How to safely buy a battery online? Guide
Some principles for safe online shopping are general and apply to all products we purchase. However, do we know that when buying a product such as a battery, it is no longer enough?
Its sale is subject to additional regulations, mainly in the field of safe transportation. If you don't want to expose yourself to unpleasant surprises, find out how to safely buy a battery online.
General rules: read what and from whom you buy
Online shopping is a solution adapted to our time - conveniently, without leaving home, with delivery to the specified address. Not surprisingly, the popularity of online shopping is growing, as is the supply of online stores. However, as the recent online scam scandal shows, you have to be careful when shopping online.
Most Internet users admit that they do not read the regulations of online stores, do not check the seller (the address of the registered office, whether the company has a registered business in Poland), do not pay attention to the return and complaint rules. specified by the store. And it is precisely from these records that “at first glance” it is possible to determine whether the seller has honest intentions. First of all, it is worth remembering that when buying "remotely" we have the right to return the purchased goods within 10 days from the date of its delivery / signing of the contract. Never give out your PINs or your personal details for no apparent reason, don't give out account passwords, emails, etc.
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The battery is a special product
While everyday life practice may suggest that buying a battery online is essentially the same as buying other products, the reality is different. The battery is not a common product. For it to work reliably and be safe for the user, the seller must fulfill several conditions, including transport or storage. What should you know?
Shipping batteries by regular courier is illegal and carries the risk of poor packaging and shipping. The battery must be properly prepared for transport and secured during transport. Basically, we are talking about the risk of electrolyte leakage, which is not indifferent to human health. To minimize the risk of leakage, the battery must be transported in an upright position.
Today it is a mass bad practice when you pretend that you are sending a different product than you really are (for example, a straightener). Dishonest sellers do this to force the courier company to refuse to provide the service, knowing that it is a battery. Another shameful practice used when transporting batteries is to cover natural degassing holes, for example, with polystyrene, to prevent electrolyte leakage (remember that the courier company, not knowing what is lucky, will not transport the cargo in a special way). In such a situation, it is impossible for the gas generated during a normal chemical reaction occurring in the battery to escape, which can lead to deformation of the battery, disruption of its performance and, as a result, a reduction in its service life. In extreme cases, it can even explode!
The seller is legally required to take your used battery from you - if the seller does not offer such an opportunity, be careful, most likely the store does not comply with the regulations related to the sale of batteries. A used battery that has not been recycled can pose a serious danger to the environment and human health (corrosive electrolyte residues, lead).
The store offering the purchase of batteries should allow you to file a complaint without any problems. Of course, it can always happen that the purchased product will have to be advertised. However, given the difficulties associated with the transportation of batteries (you can’t just hand it in at the post office), you should choose a seller who offers a stationary form of work with complaints.
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Remember that complaints are handled by the outlet where you made your purchase. For this reason, a rational solution is to choose a retailer that allows you to buy a battery online with the possibility of personally collecting it at a specified point of sale (which reduces transport costs) – for example, Motointegrator.pl. You buy online, you get information about where and when you can pick up the goods, and this is where you can file a complaint. This option also solves the problem of getting rid of the used battery (points of sale will be happy to pick it up), and if possible, the store or workshop staff will also help with battery replacement, which - especially in technologically advanced cars, is not always an easy task.
