Replacement genuine Laptop batts becoming unavailable in NZ ?

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1101

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#191687 12-Feb-2016 11:23

I was wondering if any of the techs out there were coming across issues getting GENUINE replacement laptop batts

I know one well known laptop brand has stopped importing replacement batts as "they cant get them airfreighted"
Despite there still being the option of by sea .

Basically an airfrieght (into NZ) ban on batts , the airlines & air cargo companies wont allow them as freight .

http://www.cnet.com/news/faa-warns-of-potentially-catastrophic-battery-explosions/?ftag=CAD090e536&bhid=21733084820465824201997506452088

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#1491066 12-Feb-2016 11:43

I suspect a major contributing factor would be the size of the market in NZ, Our stores tend to be small enough to courier items in one at a time to prevent them from needing to keep stock and if this isn't an option then they will more likely stop carrying the items than risk being stuck with lots of stock they don't need.

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#1491074 12-Feb-2016 12:06

It will be interesting to see how this develops.

If the importer can't provide replacement batteries for a reasonable length of time I believe they will be breaching the consumer guarantees act requirements around supplying spare parts.

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#1491076 12-Feb-2016 12:09

lucky015:

I suspect a major contributing factor would be the size of the market in NZ, Our stores tend to be small enough to courier items in one at a time to prevent them from needing to keep stock and if this isn't an option then they will more likely stop carrying the items than risk being stuck with lots of stock they don't need.

I wonder what that means in the context of the CGA, which states that spare parts need to be available for a reasonable period of time.

Dynamic

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#1491101 12-Feb-2016 12:46

I would think EMPR NZ would carry them, as official parts suppliers to several manufacturers. Have you had any communication with them?

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#1491104 12-Feb-2016 12:49

dclegg:

lucky015:

I suspect a major contributing factor would be the size of the market in NZ, Our stores tend to be small enough to courier items in one at a time to prevent them from needing to keep stock and if this isn't an option then they will more likely stop carrying the items than risk being stuck with lots of stock they don't need.

I wonder what that means in the context of the CGA, which states that spare parts need to be available for a reasonable period of time.

"there is a guarantee that the manufacturer will take reasonable action to ensure that facilities for repair of the goods and supply of parts for the goods are reasonably available for a reasonable period after the goods are so supplied."

Manufacturer is the part that confuses me, The CGA applies to the retailer and can not in any way be legally binding to the manufacturer as the manufacturer does not sell directly to the end customer therefore has zero requirement to comply with the CGA.

1101

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#1491122 12-Feb-2016 13:33

Dynamic:

I would think xxxx NZ would carry them, as official parts suppliers to several manufacturers. Have you had any communication with them?

Yep, tried that official parts supplier .

I did get a unbranded/generic batt from a 3rd party supplier, I was just wondering if anyone else has had issues getting genuine batts, and if its going to be
a bigger issue as NZ stock runs out .

Also, very strange they can bring in complete laptops, but not the batts by themselves. Just bad planning ?

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#1491123 12-Feb-2016 13:33

lucky015: I suspect a major contributing factor would be the size of the market in NZ, Our stores tend to be small enough to courier items in one at a time to prevent them from needing to keep stock and if this isn't an option then they will more likely stop carrying the items than risk being stuck with lots of stock they don't need.

Planned obsolescence

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Dynamic

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#1491125 12-Feb-2016 13:36

Hmmmmm so if genuine become like hens teeth, how do we identify reputable 3rd party? I've had clients buy some pretty crappy imported batteries from TM sellers.

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1101

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#1491127 12-Feb-2016 13:42

lucky015:

Manufacturer is the part that confuses me, The CGA applies to the retailer and can not in any way be legally binding to the manufacturer as the manufacturer does not sell directly to the end customer therefore has zero requirement to comply with the CGA.

And the manufacturer isnt based in NZ , so not bound by our laws. Local NZ branches will be separate entities.
Importers , distributors then retailer . Its the retailer who will get caught out by the CGA. Not sure if importers & distributors are also bound as they
dont sell retail or to the public.

