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

[Nerull]

Guess what I got in my inbox. An update from Batteriser! It is not posted at the Indiegogo site (yet), so I thought I'd share it with you ;-)

Dear Supporters,
 
First of all, we would like to thank you for being patient with us as we have been trying to get our products shipped to our customers. To that end, we would like to share some important information with you.  Energizer has initiated a lawsuit against our company arguing that the name Batteriser is similar to Energizer.  In their opinion, we are taking advantage of Energizer’s reputation.   Batteriser is a unique name we chose to emphasize the rise in the voltage of a Battery, hence Batte-Riser. The name Energizer does not contain the words battery or riser, and is derived from just one verb: Energize. The only similarity is the "ER" suffix in both names and that to them seems to imply we are taking advantage of their reputation.
 

Although our legal team believes that Energizer’s does not have a case they can win, there are other realities we must consider. We are a small startup with limited resources, and Energizer is a huge corporation. We do not want to waste our resources on a lengthy legal battle, so we have decided to change the Batteriser product name.  To be clear, this litigation from Energizer is only related to the naming of Batteriser and has nothing to do with our technology and IP portfolio.
 

We are working to expedite the negotiation process with Energizer so that we may continue with the more important work of shipping our orders to all of our customers. At this point, we already have the Batteriser name and logo design on all of our packaging, cases, wrappers, and brochures as well as the Batteriser product itself. As a result, we will now have to redesign and retool all of these items with our new product name and logo.  We are working on minimizing the effect this change has on our shipping schedule.  As mentioned in our last communication, our CEO Bob Roohparvar is currently in East Asia working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
 

Recently, we were also notified that many customers had problems accessing certain features on our website. Upon further investigation, we realized that our website had been hacked. Someone had entered a few lines of code that blocked our customers from seeing the videos and Q&A section of our site, as well as blocking them from placing orders. That issue is now resolved, but It is very obvious to us that we are under attack. Given that we plan to disrupt the $15 billion/year battery industry and drastically reduce the number of batteries in landfills, we are not surprised.  We are grateful that we are not fighting this fight alone, and that these delays have not deterred our supporters. To be clear, we are not saying or implying that Energizer had anything to do with the hacking of our website; but merely that we are being attacked on many fronts.
 

We will be announcing the new product name, unveiling our new logo and supplying further details in the coming weeks. We want to sincerely apologize for the delays and want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to get the product to you. We appreciate your continued patience and look forward to delivering our product that will make the planet a better place for our children. Thank you so much for your continued support!
 

Yours truly,

The Batteroo Team

That much retooling is good for another year of delays, at least. Good timing that they finally noticed the energizer thing months after it was filed just when they needed another excuse not to ship. 

[Fungus]

Exactly as predicted here: They've been keeping the "Energizer" joker up their sleeve for when things got rough.

[timgiles]

So they have not even bothered to check their own website! And these same idiots are who people are trusting with their money.

Still, I backed the CST watch on Kickstarter - so I cant talk. Still, the sooner the product is delivered, reviewed, the sooner we can move on to the next snake oil battery product.

[SeanB]

Truly Batteriser is the gift that keeps on giving. Kind of like athletes foot.

[g.lewarne]

Truly Batteriser is the gift that keeps on giving. Kind of like athletes foot.

with 800% more herpes

[Delta]

Guess what I got in my inbox. An update from Batteriser! It is not posted at the Indiegogo site (yet), so I thought I'd share it with you ;-)

Dear Supporters,
 
blah blah blah

Yours truly,

The Batteroo Team

 

Outstanding. 

So not one single person on Team Batteryisereroo had browsed their own website and noticed that it wasn't working.  And they had so much good info they were trying earnestly to share with their backers!  If it wasn't for Big Battery and their evil hackers!  Probably Dave hacked them too...

