EEVblog #751 - How To Debunk A Product (The Batteriser)

[EEVblog]

Some Garmin engineering people:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-harvey-19415644/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-forrester-4367361/
This guys might know:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngay528/

Power Management IC bring-up, testing and integration into Garmin designs

And this is the marketing guy for the golf products:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-yalowitz-896a6931/

[FrankBuss]

Quote from: boffin on Today at 02:25:44 PM>

any way to get Garmin to comment on it ?   Like asking "does your golf GPS really only last 1h43m like this video implies" ?

I already did this, ages ago. It's even in this thread, several hundred pages back...
Anyway, This was my email:

It might be useful to send them another eMail, with a link to the new video they made last month, and the UL report from their website. Maybe ask the CEO personally in a concise manner "is it right that the battery of your Garmin Approach G3 lasts barely 2 hours, as Batteroo says and shows in their video, website and UL report?".

[EEVblog]

I've contacted the head of marketing for the division that handles the G3 GPS for an official comment, and a technical response if possible.

[Cerebus]

I've contacted the head of marketing for the division that handles the G3 GPS for an official comment, and a technical response if possible.

Before I read this, I was just about to say "Talk to their PR people if you want to get a response at more than glacial speed and with above troglodyte intelligence (not much above, they are PRs)."

[Luminax]

This twitter reply from Garmin looks... promising...

 

[amyk]

Cut and paste response.

No attempt to even acknowledge the question, let alone answer it.  Useless.

The response does say "up to 15 hours". They're implicitly saying "no, that Batteroo is bullshit", without actually saying it. It is often the case that CSRs are taught to make no mention of any third-party products (for legal reasons), and just state the facts.

[Brumby]

A cut and paste answer for questions about battery life.

It could have been a better answer, but a CSR would not have the skills to write one.  I also doubt that a CSR would refer it to a department capable of giving an answer, since their job is to handle such inquiries.


All I could expect is that the issue is discussed enough that Garmin management might notice and issue a statement.

I'm not holding my breath.

[samgab]

A cut and paste answer for questions about battery life.

It could have been a better answer, but a CSR would not have the skills to write one.  I also doubt that a CSR would refer it to a department capable of giving an answer, since their job is to handle such inquiries.


All I could expect is that the issue is discussed enough that Garmin management might notice and issue a statement.

I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah, the answer I received was mostly a bunch of stuff about the difference between lithium and li-ion cells, which had nothing to do with the question I asked. It was definitely just a copy/paste, and I don't think she even actually did me the courtesy of reading the question in full, or gave it more than a passing glance... "hmmm... Garmin GPS... Battery... Oh yes, I have an answer for that somewhere here which one of my colleagues typed and sent to someone else about that before... copy/paste... Done! Now, where is my lip gloss, oh and what did I bring in for lunch today?"

[dr_frost_dk]

As expected the view count just went through the roof, after 96 hours it had 93 views, now a few hours later it has 1,933 and i bet in 12 hours it will jump to over 10,000 

EDIT: Now at 10,625 views (2017-03-19)

[amyk]

...you're skewing the view count by embedding it here. 

[AmmoJammo]

I like how the first heading on their webpage says "Patented & Reusable Battery Life Extending Sleeves"

Like somehow being patented is a feature? 

[Brumby]

"Patented" has a credibility to it that Marketing departments just love to exploit.  Consumers see it as a formal acknowledgement of something new.

The subtleties are not something the average consumer would think too hard about ... if at all.

[AmmoJammo]

I'm confused by this statement on their webpage?



I suppose they aren't claiming they have the patent..

[Brumby]

Now you're getting the idea.   

[CaptCrash]

I'm confused by this statement on their webpage?



I suppose they aren't claiming they have the patent..

They are also claiming in their "Product Technology Specs" that they have utilised a coating that is both stainless steel and non conductive.  I wonder if its 8x or 800% less conductive.
That sounds like quite a task

[amyk]

It gets even more confusing, since the left says the entire sleeve is made of stainless but then the right says "stainless steel coating"

[Luminax]

You guys are either reading too deep, or too shallow. It simply says, "We have a stainless steel coating to prevent rust, and a non-conductive coating on top of that to prevent shoting"

Although, with the way they have been promoting their video and screwdrivering their marketing bs, it might be me who's giving them too much of a break?

