On Tue, 4 Oct 2016 19:00:23 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

Bluntly, this happens to consumers because they are either
careless or lazy and would rather complain than take effective
action.

Right. Blame the victims. To most consumers, batteries are a
commodity item, where the various manufacturers and labels are
interchangeable. Perhaps an astute buying might read reviews or run a
few tests, but the GUM (great unwashed masses) will tend to buy the
same brand of battery repeatedly even when faced with demonstratable
failures, leaks, counterfeits, and marginal warranties. The Energizer
rabbit probably sold more batteries than any magazine or online
battery review.

Also, "effective action" usually follows a complaint. More
specifically, I have had a vendor spontaneously provide effective
action or financial compensation without me providing a suitable
complaint. Even if I were "careless and lazy", I can still produce a
suitable complaint, which just might produce "effective action" by the
battery vendor or manufacturer.

Battery makers, in my experience jump all over themselves to
make customers happy. Do you think, after my experience I would
ever buy a second tier battery?

Yes, I do think you would, if you didn't know it was a second rate
battery. That happens all the time, when a manufacturer outsources
their production to the lowest bidder, changes supplier, or simply
cheapens the product. I can supply examples if you need them. I have
no idea what company manufacturers Kirkland batteries, or even if it's
only one company. Volume manufacturers usually have multiple
suppliers, between which they arrange bidding wars to produce the
absolute lowest possible price. A drop in quality is implied, but
never mentioned. If it lasts the warranty period, it's good enough.
In this case, the Kirkland batteries probably lasted the required 7
year shelf life.

If you were a Prepper, who stores batteries for some future
Armageddon, shelf life would be a major issue. Devices with low drain
and low duty cycle, where the battery would be expected to last well
beyond its shelf life is another problem area. For these users, there
are better types of cells available, such as Lithium AA at 5 times the
cost of alkaline cells. However, for the commodity applications,
alkaline cells are cheap, commonly available, cheap, fairly reliable,
cheap, warranties, cheap, and did I mention cheap? So for your
commodity applications, where a $2 cell is not an economical option,
you're stuck with the $0.40 alkaline cell. Yes, I think you will be
buying 2nd rate batteries, unless you can find a genuine leak proof
alkaline for the same price.



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558