I for one completely believe that they've only just found out about the Energizer trademark stuff, and just before they were due to ship the completed products no less!  I of course expect to see photos of Bobby stood next to the hundreds and thousands of completed Batterisers they were just about to ship.

I was going to say that surely none of their backers will believe this shit, but then again, they all believed the original bullshit in the first place... 

[g.lewarne]

I believe 800% that they goofed up their own website. why would anyone hack it? they are doing a great job of making themselves look like idiots / victims of stupidity better than anyone else could

[EEVblog]

Energizer has initiated a lawsuit against our company arguing that the name Batteriser is similar to Energizer.

Tell use the date when that happened and you first knew about it Bob.
You and everyone else knows it was 6 months ago, but nice try trying to make everyone think this just popped up.
Someone here will link to the proof in 3.. 2.. 1..

[GamerAndds]

New product names anyone? Lol how about the 'Fakerizer'...


I laugh everytime I hear new info on this and it's beyond my time and effort to even explain the 'no' (with a face palm) in this to other people, if anyone asks me I tell them this.
"Go ahead, waste your money on another scam" end of story.

[EEVblog]

Exactly as predicted here: They've been keeping the "Energizer" joker up their sleeve for when things got rough.

Yep, it was predicted by all and sundry, so that really must have been their last ace up their sleeve.

[g.lewarne]

little compilation...

[LabSpokane]

How about a selfie from Shenzhen, Bob?  I'm not sure I even believe you are there at this point.

[g.lewarne]

How about a selfie from Shenzhen, Bob?  I'm not sure I even believe you are there at this point.

isn't he a lecturer at some college / university somewhere? probably easy enough to find a teaching schedule

[Delta]

How about a selfie from Shenzhen, Bob?  I'm not sure I even believe you are there at this point.

isn't he a lecturer at some college / university somewhere? probably easy enough to find a teaching schedule

He's teaching during "winter quarter 2016", is that now? 

[ez24]

He's teaching during "winter quarter 2016", is that now? 

Winter Quarter 2016
Jan. 4    Opening of winter quarter; Classes begin
Jan. 18    Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (University closed)
Feb. 19    Last day to submit thesis to Academic Programs and Graduate Studies Office
Mar. 13    Last day of classes
Mar. 14-20    Final examinations
Mar. 20    End of quarter
Mar. 21-Mar. 27    Academic recess



Spring starts Mar 28 

So he could be in China

[Brumby]

Dear Supporters,
 
Blah, blah, blah...
To that end, we would like to share some important information with you.  Energizer has initiated a lawsuit against our company arguing that the name Batteriser is similar to Energizer.
Blah, blah, blah...

This is old news, bordering on ancient ... and you're rolling it out now?

We do not want to waste our resources on a lengthy legal battle, so we have decided to change the Batteriser product name.
Blah, blah, blah...
We are working on minimizing the effect this change has on our shipping schedule.

Bullshit.  From past example, you mean maximizing, don't you?

Recently, we were also notified that many customers had problems accessing certain features on our website. Upon further investigation, we realized that our website had been hacked.

Maybe.  I have some alternate possibilities:
 1. We deliberately stuffed it to slow people up, knowing we could blame it on hacking
 2. We accidentally stuffed it up and realized it wasn't a bad thing - and we could blame it on hacking

Blah, blah, blah...
That issue is now resolved, but It is very obvious to us that we are under attack. Given that we plan to disrupt the $15 billion/year battery industry and drastically reduce the number of batteries in landfills, we are not surprised. 
Blah, blah, blah...
we are not saying or implying that Energizer had anything to do with the hacking of our website; but merely that we are being attacked on many fronts.

Of course - point the finger ... but at no-one in particular, naturally.  We wouldn't want a defamation suit on top of everything else, would we?

Blah, blah, blah...
... and want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to get the product to you.

Actions speak louder than words.  With this as background noise, you could hear a sparrow fart a mile away.

We appreciate your continued patience and look forward to delivering our product that will make the planet a better place for our children.
Blah, blah, blah...