[Blocco]

I think I can see a pattern emerging....

http://thirtysomethingsupermom.com/batteroo-extends-battery-life/
http://momblogsociety.com/batteroo-technologhy-extends-battery-life/
http://www.onenotsoboredmommy.com/2017/02/batteroo-extend-your-battery-life-for.html

If you find reading the "reviews" painful, you should probably avoid the comments section.

[Koen]

Fake blog rings. As if you had multiple accounts on reddit upvoting/commenting on each others links to gain visibility.

[Cerebus]

I think I can see a pattern emerging....

http://thirtysomethingsupermom.com/batteroo-extends-battery-life/
http://momblogsociety.com/batteroo-technologhy-extends-battery-life/
http://www.onenotsoboredmommy.com/2017/02/batteroo-extend-your-battery-life-for.html

If you find reading the "reviews" painful, you should probably avoid the comments section.

It's 'interesting' quite how many comments use the phrase "extend the life of batteries" and go on to say that they will try them or that they must get some.

I don't know about you, but I find that most people who don't work in marketing would say some thing like 'make batteries last longer' but I'm sure that Batteroo are far too honourable to both sponsor a post and then go and Astroturf the comment section too.

At least the first blog listed is honest enough to say that it's a sponsored post.

[Domagoj T]

At least the first blog listed is honest enough to say that it's a sponsored post.

It says sponsored, but it also says "All opinions are my own." Then it proceeds to talks about “Zombie” batteries.
I am not a native English speaker, so I may have missed it, but in the 20+ years of speaking the language I don't recall ever hearing the term. That is until all this Butterizer thing. Is it used in everyday, casual conversation?
It seems to me as if Rooh bros gave her the script with bullet points and specific words to use in the article, all in effort to appease the SEO gods.

[Avacee]

It says sponsored, but it also says "All opinions are my own." Then it proceeds to talks about “Zombie” batteries.
I am not a native English speaker, so I may have missed it, but in the 20+ years of speaking the language I don't recall ever hearing the term. That is until all this Butterizer thing. Is it used in everyday, casual conversation?
It seems to me as if Rooh bros gave her the script with bullet points and specific word to use in the article, all in effort to appease the SEO gods.

Our batteries get "low" and then they're "dead" ... never ever heard "Zombie Battery" - any Brit using that phrase is, imho, either copy + pasting, or a marketing w****r throwing around a new buzzword.

If Batterpoo wanted to sell in Britain they'd probably use phrases such as "resurrect dead batteries", "revive dead batteries", "boost low batteries".
But our Advertising Standards Agency is pretty strict on outrageous claims (read: lies) and the British Standards Institute would be interested in the overheating reports (good luck getting a kite mark)
I confess part of me is wondering what would happen if they found a UK distributor :p

[EEVblog]

At least the first blog listed is honest enough to say that it's a sponsored post.

I presume sponsored post means cash payment and not simply some free Batterisers?

[Koen]

In the early days, advertisers would approach popular bloggers and offer to exchange a fixed income against the publication of a few commercials per month. Disclosed by the blogger or not.

Then bloggers made multiple similar blogs to gain more from these offers. Creating "rings" where each blog would promote other blogs.

Eventually, advertisers decided to maintain their own rings by employing "writers" to maintain dozen of blogs whose sole use is publishing commercials for the advertisers clients.

Obviously, you can buy comments too. From "random users" or, better, "other bloggers" which will later promote the same product and confirm its usefulness.

[amyk]

I think I can see a pattern emerging....

http://thirtysomethingsupermom.com/batteroo-extends-battery-life/
http://momblogsociety.com/batteroo-technologhy-extends-battery-life/
http://www.onenotsoboredmommy.com/2017/02/batteroo-extend-your-battery-life-for.html

If you find reading the "reviews" painful, you should probably avoid the comments section.

To someone familiar with this sort of stuff it's instantly recognisable as blogspam, but to the average clueless luser, it might seem credible.

Anyone here mind posting some actual true comments on there and see if they get deleted? I tried on all 3 but only the middle one seemed to take, although it's "awaiting moderation". Now we know why...