Ive had this myself , the NZ distributor of a motherboard told me they arnt bound by the CGA (& tried to get out of warranty commitment as the end user
no longer had ALL the original packaging )

I know one official parts supplier used to only give 3months warranty if we bought trade price (not sure if thats still the case)
So they give 3months, we under the CGA have to give 12months++ on that same part.

1101

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#1491128 12-Feb-2016 13:47

Dynamic:

Hmmmmm so if genuine become like hens teeth, how do we identify reputable 3rd party? I've had clients buy some pretty crappy imported batteries from TM sellers.

Ive found these guys pretty good. Bought a few batts from them, zero failures , 12mth warranty
http://www.laptopbattery.co.nz/Laptop-Adapters/category-1530.htm

Id still prefer genuine though

Ive only bought 1 laptop batt off trademe, for a very old XP lappy. Top was glued on the wrong way around so unusable (he did refund without issues)

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#1491129 12-Feb-2016 13:55

Possibly related to the fact that it's actually getting harder and harder to ship batteries, because lots of airlines etc refuse to carry Lithium batteries now?

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#1491136 12-Feb-2016 14:02

1101: Ive had this myself , the NZ distributor of a motherboard told me they arnt bound by the CGA (& tried to get out of warranty commitment as the end user
no longer had ALL the original packaging )

If the motherboard was supplied by the NZ distributor then they are very much bound by the CGA.

To this end, the Act provides that consumers have—

(a) certain guarantees when acquiring goods or services from a supplier, including—
- (i) that the goods are reasonably safe and fit for purpose and are otherwise of an acceptable quality; and
- (ii) that the services are carried out with reasonable care and skill; and

(b) certain rights of redress against suppliers and manufacturers if goods or services fail to comply with a guarantee.

Manufacturer is defined as:

manufacturer means a person that carries on the business of assembling, producing, or processing goods, and includes—

(a) any person that holds itself out to the public as the manufacturer of the goods:

(b) any person that attaches its brand or mark or causes or permits its brand or mark to be attached, to the goods:

(c) where goods are manufactured outside New Zealand and the foreign manufacturer of the goods does not have an ordinary place of business in New Zealand, a person that imports or distributes those goods

Sorry about the formatting, it looks OK when I'm editing the message but goes all wrong when I save the message.

1101

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#1491222 12-Feb-2016 15:36

graemeh:

If the motherboard was supplied by the NZ distributor then they are very much bound by the CGA.

To this end, the Act provides that consumers have—

Thanks for that, a great bit of info.
I also believe its now an offense to mislead customers over their CGA rights . (?)

Unfortunately, all this is moot. Every company Ive worked for since way back, has a total disregard for the CGA .
And many/most retailers have the same attitude, actively misleading customers as too their CGA warranty rights .

Where are the prosecutions for all the paid retail 'extended warranty' scams (yes scams). There are none .
Where are the prosecutions for retailers lying & telling customers with issues , its just over 1year, warranty has expired, no repair for you.
Why can something still be sold as '1year warranty', when all those items are obviously covered by the CGA for much more than 1year , by law.

rant over, sorry :-)

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#1491254 12-Feb-2016 16:06

Dynamic: Hmmmmm so if genuine become like hens teeth, how do we identify reputable 3rd party? I've had clients buy some pretty crappy imported batteries from TM sellers.

That's a very good question. I bought a "genuine" Apple battery from TM a couple of years ago and ended up with a counterfeit. Fortunately I had the original one to hand and noticed that the text on the new one was in a slightly different font and contained a spelling mistake, but I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't taking the time to check it.

1101

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#1491260 12-Feb-2016 16:29

Behodar:

That's a very good question. I bought a "genuine" Apple battery from TM a couple of years ago and ended up with a counterfeit. Fortunately I had the original one to hand and noticed that the text on the new one was in a slightly different font and contained a spelling mistake, but I probably wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't taking the time to check it.

Just assume trademe parts = fake . Often it is.

At least the bogus suppliers wont have issues getting batts sent to NZ. Some will (illegally) just be sent to NZ , without the required lithium/batt hazardous goods label & a vague customs declaration .
Ive had chinese online retailer send me hobby RC lipo batts just in a international courier bag !!! hardly safe transportation for softcased bats that can catch fire if crushed or ruptured .