crap Energizer 2032 batteries from Amazon

[graybeard]

In January I bought some CR2032s from seller "Energizer" on Amazon. 

I went to install them in some data loggers I have today and they died within minutes.  The counting data loggers draw on a few microamps of current and a 2032 normally lasts for about 8 months monitoring my well.  It has been 9 months since I changed the batteries and they were still running, but the batteries were getting low as expected.  They were working fine, but do not have enough energy left to continue being used.

I downloaded the data from the data loggers using the existing batteries.  I then replaced the low batteries with what I thought were new good batteries, but the new batteries did not and will not work.  I tried multiple batteries from the package and tried both data loggers I have.  Unfortunately none worked.  Although I am in a remote location, I do have a multimeter, so I probed the circuit and within 2 minutes the voltage dropped from 3.17V to 2.2V.

I thought when I bought these batteries thought they were genuine.  However upon closer inspection they appear to be counterfeits.   The Amazon vendor is listed as "Energizer Brands, LLC."



Here is an image of the one of the good ones I removed today that has been working fine for 8 months:


This is an image of one of the pieces of crap I tried today:


If you compare the fonts the crap batteries appear to be counterfeits.  They also scratched up quite a bit more with only one insertion and removal.

Here are some images of the package:







These batteries are complete crap.

This is my second time getting burned on batteries from Amazon.  I had the same issue about 4 years ago with some other 2032s.

I will no longer being buying batteries from Amazon.  I will stick with B&H as my source.

[Psi]

That blue foil packing the battery neg is sitting against. Is that conductive by any means?

[graybeard]

it was covered with a thin layer of paper and the negative terminals had insulting stickers on them

[Stray Electron]

  SCAM. SCAM. SCAM!  I've been noticing a lot of "sellers" on Amazon recently that use the name of well known companies to sell their counterfeit trash.  In addition to "Energizer", I've also seen "Ford" and "Motorcraft".   All of these are legitimate companies but aren't companies that sell directly to the public or that sell via the internet.

 For the ones of that are a little "slow" and that want to argue about it, yes you can buy items made by Ford, Motorcraft, and Energizer on amazon. But they're sold via legitimate third party retail companies like NAPA, Home Depot, Discount Auto Parts, Lowes and even directly by Amazon.

[james_s]

I just buy packs of CR2032's from China, so far they have been fine. If you buy from a site that has reviews it's usually pretty easy to avoid the garbage and they're cheap enough that if you do get a bad batch it's not a big deal.

[edavid]

I just buy packs of CR2032's from China, so far they have been fine. If you buy from a site that has reviews it's usually pretty easy to avoid the garbage and they're cheap enough that if you do get a bad batch it's not a big deal.

I have mostly gotten good ones, but I did have one bad batch.  (If the open circuit voltage is below 3.20V when you get them, they are probably bad.)

Dafei brand has been reliable.

If you happen to be ordering from Arrow, they have bulk Panasonic CR2032s at a good price.

[Kjelt]

When replacing my Breitling battery and experimented with many brands I noticed they all have different capacities. Some only 25% of the best brands. So also A brands differ significantly in their endurance, but not as bad as these, minutes is crazy.
Another small tip use clean gloves when installing cell batteries like these, a small amount if natural skin grease between the tiny insulation ring between + and - is enough to leak so the batteries are empty after a few months.

[ogden]

However upon closer inspection they appear to be counterfeits.

I am not sure these are counterfeit, but they crap none the less.

Please make your mind. - They are counterfeit or not?

[Ysjoelfir]

I had some similar problems, not with energizer but with Ansmann. Bought four packs of 20 mignon and two packs of 20 micro batteries, all dated for storage up to 2021.
Half a year later all of them were dead - not because I used and drained them, but because they started to leak inside the factory sealed packet. They were stored in pretty good conditions, so I have no idea what happened there... Sadly, there is no way you can return batteries after 6 months since the warranty only lasts so long.

[Urs42]

I got a big pack of CR2032 batteries form aliexpress, they did only last for about two months in my car keyfob.

I do now use CR2032 from Ikea, they are cheap and i did not have any issues with them.

[jsantoro]

I got burned on some Renata watch batteries. Each lasted a week. Done with Amazon for batteries. I should have known, they were way too cheap.

[rrinker]

 The real Energizer AA batteries in my smoke alarm leaked and made a mess, luckily on the easy to reach terminal that pops out when the battery compartment is opened. I bought some 12V garage door opener batteries on Amazon - they have been great, lasting a long time. I also got some of the type that are used in a couple of IoT sensors I have - 3V lithium or something like that. Not a brand I had heard of before (neither are the opener batteries). So far, they have lasted twice as long as the original batteries that came with these sensors, and still are reporting > 50% power left.
 Perhaps the trick with Amazon is to stay away from the name brand stuff. This is not the first time I've had problems with Energizer (not purchased through Amazon).

[Bill W]

There is also a 'real' problem, in that coin cells come in two types, pulse load (keyfob) and low load (watches, backup RTC's).
Keyfob = lower capacity optimised for lower internal resistance (CR2032)
Watch = optimised for maximum capacity, high internal resistance (DL2032)

Put a 'watch' type in a keyfob and you get two weeks or so.

However they are both the same size so you get 'CR2032 size' that are DL construction and vice versa from dumb sellers.

