Dell laptop battery - £95 to replace!?

mcds01

Hi,

After only 17 months the laptop on my dell Inspiron 15 Intel N5040 has packed in and will not charge at all.

Spoke to dell support and as its out of warranty they wont do any anything. They apparently only expect their batteries to last 12-18 months and say that is reasonable!

They directed me to a page on their website to purchase a new one. The price is a scandalous £95. Thats about a third of the price of the laptop!!

I've heard some horror stories about people buying cheap batteries elsewhere and them being fake, overheating, shorting out etc.

Does anyone know a reputable place to pick up a battery that wont cost a fortune!?

Many Thanks.

gjchester

Batteries for anything are expensive from a laptop to a cordless drill. You can get clones cheaply on eBay but quality can vary from batch to batch.

Dells price is expensive but your paying for the quality control as well as the price of the components. At least with Dell you have a reasonable assurance it will be safe and reliable.

NiftyDigits

Claimed genuine DELL batteries on eBay for £50.

victor2

Search on Amazon, where you'll find what appear to be genuine Dell ones for about half that price.
Laptop batteries do die, particularly if they're subject to heavy use.

mummyroysof3

I got mine from amazon for about 30 and a new charger, had no problems with them

macman

Batteries are never covered under the manufacturers warranty.
I've used eBay clones on several Dell laptops without any issues, but best to buy from a UK based buyer rather than direct from China/HK.

gjchester

Just a thought to consider if you do buy cheaper batteries don't go fore the cheapest you can, be sure you are dealing with a reputable company,

Dell, Sony, Apple, Lenovo, Nokia and others have all recalled batteries in the past over potential safety issues, leading to overheating and fire.

Boeing currently has a lot of DreamLiners grounded due to issues with their lithium based batteries overheating.

Yes genuine batteries cost more, but you have some assurance they have been tested...

colin79666

As above, its worth pointing out that laptop batteries are more complex than simple AA rechargeables. There is a lot of circuity in there to ensure each cell is charged correctly to keep thing running smoothly and avoid overcharging which can lead to fire.

victor2

gjchester wrote: »

Boeing currently has a lot of DreamLiners grounded due to issues with their lithium based batteries overheating.

Probably the last time Boeing buy their batteries off fleabay too.