Battery Change Notice: VRK 30A 3000mAh 20700...not a 5-leg Molicel INR20700A rewrap anymore!

[Mooch]

Bottom Line: This VRK is now using an unknown cell with a 4-leg top contact. I do not know the true ratings for this newer cell but VRK says they have not changed.

I spent huge amounts of time last month chasing down several cell changes done by multiple battery wrapping companies and I will no longer do that. The burden should be on the companies that wrap these cells, not our community.

In my opinion, if the cell is changed then the wrap should be changed too. Even if the battery wrapping company feels the ratings haven’t changed. Too often our community has been subjected to the practice of lower rated, or lower grade, cells being swapped for a higher rated cell at some point. All being done without a change of the ratings on the wrap. If these companies want us to buy their cells they need to gain back the trust of the community and let us know when there is a cell change and what its true ratings now are.

There are several other sources for the 5-leg top contact 30A 3000mAh Molicel INR20700A. Vapcell and Efest, based on my recent testing, were still rewrapping the Molicel with their purple 30A 3000mAh cells. There are no guarantees though and any rewrapped cell can change at any time! The Molicel was recently available as the ”OEM” 20700 from www.liionwholesale.com and www.imrbatteries.com. I do not know if it is still in stock though.

The 20700/21700 ratings table entry for this VRK has been updated with the word WRAP being used in place of the ratings and the entry has been given a red background (20650/20700/21700 Battery Ratings Table | E-Cigarette Forum). This will be done for any cell that is changed without a wrap change. None of them will be retested unless a wrap change is made.



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Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of personal injury or property damage. They are not meant to be used outside of a protected battery pack. Never exceed the battery’s continuous current rating and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition.

Any rating in my ratings tables can change at any time as different grade cells appear on the market, we get swamped with fakes, or new information becomes available to me. Please, never assume that the ratings in the tables are permanent and will never change! Always download the latest version before considering any cell purchase.

To see how other cells have tested check out this link: List of Battery Tests | E-Cigarette Forum

 

[Barkuti]

Bottom Line: This VRK is now using an unknown cell with a 4-leg top contact. I do not know the true ratings for this newer cell but VRK says they have not changed.
…
In my opinion, if the cell is changed then the wrap should be changed too. Even if the battery wrapping company feels the ratings haven’t changed. …

This of course is a reflection of their unprofessionalism and true lack of customer care. A cell is not a mere pair of figures, it's a lot more. Imagine you were to buy 2 or 3 cells for a series mod and you receive unequal cells under the wraps…

…
The 20700/21700 ratings table entry for this VRK has been updated with the word WRAP being used in place of the ratings and the entry has been given a red background …

Did you mean: CRAP

Cheers

 

[Rangertrix]

Thanks for the update. Wholeheartedly agree.

 

[Baditude]

Thumbs up for taking a stand against dishonest business/marketing practices, Mooch. I completely agree with your commentary. Vapers need to take a stand by not supporting companies who do the old "bait & switch" tactics and the exaggeration of specifications. The vaping community does not recognize pulse ratings, so stop using them.

Mooch, your dedication to educate both the customers and the companies themselves that we will no longer tolerate such situations because of your well-earned credibility throughout the world is the only way to put an end to such practices. A Do Not Buy in the place of where a rating should go in your reviews should greatly affect the sales of companies who continue such poor business practices.

Battery re-wrap and Chinese battery companies, listen up. You are now on notice that the vaping community is no longer going to accept your old ways.

 

[Oregon Linda]

I'm at the point where I'll only buy LG, Samsung, Sony, or Sanyo. Those are real companies with a track record, not some pretend Chinese company operating in a basement or garage.

 

[Baditude]

I'm at the point where I'll only buy LG, Samsung, Sony, or Sanyo. Those are real companies with a track record, not some pretend Chinese company operating in a basement or garage.

I'm with you. I've seen advertisements of companies selling wraps that look identical to commonly sold name brand batteries; it wouldn't be hard to wrap a horrible battery and sell them on E-Bay; it happens all of the time.

Chinese brand batteries have a lot to prove to win the confidence of consumers based on the questionable business practices of a few companies. This will require complete transparency over time to gain our trust. No more pulse ratings. No more over-rating a battery's specifications. If your cell changes, change the wrap to indicate that it has.

 

[sonicbomb]

I have not bought a rewrap since 2015 and I doubt I ever will again.

 

[Barkuti]

… I've seen advertisements of companies selling wraps that look identical to commonly sold name brand batteries; …

It is very easy to copy a brand name wrap. Consumer folks do recognize a few major brands, albeit the majority of them may not really know much about the intricacies of these products.
These batteries we are using are an industrial product. They are OEM meant to be used in battery pack assembly plants by knowledgeable technical staff and other responsible people, and bought in large quantities at an agreed on price per piece.
No single dime is spent here in consumer protection or warranties as all of you may guess.
Battery rewrappers buy large packs of cells and do stuff which the battery OEMs refuse to take the risk: they market the product to consumers. They jack up the price in exchange for something which is of service to consumers, but as you can see there's a lot of chinese breed rewrappers with their chinese way of doing: deceitful advertising, “IMR” printed on their wraps because philistine consumers maybe think IMR = high discharge, other dubious practices…

…
Chinese brand batteries have a lot to prove to win the confidence of consumers…

Did you mean chinese battery rewrappers or dubious morality battery rewrappers?

By the way, who among you think it may happen that those dubious morality battery rewrappers may buy a relatively small amount of top OEM cells while at the same time they make a larger agreement with a lesser OEM for inferior cells? This is because actually they may not be able to get the top OEM cells at OEM price, they just buy a small bunch of their cells, maybe at a net loss, for them to be seen like what they're not: they first wrap and introduce to reviewers the high performance cells for them to look good to the public, to later put the wraps over the actual product they mean to sell.

Cheers