How long should a battery last?

Austen_2610

Hi,
Just took a faulty Panasonic Lumix camera back to Jessops after 1 year (just before warranty ran out). It was not charging.

I was told that the battery was at fault and that it is not covered under warranty - despite this not being mentioned anywhere in the warranty. i.e. I was dismissed, somewhat rudely and out of hand. It is the battery that came as part of the camera.

My question is: How long should a branded Li-ion last? Can it be damaged by being over-charged/ under-charged using the manufacturers charger?

My experience with computers, cameras, etc is that they can die if left for long periods un charged...but this camera was left for two weeks. I have Nikon cameras that are left for months then charged and they still work to full capacity.

I have started a complaint but would appreciate others' comments.

[Deleted User]

Batteries aren't covered by the warranty because they're regarded as consumables, and I think you'll have a job demonstrating that you haven't just used it a lot during the year. Lithium batteries need quite sophisticated charge management to stop them catching fire, so I don't think you're going to be able to overcharge it accidentally.

LilElvis

jack_pott wrote: »

Batteries aren't covered by the warranty because they're regarded as consumables, and I think you'll have a job demonstrating that you haven't just used it a lot during the year. Lithium batteries need quite sophisticated charge management to stop them catching fire, so I don't think you're going to be able to overcharge it accidentally.

Actually it might be very easy to show how much it has been used as many cameras have an inbuilt counter which shows how many pictures have been taken since purchase.

Nilrem

LilElvis wrote: »

Actually it might be very easy to show how much it has been used as many cameras have an inbuilt counter which shows how many pictures have been taken since purchase.

But the battery doesn't, and the battery can be used in another device.

IIRC my Lumix camera (going back about 6 years when I got it new), had in it's documentation something about the battery having a different warranty to the actual camera, as has been said it's classed as a consumable and how long it will last varies massively on how it's handled/what sort of use it has.

Keep_pedalling

The main thing you should not do with these batteries is leave them in exhausted state for long periods of time, so this is more likely to happen where the camera has had little use than one with heavy use.

My cameras get a lot of use and the batteries tend to go on for a good few years, although I always have one or two spares charged and ready to go.

Fosterdog

LilElvis wrote: »

Actually it might be very easy to show how much it has been used as many cameras have an inbuilt counter which shows how many pictures have been taken since purchase.

The counter on most cameras gets reset if a factory reset is carried out so it wouldn't be a reliable source of proof.

SouthUKMan

Li-ion batteries have been used in consumer goods for around a decade now. When the batteries are allowed to part discharge and are then recharged on a fairly regular basis, they tend to keep going for a few years. However, if they are allowed to fully discharge and stand idle for some period of time then that can kill them. Something happens to the chemical composition of the battery (which I don't pretend to understand!) which means the battery goes beyond the point of no return. It happened to one of our cameras which had barely been used and an Android tablet.

macman

The manufacturer's warranty clearly excludes batteries, as they always do:

Excluded from the Guarantee are:
(i) Any products or parts which have a limited natural life or which is
consumable, such as but not limited to stylus, batteries, filters, dust bags,
dust covers and cabinet parts;

The retailer's liability is limited to your legal rights under CRA, and these intended are for goods that are defective or not as described. A battery expiring does not fit into either category, so you are wasting your time with a complaint, unless you can prove that it was a pre-existing fault.