*EDITED 13:30 to add video and images of the device in use, using a CooWoo USB testing device - apologies for the quality of images and the over-boosted audio*
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
I bought this quoted as 30,000mAh battery pack mainly based on it's cheap price. I wish I'd trusted my gut and bought a better known brand; I have an existing Anker 26,800mAh and have been using it a lot since I bought it a number of years ago, in pretty much the same pattern... that will normally last for 4 days at the moment at quite a high daily usage. The Toospon was fully charged when it arrived, and on 1st use I thought it wasn't great that it went down to 2 bars of power from the max of 4 (so 100% to 50%) after just an hour.
Giving it the benefit of the doubt I ran it right down to one flashing bar (charge needed) and plugged it in for a good solid 12 hours recharge. 12 hours later it was showing four bars again.
BUT after just a few hours use with two mobile 'phones, charging both simultaneously, it was back down to one flashing bar and not supplying any power.
So, I wasn't going to keep it given it simply didn't seem to work as described.
When I tried to return the item via Amazon's request refund automated process, I was told that because it's classed as a hazardous material object I can't just drop it off at the Post Office or Post Box, and instead I needed to contact customer service to find out how to send it back... and that was more hassle;
The guy I live-messaged at Amazon gave me a website like "deliverymonkey.com" or something, which turned out to be no more than one of those "we'll get you all the quotes in your area and show you the best delivery prices" and with Amazon limiting the postage refund to just £4- odd (as the item was only £23, I guess they only agree to 20% of the item cost, possibly?) I didn't really have much of a choice; there was a cheap DHL offering and a cheap Royal Mail Parcel Force offering. As I was looking at the site, the same helpdesk guy also said "or use DHL".
So I thought about it for a moment and wondered just how different a parcel force van is to a standard Royal Mail van and couldn't come up with anything.... can you guess what I found when I visited the Parcel Force website...?
Well done! it said exactly that!; "We do not handle Li-Po or other batteries" etc.
I knew what the answer would be on DHL's website before I even looked... but I looked and, hey pesto! They also won't handle the batteries.
(Is it Pesto or presto? I can never remember... ;-) )
Getting rather exasperated now I began to think I'd just have to write off the £23 as it was getting more and more problematic and I really didn't think it was worth my time... I headed back to the live chat on Amazon and a different guy picked up my request to chat, listened to all my comments as above, and luckily for me, he refunded it immediately on a "no return required" basis immediately.
I was so angry about the misrepresentation I really wanted to warn other potential buyers of the issues.
I can't even boast I got something that at least works partially for nothing, as I will likely just bin this (Actually I wonder if the bin men will take it!?) or perhaps salvage the case and USB interface if I can get into it without blowing the battery or myself up.
It's built well, and feels robust and "heavy", but either I got a "friday afternoon" made one that just doesn't work properly, or and my main belief is that it's simply not 30,000mAh.. it feels more like one of the early 2400 or 4800mAH ones I had plenty of experience with those.
No, I'm off to find an Anker one now... wish I'd trusted my gut and done that originally now.
Please don't buy this, unless you can check it first... I'm sure they are all like this anyway, or there's a large "rogue" batch with duff components out there.
Don't say I didn't warn you and come running to me with two broken legs (eh?) either.
Regards
26 сен 2020
