Problem Batteries from MadVapes

[Kerig3]

I ordered 4 Protected Trustfire 14500 batteries (MVLBAT14500.900TF) from MadVapes on 12/31/2010 for a new box mod that that was being made for me. I received my order on 1/4/2011 and charged up the batteries so that they would be ready to go once my mod arrived. The mod arrived yesterday, but when I tried to put the batteries into battery slots in the mod only 1 of the 4 batteries would fit. After furiously trying to figure out what the heck was wrong with the box mod I happened to notice that 3 of the batteries were actually longer than the 1 that actually fit the battery slots. How frustrating! Last night I was in a vaping video chat and mentioned my battery problem and someone mentioned that this had been an issue before with certain Chinese batteries and that I should contact MadVapes about it right away.

I immediately went to MadVapes.com and found a 'support ticketing system' and filled it out. This afternoon I was sent a rather autonomous response with an RMA number requesting to send the "items" (batteries were never mentioned) back and that it will then be determined what action is to be taken next. Aside from the fact that I was sent such an impersonal response to my problem (I'm not a fan of such an approach, unless MadVapes happens to be a huge company?), I'm worried about shipping the batteries back only to have more of the larger-sized batteries sent back to me, in which case I'm back to square-one and they will not fit my mod.

So since I cannot ship them back until Monday I decided to post about this in the MadVapes forum on the ECF to see if a real person from MadVapes will happen to read this and answer a few questions for me:
If I ship these batteries back how can I guarantee that I won't be sent another set of batteries that are also too large? Do I need to send just the batteries back (I had also ordered a charger) and should I leave a note in the package explaining the problem and making note of the battery that is smaller (the correctly-sized battery)?

I had ordered from MadVapes over others because of the good reputation other vapers have expressed here on the ECF and in other forums. I hope that this issue can be resolved quickly since I'm itching to be able to use my new mod (in fact I had planned to use it a vape meet-up this weekend ). I just don't want to end up going back-and-forth with this problem wasting more time and money in shipping and having these batteries end up costing me twice as much as they're actually worth.

Hopefully a real person from MadVapes will read this post and offer me some assistance.

Kerig Pope
Order #MV-4323388

 

[dale1962]

I'm sure hoog(Mark)will take care of you........being friday now unable to call them but sure he will chime in on here once he get's online.

 

[oclafcire]

I'm hoping to avoid this scenario when my 2xAA box mod & 14500 batteries arrive on Monday. Though if I'm unlucky and my batteries are wonky, I'm sure Madvapes will be happy to correct it.

 

[hoogie76]

Hi Kerig, the difference in the battery length is pretty common due to the protection circuit and can vary by 1mm or more.

There are a few different length 14500 button top batteries. Unprotected batteries are about the size of an AA battery but a protected 14500 can be 1-3mm longer than a non-protected battery due to the addition of the protection curcuit. A 3rd type of 14500 battery offers a longer top button, we do not carry those, we carry the short button version only. Variations can occur within the same batch of batteries but it is typically small.

With box mods, the battery issue is quite common. We're trying to fit a cell that is *almost* the size of an AA battery into an AA box.. The boxes sometimes will require modifications to make the batteries fit. The easiest of the modifications is to trim the spring so that when it is compressed with a battery being inserted, it is shorter. This will typically fix 90% of the boxes out there but there are other style boxes that will actually take some modifications to the plastic itself to get 14500 protected batteries to fit.

Hope that helps,

hoog

 

[four2109]

Sounds like if they are 14x503 maybe they should be labeled 14503's. I would just make necessary modifications, but your customer base has gotten pretty broad.
For the OP, if you are buying a mod rather than building one, it might be best to buy your batteries from the vendor who built/sold it.

 

[rtfm]

Trustfire's quality control sucks IMHO, try to find AW Protected 14.5's as AW's are consistent in size and performance.

 

[mgmrick]

I should have 4 of these batteries monday (from madvapes). sure hope mine fit and are not to long also

 

[kcofohio]

Welcome to the wonderful world of mods/modding! Yes, batts can vary in length/diameter. Never have had AW batts, so I can't
comment on them. Battery boxes also vary in size too. So, you might have to mod your mod, as Hoog suggested. But hey, modding aint for sissies. Once you overcome the glitches, then you can sit back and take a nice long vape. lol

 

[tybin]

hoogie, do you ever have plans to carry the aw's?

 

[hoogie76]

hoogie, do you ever have plans to carry the aw's?

We keep looking for a good source but have yet to find one

hoog

 

[mgmrick]

My batteries from madvapes all the same size and fit very good into my oldgoat mod. They where 900mah now I read you can get 2400mah batteries. Would they be the same size and last 3 times longer between recharges?

 

[Kerig3]

Well, my box mod is an oldgoat mod also. I was going to contact him about the problem until I saw that there was so dramatic of difference in the lengths of these 14500's...not only with the contact points, but also the thickness of the plastic that wraps them. Many people told me that the problem was with the batteries, so I used MadVapes support ticket system and got the automated RMA email (although my questions about what to return remain unanswered). Now I'm being told to mod my mod...hell, if I wanted to do that to begin with I would have built the damn thing myself.

