Interesting BATTERY Observations

[papromike]

Well, I had the Optima Yellow top that I was having issues with checked out this weekend, and load tested, It is confirmed that the battery has a problem internally...

SO I go down to my local 4wpw and they look up my invoice in the computer, and find out that my WARRANTY is expired by 2 months... NO go on a replacement, and Optima wants $200 for a prorated amount!!!!..

I call Optima and speak with Customer service (should be called customer DIS-Service) because they were rude, and basically told me I was SOL on the battery, and I was lucky I got 2 years and 2 months out of it (hmm $180 battery, not very good)

SO I say screw it, I am gonna get a couple of ODYYSEY batterys, (either 2 PC1200MJT's, or a single PC1700), and I call Odyssey/.West coast batteries and give them my dilemna.

GUESS what?, the totally took care of ME!!! gave me a special deal on the batteries and offered condolenseses on my Optima Failure..


so I guess the GOod=Vs bad battery debate rages...

From now on

Optima = NO GOOD, crappy customer service...

Odyssey= (hopefully good)... GREAT customer service..

O.K.


Rant Off....

[TObject]

I am sure you will love the GOOD BATTERY. I don't have one of my own, but all the friends who have them, just rave about Odyssey batteries. That's what I plan to get when (if) my Caterpillar battery dies.

[Darrell C]

Here we go again...


Actually, I'd be frustrated too if I went throught that.

[Robert J. Yates]

I had the EXACT SAME Optima experience. They can kiss my Odyssey's posts - I'll never buy Optima anything again.

[papromike]

Nice Robert huh?, you would think they would be the least bit sympathetic and at least take care of me..


Especially since my jeep is going to be a Feature vehicle for SEMA 2004 at the Maxxis TIRE booth.. (alot of media coverage) And also is going to be at Off-road expo exhibiting for KC Lights..


hmm, oh well I guess they just dont care


Odyssey here I come..

I ordered (2) PC1200 mjt's today...

[Robert J. Yates]

I hear you - mine was just outside of the 2 year warranty by a couple of months and I got the same "well you can buy another one" crap - I mean really. Who in their right mind would buy another battery of the same type considering the previous one barely made it 2 years? Nice waranty - give you just enough to feel comfortable when you buy it but not enough to actually give you any means for a claim. I hate that kind of sh!t from any kind of seller. Stupid is all I can say and if I can talk anyone out of an Optima, I'll do it.

[Jerry Bransford]

[Stu Olson]

I'll extend the inivitation again....you all are invited to my Yellow Top's 4th birthday, next month.

Just curious, what kind of warrantee does the "O" battery carry?

[mrblaine]

Mike, there are no better battery folks than the guys at West Coast.

I'd buy an optima from them just because of how nice they treat folks. Of course I'd immediately take a loss on it selling it to some poor soul on the net.

[papromike]

YEah, Blaine, I found that out today, I called up West Coast, told them my dilemna and they immediately said, "No problem" and they cut me a "promo" deal on the 2 PC1200's..


I was a little upset when the Customer dis-service rep at Optima told me that "well you are lucky you got 2 years out it, consider yourself special!".

I was thinking man, I could buy alot of cheap die-hard batteries for the same price I paid for that boat anchor optima..

well enough of the Rant, unfortunately I found out the hard way, luckily it wasnt on the trail where i found out ....

[Tumbleweed]

Guess there are some good and bad ones. The yellow top Optima in my old flattie is still working strong as of last March.
At that time it was 5 years and 7 months old.

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by Stu Olson
Just curious, what kind of warrantee does the "O" battery carry?

doesn't matter - its already beat the yellowtop I had by almost a year. it was also $30 cheaper.

[Paradiddle]

Originally posted by TObject
IThat's what I plan to get when (if) my Caterpillar battery dies.

How much does your Cat battery have to leak before you replace it? Or how many terminals have to rot under your Jeep because of your leaking Cat battery? Or how many Cat batteries does it take to screw in a lightbulb...

Jeff

[TObject]

Originally posted by Paradiddle
How much does your Cat battery have to leak before you replace it? Or how many terminals have to rot under your Jeep because of your leaking Cat battery? Or how many Cat batteries does it take to screw in a lightbulb...

You are just jealous, because I have a manly man battery, and not some kind of girly contraption in a pink colored casing.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by TObject
You are just jealous, because I have a manly man battery, and not some kind of girly contraption in a pink colored casing.

I'll take my girly pink 1700 amp battery, thank you.

On a semi related note, you ought to see the Vital alternator I'm installing in the command vehicle.

305 amps at full output, 205 amps at idle. Weighs 38 lbs and I don't even want to know what it cost. I'll bet the next day air shipping is worth more than a replacement TJ alternator.

[TObject]

Originally posted by mrblaine
305 amps at full output, 205 amps at idle. Weighs 38 lbs and I don't even want to know what it cost. I'll bet the next day air shipping is worth more than a replacement TJ alternator.

Coast to coast overnight roughly $400.

[cbassett]

I liked my Red Top; sold it to a friend who's still very happy with it.

I like my Yellow Top; it's a replacement that I got when my previous Yellow Top died with 3 days left on my warranty.

