You guys want individually bubble wrap cell? Are you willing to pay for 15-20% extra for your order?
At least the new packaging method should prevent dirty appearance of the battery. If your battery is damaged during transportation, I am sure you know how to get your money back.
The point is, we order these batteries because we need them to actually USE them and not trash them as soon as they arrive 
:D!
So, yeah, few cents on top of battery cost would be acceptable, Im sure that 4x or 2x battery boxes dont cost more than 10-30 cents for retailer ;)!
There are a slew of other vendors that will sell these for $5 per. Simon sells them for $6.84, Mountain for $6.99, and Illumn for $6.50 . For a fact Mountain and Illumn package there batteries like they are nitro being transported through rough terrain.
I know, I know...too much money 
. Well I was told long ago that if I had to ask how much a tool cost then I didn't need it.
At what Gearbest is selling these things for even if someone lost half their order...AND NOBODY HAS REPORTED AND PROVEN ONE LOST YET...they are still ahead.
FWIW...please please please...never drop a flashlight you will undoubtedly need new batteries...at least according to these threads
My first order got sucked down the USPS black hole. Since I paid for shipping insurance, Gearbest reshipped to me ASAP. When you spend around $60 on batteries, it’s best not to cheap out on the $2 insurance.
Sorry bugsy36, but thats a load of bulshit and you are going all defensive for Gearbest here.
Unless Gearbest pay you for writing such stuff, I soo no real arguements why would someone bring up two unrelated things - poor packaging that damages cells in transit and flashlight being dropped ;)!
Really, if you love GB so much, thats OK, but stop accusing other people of saying or doing things they havent, you either be upfront and tell names who you are accusing or stop this verbal spam of yours ;)!
How about this package?
Thats very good one, takes protected batteries as well!
I have few of those for my batteries and as far as I can remember they werent expensive, so big store like Gearbest could source them for cheap and just add a mandatory “safe” packaging fee during check out, just like it was for a moment with battery shipments and mandatory tracking numbers.
This way or just increase battery prices 10-30 cents, Im sure this thing would cost around 20-30 cents bought in bulk, so 30 cents split into half(it takes two batteries) would be only 15 cents per battery.
If they make it, for example, 60 cents per 4 battery carrier then they would probably even make money on these battery carriers.
Veer...come on now (respectfully)..really?
I will be the first to admit that I do not have what I consider to be good modding skills and that I cannot design drivers or even write the code for the UI's but what I am very very good at is BUSINESS. All these constant and needless rantings AND requests for free replacement product do is hurt business on both sides of the fence.
That is where the integrity of the forum comes in. Sure I do not own this forum but I am proudly a part of it. When these things start going overboard as they have the last few months (and then even people with low single digit post counts are posting complaints) this forum starts to lose its weight. Sure, Gearbest and other vendors will suffer in battery sales and flashlight sales BUT do we really think that WE actually prop up these companies to the point that they cannot exist without us. I know I don't. They are too large and too diversified. The worst that can happen is that they get out of flashlights and batteries and we lose a source. Most likely though they would just start to ignore anything from BLF because it is not worth the hassle for the slim margins.
As a matter if fact, Gearbest did not really sell Li-ions until recently and that was for us here at BLF because of us here at BLF. Then they proceed to sell Li-ions for less than the cost of Alkaline batteries. It is not rocket science. Markup is not in 1000's. If they are getting 20-30% I would be amazed. Wow $1 per battery!
Could they get better at packaging the batteries - sure, and they said the would work on it and even asked for our patience and understanding. BUT, no....many that had orders already in the pipleline and know from prior reports that there is a 99.9% chance the batteries are good are still posting and making claims. Even I have received batteries like that and suffered no issues so why the epidemic? That is the real bullshit. Batteries are not meant to be pretty and if they were why are all the guys buying pink batteries anyway instead nice blue or silver or red wrapped batteries. Snap-on sells pink tools and I will buy them so I can easily see them and easily know they are mine because most men will not buy pink colored tools but here we buy pink batteries and complain they do not look pretty.
My business sense tells me that if we continue to beat these vendors up just because we can we will lose them and all of the hard work that went into getting them to pay attention to us. Let's just say goodbye to custom flashlights and group buys.
It is well known that I use my flashlights and headlamps for hours upon hours every week for work. I have accumulated several but the one's that I like I abuse the hell out of. I go through at least 2 batteries a night and usually six or seven. I drop them often (nature of the beast), slide them across the floor, charge the batteries a couple times a night (even these 30Q's) and NOTHING has ever happened.
Many people here are enthusiasts or hobbyists and all too often when they get a shipment that is not 110% of what the expected they start claiming that the sky is falling all while failing to acknowledge that the whole reason they and all of us are buying directly from China is is because of the 50+% discounts.
I used to import industrial equipment from China for hundreds of thousands per container and the problems were the same but we always got things handled. Sometimes in their favor but often in ours so please forgive me if I cannot help but wince when someone is complaining about a trivial $3 battery or $2 tracking number.
Our admin, bless him for this place and what he puts up with, allows these posts for good reason and within reason but be assured that when it gets to the point that BLF is considered trivial he will take notice.
It is just about business and integrity and NOT about protecting Chinese vendors from accountability. ;)
Then don't use it...let them know...and chalk it up against all the other dollars you have saved countless times....and then just do not buy any more batteries from them.
I would like to see what it looks like underneath though.