Seriously ... playing the 'future generations' sympathy card - when you haven't proven you have a product, let alone one that performs, let alone one that performs as advertised ... which STILL puts you outside any demonstrable benefit for future generations.

 


I would love to be proven wrong - but I don't hold out ANY hope of that.

[EEVblog]

And of course this is the perfect get out of jail free card to providing any information at all or photos from China. Hopefully people will forget all about that.

[EEVblog]

Although our legal team believes that Energizer’s does not have a case they can win, there are other realities we must consider.

Our legal team = the relative of that professor in our marketing video, who seems to have zero patent or trademark defence experience.

[Svuppe]

Upon further investigation, we realized that our website had been hacked. Someone had entered a few lines of code that blocked our customers from seeing the videos and Q&A section of our site, as well as blocking them from placing orders. That issue is now resolved, but It is very obvious to us that we are under attack.

Oh please..... What kind of an "attack" would removing the Q&A section be? If they were really under attack, their website would be gone altogether, or at least have the front page replaced with something completely different. Maybe the next excuse is that it was hackers that have added the 800% claim, and they have never said that themselves???

[SeanB]

Mar. 21-Mar. 27    Academic recess


Spring starts Mar 28 

So he could be in China

More likely India, visiting the family. You know, on the way to China, but perhaps the China stop is only at the airport to change from Air India to another carrier.

[jc101]

Well if they are going to rebrand it, then perhaps they will then try to re-market to those who had doubts over the original Batteriser name and didn't put in those bulk orders.  Unless that change of name e-mail is posted on their website / campaign could they try to spin the new name as being different from Batteriser to any potential new buyer?

[MLXXXp]

Yep, it was predicted by all and sundry, so that really must have been their last ace up their sleeve.

Na, they still have another "ace" after this one. Some months from now, expect to see something like:

"As we have reported previously, we have decided our new product branding will be The Batterooster (derived from Battery, Roohparvar and Booster), with the slogan Wakes up the sleeping unused power in your batteries. The new packaging, cases, wrappers, and brochures are largely in place. Our discussions with Energizer have indicated that they have no objection to the new name.

Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we have been told that one of our key patent applications is likely to be rejected. Without holding this patent to protect our unique intellectual property, the door is open for other parties to copy and market a nearly identical product without recourse. We feel this is likely to occur and so have determined our company would not be profitable in light of this additional competition. Therefore, regretfully, we have decided to not proceed with the manufacture and delivery of the Batterooster product.

We are now looking into selling some of our IP and assets so that our endeavours will not have completely gone to waste. We hope that any monies gained from these sales can be used to provide you with, at least, partial refunds."    

[EEVblog]

Oh please..... What kind of an "attack" would removing the Q&A section be?

Hmm... didn't the old Q&A page contain several embarrassing technical fopar's?

[EEVblog]

Na, they still have another "ace" after this one. Some months from now, expect to see something like:

Unfortunately, we regret to inform you that we have been told that one of our key patent applications is likely to be rejected. Without holding this patent to protect our unique intellectual property, the door is open for other parties to copy and market a nearly identical product without recourse. We feel this is likely to occur and so have determined our company would not be profitable in light of this additional competition. Therefore, regretfully, we have decided to not proceed with the manufacture and delivery of the Batterooster product.

Ah yes, the key patent that will no doubt get rejected. Forgot about that one!

[Cerebus]

Oh please..... What kind of an "attack" would removing the Q&A section be?

Hmm... didn't the old Q&A page contain several embarrassing technical fopar's?

I think you'll find that's faux pas, but you were accidentally close to the truly correct spelling which would be, of course, a "technical Rooh par".

This could join the classics of actions and activities named after people such as Boycott, Gerrymander or phrases such as "That man is a complete and utter Jeremy" - named after Jeremy Hunt, UK minister for health and well known misspelling.