So last night I snip the spring and file, scrape and grind the slot out...all the while regretting the choices I made on this purchase. Well, I got the slot to the point that I'm able to jam the 3 larger batteries into it...removing them is just as fun...only to now find out that one of the batteries doesn't even work, so I guess I'm eating that one.

Yeah, maybe I should have bought the batteries from the mod-maker, but I used MadVapes because of their online reputation for fixing things when products they sell aren't right. After all, this crap all comes from China, where quality is not #1.

So I guess I'll just chalk the whole experience up to a lesson learned...about hand-made mods, batteries, and the vendors that sell them.

 

[JonnyVapΣ]

Batteries vary in size. Accomodations should be built into the device.

 

[tybin]

i've read the aw batteries don't vary so much....that's why i hope they find a supplier for those.

 

[Rosco]

My batteries from madvapes all the same size and fit very good into my oldgoat mod. They where 900mah now I read you can get 2400mah batteries. Would they be the same size and last 3 times longer between recharges?

I'm using the Trustfire 14500 in my OldGoat Bottomfeeder mod and they fit great. Not sure about the Ultrafire's, since Madvapes sells both of these brands. OldGoat used Trustfires and I bought them from him. This sucker kicks vapor Big Time.

 

[poeslawyer]

Sounds like if they are 14x503 maybe they should be labeled 14503's. I would just make necessary modifications, but your customer base has gotten pretty broad.
For the OP, if you are buying a mod rather than building one, it might be best to buy your batteries from the vendor who built/sold it.

You mean 14x53 so 14530s.

 

[mgmrick]

Well, my box mod is an oldgoat mod also. I was going to contact him about the problem until I saw that there was so dramatic of difference in the lengths of these 14500's...not only with the contact points, but also the thickness of the plastic that wraps them. Many people told me that the problem was with the batteries, so I used MadVapes support ticket system and got the automated RMA email (although my questions about what to return remain unanswered). Now I'm being told to mod my mod...hell, if I wanted to do that to begin with I would have built the damn thing myself.

So last night I snip the spring and file, scrape and grind the slot out...all the while regretting the choices I made on this purchase. Well, I got the slot to the point that I'm able to jam the 3 larger batteries into it...removing them is just as fun...only to now find out that one of the batteries doesn't even work, so I guess I'm eating that one.

Yeah, maybe I should have bought the batteries from the mod-maker, but I used MadVapes because of their online reputation for fixing things when products they sell aren't right. After all, this crap all comes from China, where quality is not #1.

So I guess I'll just chalk the whole experience up to a lesson learned...about hand-made mods, batteries, and the vendors that sell them.

Who makes your batteries? Mine are trustfire

 

[Kerig3]

Who makes your batteries? Mine are trustfire

Holy crap, I just noticed that MadVapes sent me the wrong batteries!
I checked my receipt and I had ordered the Trustfire 14500 batteries (MVLBAT14500.900TF) but they sent me the Ultrafire 14500's instead (gray battery). These are my first batteries for a mod so I didn't even notice it until now...I guess I made the mistake of assuming that I would be sent what I had ordered in my small purchase of 4 batteries and a charger.

Would THAT be the reason that they didn't fit?

Quite honestly I'm so sickened my this whole cluster-&#*@ of an experience that I'm going to just cut my losses and be MUCH more choosey in my future vape-related purchases, especially when it comes to mods, batteries and vendors.

 

[doots]

Holy crap, I just noticed that MadVapes sent me the wrong batteries!
I checked my receipt and I had ordered the Trustfire 14500 batteries (MVLBAT14500.900TF) but they sent me the Ultrafire 14500's instead (gray battery). These are my first batteries for a mod so I didn't even notice it until now...I guess I made the mistake of assuming that I would be sent what I had ordered in my small purchase of 4 batteries and a charger.

Would THAT be the reason that they didn't fit?

Quite honestly I'm so sickened my this whole cluster-&#*@ of an experience that I'm going to just cut my losses and be MUCH more choosey in my future vape-related purchases, especially when it comes to mods, batteries and vendors.

Kerig, those batteries should work. I use several different type of 14500;s myself and all will work in my mods.
I had box mod at one time and had some problems like you with batteries fitting. It isn't madvapes batts that are any different from any other vendors. You could have trouble with any vendors batts being too long or too short.

Box mods dont leave any room for batts that are a little too long. It is best to do what you did and cut the spring down as far as you have to to make the batts fit. Sorry you are frustrated, Box mods can do that to people. Once you get it right you will be happy..

good luck!

 

[four2109]

You mean 14x53 so 14530s.

Yes Mat, thanks for correcting me. Maybe is the U.S. had switched to the metric system when I was in the first grade like my Weekly Reader said we were going to, our batteries would be labeled by their dimensions too. But then we would have to give up counting by 12's.