9900mAh 18650!!!! Get 'em while they are HOT

flydiver · 2019-05-23T16:29:55.000Z

Found this on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/i/254172009460?ul_noapp=true

Feeling a good deed was in order I wrote the seller asking them not to sell these, that they were fake, and possibly dangerous.
I pointed out there were we no 18650 of that size at all….none. I did not expect a reply, but I got one:
[302 of these have already been sold]

Sigh.
I responded. Tried to be nice and complimented them about being willing to engage in a dialogue. But I was clear that the sale didn’t make them good cells, and that they were ripping off customers, possibly even putting them at risk. I offered to do a test on them and provide results along with test protocol and photos.
We’ll see if I get any follow up response.

Got to wonder if these people are merely ignorant, willfully stupid, or willing to do anything to make a buck.

Note - these same batteries appear on a number of sites with different vendors. Interestingly they are all from Ontario, CA. I think it’s all the same guy, likely a weasel.

M3CSL · 2019-05-23T16:31:16.000Z

not sure how the review feature works on ebay (sometimes it is there, on other items it isn’t). Someone could write a review and say that these are simply bad.
(or do you have to buy them to review them?)

flydiver · 2019-05-23T16:39:26.000Z

I could not find a way to do that without purchase. Considered doing that, but after writing the email doubt the seller would do business with me unless I faked the ID on my end. Not willing to go that far. I’d be chasing fake cells the rest of my life.

will34 · 2019-05-23T16:42:56.000Z

As much as the review system on amazon sucks, ebay’s system is even worse. You might slow down the purchases of that specific listing with a negative review but they can simply relist the same item.

Virisenox · 2019-05-23T16:44:16.000Z

flydiver:

Get ’em while they are HOT

I’d argue that heat is more of a reason to stay away

flydiver · 2019-05-23T17:12:08.000Z

Yeah, HOT was a joke.

FWIW, called eBay and put in a complaint, a first for me. Easier than I thought. Didn’t have to wait but a minute and got a nice CSR.
There are HOARDS of these kind of cells on eBay. I gave a specific example, then tried to give them parameters so they could recognize most fake/poor cells, ie, if it’s over 3500mAh for a 18650 it’s a fake. The issue is the sheer amount of this deception, and they don’t control the sellers. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with this…if anything.

AnhTran · 2019-05-23T18:34:59.000Z

I’m very sure 9900mAh is real,
the seller is honest,
someone people tested them,
I’m not in any way connected with the seller,
Please believe me
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the trick is each battery’s capacity is 990mAh, that’s why they sell them in pack of 10 get described as 9900mAh

flydiver · 2019-05-23T18:45:41.000Z

REALLY!?

That is deceptive. There are AAA that almost meet that capacity.
They are still junk.

AND, each battery is labelled 9900, not 990. Not honest.

AnhTran · 2019-05-23T19:06:18.000Z

flydiver:

REALLY!? :person_facepalming: :weary:

That is deceptive. There are AAA that almost meet that capacity.
They are still junk.

AND, each battery is labelled 9900, not 990. Not honest.

Sorry i didn’t notice that, so they are not a honest seller

This is a pack of 10pcs 6000mAh on banggood, in the review someone tested that each battery’s capacity is about 600mAh.
https://banggood.app.link/V8ZE985NVW

flydiver · 2019-05-23T19:21:47.000Z

I have found, the bigger the lie, the worse the battery. Sloppy correlation, but if it’s a swamp, don’t go there.

slmjim · 2019-05-24T00:48:47.000Z

flydiver wrote - "...likely a weasel."

That's an insult to weasels!

slmjim

flydiver · 2019-05-24T00:52:07.000Z

I am chagrined to have so sullied a worthy and honest carnivore with an analogy that does such a disservice to their character.

Barkuti · 2019-05-24T04:29:15.000Z

Fellows, it is better to leave this stuff alone. Despite deceptive, those cells probably aren't really dangerous (too low energy density and high internal resistance). The people who buys those products believes and knows no better, and that is what they, in every respect, deserve. They may start to listen somewhere else once they are aware. If unaware, they'll probably refrain from listening. Consciousness/awareness matters.

But well, if you really think you can bring about a fruitful change, go for it.

Cheers ^:)

ZoomieFan · 2019-05-24T05:17:08.000Z

flydiver:

REALLY!? :person_facepalming: :weary:

AND, each battery is labelled 9900, not 990. Not honest.

You can recharge them 10 times before they break down.
So, the total capacity is 9900

BlueSwordM · 2019-05-24T10:51:11.000Z

@Barkuti, it’s always better to fight for the collectivity rather than as an individual.
You can’t expect everyone to be as knowledgeable as us.

Which is why it’s important to fight the bad guys.

Vegas_LED_Fan · 2019-05-24T14:03:43.000Z

If it is too good to be true …….

I’ve tried a number of the off-brand 18650 batteries. While I don’t own test equipment needed to do a precise test on the discharge characteristics of the batteries, one simple way is to first weigh the battery and then use it fully charged in a light, measuring the time it takes to have the light indicate it needs recharging. What I found is that the higher the rating on the label, the lighter the battery was and the shorter the discharge time. That makes sense when it comes to weight. If the battery has less electrolyte in the case, it can’t possibly have a higher capacity. You can’t make a 9900 mAh battery in the first place and certainly not make a good battery for 75 cents each. It’s like the ratings for flashlights. The CREE XML-T6 has a maximum output around 1050 lumens (so says CREE) but I see T-6 flashlights rated at 10,000 lumens on eBay. It’s pure fiction.

The results (from memory):
“5800 mAh labeled” Ran 2.5 hours and weighed 27 gams
“4000 mAh labeled” Ran 3.5 hours and weighed 35 gams
Genuine Panasonic battery 3,400 mAh Ran 16 hours and weighed 75 gams. This is one of the highest rated batteries by every source I could find. I paid around $14 a pair including postage. The other two “Trustfire” batteries were around $3 including shipping. They work fine for non-essential uses like powering DIY LED bike lights but for my flashlight I used the Panasonic batteries.

matg · 2019-05-24T14:53:09.000Z

Not only are these dangerous, but when someone that has no knowledge of these batteries uses it to vape and blows up in his face. Guess what they say on the news? They just make it look like vaping and these batteries are all dangerous. Then our shipping gets harder and more expensive to get them. I feel like the MAH on these fake cells are going up somehow.

flydiver · 2019-05-24T15:06:46.000Z

I hear you @Barkuti. I doubt I can do any real good with this little crusade. Mostly I’m just seeing what I can do and what effect it has. When it comes to batteries the majority of people are amazingly ignorant, and perfectly content to stay that way.

Some interesting statements in the full description:

[We will carefully test every item before shipment.
The quality is guaranteed!]
MmmmHmmm, right.

[Output Voltage: DC 4.2V 650mA
Rechargeable Time Limit: About 2 hours]

So….650mA output x 2 hours = 1300mAh (max), which I seriously doubt.

Barkuti · 2019-05-24T15:06:50.000Z

BlueSwordM:

@Barkuti, it’s always better to fight for the collectivity rather than as an individual.

You can’t expect everyone to be as knowledgeable as us.

Which is why it's important to fight the bad guys.

When you fight “the bad guys” milking the unaware and uninformed, these can turn against you as they could believe you are the problem. So it is best to properly spread information and awaken them, this way they will steer away from those products by themselves, raising global awareness.

:-)

RoboEgg · 2019-05-24T18:19:20.000Z

I recently ordered FAKE batteries on eBay by mistake. Ultrafire BRS yellow, Vander Yellow and Ultrafire Purple. At least I got A full refund.