BTW...how many batteries in that order and how many batteries like that?
Edited to add:
For the record I am not defending their quality of packaging...read the post please.
Are you heading up a group buy on those wrappers? I think They might be popular!!!
I rewrap my cells pretty often so that’s not an issue for me, but dented batteries are unacceptable, it may lead to capacity loss and performance drop.
Count me in. I also want some NiteCorn wrappers for my laptop pulls too. :bigsmile:
I don't think you account in labor fee and increase in shipping volume weight and packaging material.
Other than the standard Lithium foam plus box packaging, Fasttech has the 2nd safest packaging among other known vendors. However, there shipping fee is not cheap either. I was charged $15 (30 days shipping, not expedited) for my $200 worth battery order. I stopped buying battery from them after 6 orders or so.
Reading through the various ‘Gearbest’ threads on this forum, it’s clear that along with the fantastic offers from them,they can also behave like an ass at times, so having some posts criticising them while others are more supportive of them because they have had good service from them is a good thing, a bit like a carrot and stick, which is great for keeping the donkey moving in the right direction. Just don’t let it become a case of divide and conquer, guys, or else this donkey isn’t going anywhere!
I don’t see how using a bit more attention to the wrapping of cells will increase costs much…
On the other side gearbest has by far the cheapest prices for cells…I have bought pairs of 30q for 8$ including tracked shipping…and if I am honest the price let me buy from them and they arrived in very good shape, no dirt at all.
I got plastic boxed cells in the past and some boxes were cracked, others had protected cells squeezed in…so that is just a option if it is done properly like keepower does.
I have no problem removing the label with a bit hot air and giving them a gentle rub with alcohol if they are dirty. That are just cosmetics. I would definetly want my money back for a dented cell, but these cells are a lot safer than most people think so it’s just a kind of precaution.
I usually mark them as pairs and shrink another layer clear wrap over them(bought precut transparent wrap from fastech)
This is not a shipping issue with GB. Some places where the wrapper was damaged, you can tell that it was caused by a somewhat sharp object with considerable force. Such force would likely puncture the envelope as well, but no sign of damage to the envelope. Also the “ink” smudges did not come from the batteries rubbing against each other during transit. They’d pretty much have to be lose cells in a tumbler.
I’m pretty sure these batteries were like this before they were shipped which begs the question - “What hell did they go through before being sold to me?”
Hmm, interesting observations!
Envelope in which my batteries arrived wasnt damaged either, though it was obvious, that it had travelled quite a rough seas :D!
I’ve bought cells from GB once; 2@18650 and 4#10440. The 10440’s were in a plastic bag, the 18650’s loose, both in a padded mailer. All arrived here in fine condition. But I’ve seen crushed envelopes and boxes from them with other items so I know this was as much luck as anything else. BTW, those cells were partially charged so it’s possible that severe damage might have caused thermal runaway. And what if there were other cells nearby, say a powerbank? Things could have gotten really nasty for some poor truck driver or sailor whose only sin was to show up for work. Things could have gotten really nasty for the average consumer who would have dumped them in a cheap charger and walked away. To me their cell shipping methods are unethical.
I recently bought similar sized cells from Mtn. Electronics. The 2@18650 were shipped in a plastic case and the 2@10440 were in individual cardboard boxes. These were inside a sturdy doubled cardboard box well-sealed with a very visible warning sticker denoting the contents and how to safely handle them plus an emergency phone number if that was needed. To me that is very ethical.
I’ll still take my chances with GB on other things but I’m not going to buy any more LiIon cells from them unless I cannot source that size from someone else with better cell safety shipping ethics. This is just a personal decision for me and I’m not bashing anyone who continues to buy their cells from GB etal. I just don’t want to hear where LiIon cells caused someone harm in shipping with me having possibly played a role in that, albeit a somewhat innocent one. Even if everyone here followed suit GB wouldn’t change just because of that, so maybe my effort is worthless but it lets me sleep better and that’s enough for me.
Well-made and well-packed cells are generally quite safe till they reach the consumer. It is those which are not that cause the problems and in doing that those are going to be the ones which cause regulations to get even tighter, perhaps to the point that GB etal will no longer be able to ship LiIon cells directly to us, or overseas at all. That will not bode well for us or them and I wish GB would consider that possibility and pack the cells better when shipping. Another $0.30- $0.50 per cell wouldn’t be a problem for any of us, especially if that bought us those plastic cases with the cells. It would not cause more than a few of us to shop elsewhere for a slightly better price. It might even sway a sale to GB for knowing their cell will arrive undamaged while someone else’s may not.
I think that in time we’re going to see tighter shipping restrictions anyway so maybe it’s a moot point, but at least I will know that I had no part in that happening and I will not tolerate any whining over that from those who did by continuing to buy cells from GB etal. I can’t change the world but I can change my part of it so I did. You can too if you want, your decision and not mine.
Phil
for many of my projects the ink transfer means nothing.once they are installed in the rebuilt pack who cares?i welcome a deal to save a few $ on cosmetic issues.
but it is highly irresponsible to ship batteries loose where they get dented as in the o.p s case.
the packages that mtn and several others i have bought batteries from are a few cents each in large qty.sure i have gotten them in mushed boxes but the cells were undamaged.and my usps driver didnt have to duck to avoid rocketing cells due to damage!
these clowns will only change when forced.or a total ban on shipping these batteries.we are not far from this….