Bill

[mariush]

It seems to me more like Energizer's selling cheaper CR2032 in some markets. Maybe they sell the Japan made ones in US and Europe usually, and the other somewhere else.

I don't get why you guys bother with Amazon when these batteries are as low as 0.35$ each on Digikey and other stores.

Ex. Panasonic 225mAh .. 0.35$ each, 0.26$ in 50pcs 0.24$ in 100pcs : https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/panasonic-bsg/CR2032/P189-ND/31939
Here's a bunch of them: https://www.digikey.com/products/en/battery-products/batteries-non-rechargeable-primary/90?k=&pkeyword=&sv=0&sf=0&FV=ffec4d3b%2Cffe0005a&quantity=10&ColumnSort=1000011&page=1&stock=1&pageSize=25

You can also look into BR2032 ... just different chemical formula, Lithium Poly-Carbon Monoflouride  ... lower capacity at around 180-190mAh but it's supposed to be more reliable and lower self discharge.
Link : https://www.digikey.com/products/en/battery-products/batteries-non-rechargeable-primary/90?k=&pkeyword=&sv=0&s=19752&sf=0&FV=ffe0005a&quantity=&ColumnSort=0&page=1&pageSize=25

[wraper]

Dunno about battery on the bottom but 'genuine' battery on top is 100% counterfeit. There are no CR2032 factories left in Japan.

[wraper]

There is also a 'real' problem, in that coin cells come in two types, pulse load (keyfob) and low load (watches, backup RTC's).
Keyfob = lower capacity optimised for lower internal resistance (CR2032)
Watch = optimised for maximum capacity, high internal resistance (DL2032)

Put a 'watch' type in a keyfob and you get two weeks or so.

However they are both the same size so you get 'CR2032 size' that are DL construction and vice versa from dumb sellers.

Bill

DL2032 is just how Duracell names their CR2032, nothing more.

[james_s]

I had some similar problems, not with energizer but with Ansmann. Bought four packs of 20 mignon and two packs of 20 micro batteries, all dated for storage up to 2021.
Half a year later all of them were dead - not because I used and drained them, but because they started to leak inside the factory sealed packet. They were stored in pretty good conditions, so I have no idea what happened there... Sadly, there is no way you can return batteries after 6 months since the warranty only lasts so long.

I would contact the manufacture, the warranty for factory sealed batteries should absolutely extend to the expiration date.

[Ysjoelfir]

warranty is a voluntary thing from the manufacturer. He can specify how long and under which circumstances he accepts any returns. Since batteries can be damaged by pretty much anything, for example temperature or humidity, I doubt that they would accept a warranty claim, even if those things were in the factory package.
Having said that, since those things were pretty cheap I just decided to dispose of them, the time claiming the warranty would be much more worth than just buying new ones from an other manufacturer and avoiding ansmann in the future, despite being a very happy customer for years before.

[Monkeh]

Dunno about battery on the bottom but 'genuine' battery on top is 100% counterfeit. There are no CR2032 factories left in Japan.

[citation needed]

[madires]

I had some similar problems, not with energizer but with Ansmann. Bought four packs of 20 mignon and two packs of 20 micro batteries, all dated for storage up to 2021.
Half a year later all of them were dead - not because I used and drained them, but because they started to leak inside the factory sealed packet. They were stored in pretty good conditions, so I have no idea what happened there... Sadly, there is no way you can return batteries after 6 months since the warranty only lasts so long.

It's not just their primary cells. I have several Ansmann NiMH 9V low-self-discharge rechargeables and about a third died quite early. Based on that experience I'd guess they are reselling cheap stuff.

[LovelyA72]

That's so true. I am using that model of battery on my real time clock module. And it failed in two months! 

[Tony_G]

I don't get why you guys bother with Amazon when these batteries are as low as 0.35$ each on Digikey and other stores.

You might want to order quickly though, Digi-Key only has 3,530,265 of the US$0.34 ones in stock...

TonyG

[Halcyon]

There is good chance that those are actually genuine Energizer cells, albeit, parallel (or "grey") imports.

Essentially, they are a genuine brand product, but produced for a different market. Those products might not meet the standards or quality requirements as products produced for an Australian, UK or US markets (for example). Yes, they are usually cheaper, but you get what you pay for. You quite often find these kinds of products in "dollar stores" and it's not just batteries but all kinds of consumer products.

[wnorcott]

I bought 20 Sony CR2032 from Amazon seller Forever Sales in May, 2017 and what’s left are all still good.  The ones I used ran as long as expected, with no duds.   Mine came in blister packs of 5.

[Doom-the-Squirrel]

I stick to store bought ones (old school all the way).

So far, no issues.

Sad to think that this sort of thing is happening on Amazon.
I wonder what other dodgy products might appear.

[james_s]

You must have money to burn, or use very few of these things. For the price of a single CR2032 in a store I can buy a pack of 50 from China including shipping. At least in my case they've always been just as good.

Then there are the legit ones from places like digikey but they require UPS ground shipping which is stupid for a single coin cell. I don't understand why those get lumped in with lithium ion batteries. Lithium primary cells are not a fire risk, particularly tiny little coin cells.

[Doom-the-Squirrel]

I don't use them much. A pack of six is enough to last me a while.