By the way, Optima has a 3 year warranty on yelllow tops. 4Wheel Parts in San Jose had a flyer showing the lengthened warranty period.

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by cbassett
By the way, Optima has a 3 year warranty on yelllow tops. 4Wheel Parts in San Jose had a flyer showing the lengthened warranty period.

That simply validates the rant that Mike and I posted. Their original warranty was a pice of sh!t and they realized it was costing them due to product failure and folks not re-upping with them.

"So what" I guess is my answer to that 3 year warranty. I've already gone elsewhere and see no reason to go back. I love it when I'm proven right

[cbassett]

Not sure what you were proven right in, nor was I trying to talk you into unloading your Odysseys and going back to Optima; i could care less what battery other people use... Well, as long as they're not Exide, those are crap.

Was just adding the warranty info for those currently running Optimas.

[Robert J. Yates]

.....how would a different warranty for a new battery have any impact on someone with a 2 year old yellowtop unless the new warranty was made retroactive back to a certain year of production for all batterys?

BTW, I was not suggesting that you were talking me into anything - I was simply positing an opinion that Optima with its actions on its warranty, has confirmed for everyone what a few of us already know.

[Joe Dillard]

Mike, glad to hear you have made what appears to be a wise swap in battery brands/products. I have no personel experiance with Optima, but with the dis-service you experianced is enough to cause me to have a poor opinion about the way they handled you as a previous customer.

As with just about every product out there, it seems when poor customer relations become a way of doing business, it will eventually come back to haunt or bite the seller/manufacturer.

I recently recieved an email from Fram concerning a fuel filter mix-up. They were 100% cordial, made a nice effort to let me know I was a valued customer, and also answered every question I had concerning my situation & then some. I know they don't sell the most superior products out their available, but I will continue to buy their products from time to time.

Originally posted by cbassett
i could care less what battery other people use... Well, as long as they're not Exide, those are crap.

Well then.... I guess I'll have to toss out my 5+ year old Exide Nascar Select 1100 that has worked flawlessly (hurrying up to knock on wood ).

I'm no expert by any stretch, but what has contributed to the Exide dislike?

[Stu Olson]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
doesn't matter - its already beat the yellowtop I had by almost a year. it was also $30 cheaper.

Did I ask the wrong question?

[papromike]

Chris, according to Optima customer dis-service department.

the RED TOP has a 3 year warranty..


the YELLOW is only 2 years total, the 1st year is a free replacement, then the battery begins pro-ration.

at the 2 year MARK, the proration amount is $212.50 (retail on the battery).. after the 2 year mark, you have to just TOSS the battery..

this information was given to me by the so-called Manager of Customer Service..

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by Stu Olson
Did I ask the wrong question?

Nope - I just gave you an answer you didn't like

But to expand, at the time I switched I really needed a battery as my Yellowtop wouldn't hold a charge overnight. I got as Papromike got, a bunch of crap from Optima when I attempted to exchange/warranty out the battery. Seeing that it cost me $185 I was expecting more than 2 years and 3 months worth of service or at the very least, be given the good guy price on buying another. Unfortunately for Optima, there was no such effort made on their part so I got ****ed off. My Jeep was still my DD so I didn't care what battery I got as long as I could get it ASAP, that it was sealed, and that it was not an Optima.

Blaine suggested the Oddyssey and I took his advice. I never bothered to look at the warranty at the time and so far, I have not needed to worry about it.

The same could not be said for the Optima - which I bought on the assumption of Jeeper lore of it being the best battery out there for Jeeps In my case, it was not the best battery and and neither was the subsequent customer service.

[Stu Olson]

Quite a difference between an answer I didn't like and no answer at all. No problem, I'll find a web site somewhere and dig it up myself.

[Robert J. Yates]

I never bothered to look at the warranty at the time and so far, I have not needed to worry about it.

[cbassett]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
.....how would a different warranty for a new battery have any impact on someone with a 2 year old yellowtop unless the new warranty was made retroactive back to a certain year of production for all batterys?

Uhh, what?

[cbassett]

Originally posted by Joe Dillard
Well then.... I guess I'll have to toss out my 5+ year old Exide Nascar Select 1100 that has worked flawlessly (hurrying up to knock on wood ).
I'm no expert by any stretch, but what has contributed to the Exide dislike?

I'm no expert either, but due to cutbacks and $ saving efforts my company does force me to stay at Holiday Inns now.
A handful of friends have had nothing but problems with them, problems getting them exchanged, and I've personally killed one using it (in series with a yellow top) for welding. Maybe they're not crap, but that's enough for me to steer folks away from them.


Mike, Not contesting what you were told, but I saw the flyer with my own eyes; it said 3 years on Yellows, and it got me a new battery.

[Robert J. Yates]

Originally posted by cbassett
Uhh, what?

....you were touting a new extended warranty which to that I asked, why would that be of any value to those of you already running Optimas.

[cbassett]

Originally posted by Robert J. Yates
....you were touting a new extended warranty which to that I asked, why would that be of any value to those of you already running Optimas.

It's not new. I wasn't touting, merely informing. And it's of value to those with <3 year old batteries that die and are under the impression they have no recourse.