for $4.99 US. Add the BLF discount, and it brings them down to $4.74 US each. A lot of places have similar prices. It’s getting them under $4 where I’d get suspicious.
I checked those out. Not a bad deal. I think I’ll stick with the eBay seller. He ships free and gives good discounts to on bulk orders. For single cells the prices are a little higher than illum. I would avoid any seller that tries to sell “genuine” high discharge batteries for $4.00. You are guaranteed to get counterfeits or duds.
I have found a few good sellers on all these Chinese based platforms; Alibaba, AliExpress, Banggood, eBay etc…
Unfortunately I have a bad story to share - this was two purchases on AliExpress.
The companies were; Shenzhen Foxell Technologies Co., Ltd run by Kevin Lee and Shenzhen Foxelion batteries Company Store run by Kevin Lee - this should have been the first sign, two companies, one name.
I purchased 100 X 66160 lithium titanate cells marked as GTK 40ah - these later tested out to be 27ah, and through identification of serial numbers that had been covered up - were found to be used c-grade YinLong cells. YinLong confirmed this for me. A $7,000 disaster that the seller washed their hands of.
The other was a bait-and-switch were I was sold “equivalent” cells after not having stock of what I ordered. These were 160 x 12.5am LTO pouch cells marked with Microvast serial numbers. Testing came out to 10amps - and 65 failed on their first use. I contacted Microvast with the serial numbers and was told these cells should not be for sale. They were faulty and due for recycling, not selling! Another $3,500 this same seller washed their hands of.
To date, I have found another seller with quality cells - but am still trying to recover my money through AliExpress with not much luck! DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SELLER!!!nd also note, GTK are re-wrapped cells, not new and original! Buyer beware - or donate $10,000 to me so I can feel happy again
I’ve only bought 1 set of batteries from AE , 4x 18650, back in late January , still not got them
I got a refund I think
They still didn’t arrive now
I think once you find a good dealer in AE then maybe it’s good
But for me I only buy batteries from akkukauppa in finland , ok they are 1 euro more but they come to me in 3 days as I’m in finland and akkukappa is in finland
Thank you for sharing, you saved me lots of money.
I was also going to get from these places long cylindrical lifepo4 cells.
But will reconsider the idea. will need to use 26650 that I can source in my country.
Same thing as experience buying anything else.
Scam artists, financial pyramid charlatans often survive on ‘plausible deniability’ argument.
Meaning that they made happy at least ‘10%’ or so of their clients, that will advertise/support their claim.
So the 90% that had bad experience, will meet the wall of ‘plausible deniability’ reinforced by the 10%.
Then the above, of course, totally inverted for good businesses… where 10% of the unhappy, yet very vocal customers,
will create an impression that the 90% are not happy… And good business will suffer, and value buyers such as us, loose alternatives.
