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

[AndyC_772]

Well Bob believes it's real:

Bob believes many things 

[Blocco]

Bob is a strange character; why doesn't he directly answer anyone's questions on IGG or FB? Someone is again asking him to post photos on IGG, what are the odds that he doesn't reply?

I don't believe anything has been "shipped" and Bob knows this better than anyone so why ask people to post images of something that he knows doesn't exist? There isn't even a single update on the official Batteroo web site that mentions "shipping" or shows any images of actual production units, they're still only offering pre-orders. No legitimate company would miss the opportunity to shout about it when their long-awaited, "game-changing" product actually becomes a reality.

There's something fishy going on here... but, Bob only knows what!

But wait, someone else claims to have received something over on IGG......... I hope Joseph Brady knows how to take a convincing photo...

[Muttley Snickers]

It looks fake to me. Just from the design of the package it looks like the we're being shown the back of the package. Typically I expect the part with the product visible to be the front with all the marketing claims and the back to have the barcode and approvals and all other explanatory and legally required blurb.

Why isn't the photo of the actual product instead of the packaging?

I do recall that at one point they were offering a small protection container similar to a tackle box for their flimsy device, perhaps that is what's visible in the recently enhanced image.     

[johndoe123]

I don't believe anything has been "shipped" and Bob knows this better than anyone so why ask people to post images of something that he knows doesn't exist?

maybe he hopes that people fake it (like the guy in Athens) to get some attention.

[LabSpokane]

This has gone from fishy to rancid fish sauce that dripped out of a wharf-side dumpster in August.

[EEVblog]

[EEVblog]

From Facebook
Some guy from Greece got one:
https://www.facebook.com/stratos.lag.9

[LabSpokane]

From Facebook
Some guy from Greece got one:
https://www.facebook.com/stratos.lag.9

Correction: some guy with a Facebook account in Greece posted a photo of packaging material. This is totally bizarre. Who wouldn't open the damned package up?! Unless of course, the package is all there is.

I'm prepared to be wrong, but this truly seems like the battery sleeves do not exist, and an elaborate fraud is being put forth. Without exif data, that photo could just as well be from Cleveland or San Jose.

[EEVblog]

Let's assume the Greece one is legit, that means:
a) They have used some dropshipping company that are shuffling these around the world first. My uRulers all went to Sweden to be distributed for example, so Swed's got them first.
b) Other people can only be a day away now, so we'll know by then.

[EEVblog]

Correction: some guy with a Facebook account in Greece posted a photo of packaging material. This is totally bizarre. Who wouldn't open the damned package up?! Unless of course, the package is all there is.
I'm prepared to be wrong, but this truly seems like the battery sleeves do not exist, and an elaborate fraud is being put forth. Without exif data, that photo could just as well be from Cleveland or San Jose.

The guy works (or worked?) at http://www.smartplusnew.com/el/
Some sort of gadget company?
Smells fishy...

[Muttley Snickers]

Does anybody know which side the steering wheel is on in Greece ?, perhaps there are also some other hints in the image that we haven't noticed yet, I even tried looking at an inflated picture to view the reflection in the other cars mirror with little success, driving myself bonkers unnecessarily.   

[EEVblog]

Does anybody know which side the steering wheel is on in Greece ?

The right. They got that correct.

[Brumby]

That's a left hand drive vehicle.

[ChunkyPastaSauce]

Correction: some guy with a Facebook account in Greece posted a photo of packaging material. This is totally bizarre. Who wouldn't open the damned package up?! Unless of course, the package is all there is.
I'm prepared to be wrong, but this truly seems like the battery sleeves do not exist, and an elaborate fraud is being put forth. Without exif data, that photo could just as well be from Cleveland or San Jose.

The guy works (or worked?) at http://www.smartplusnew.com/el/
Some sort of gadget company?
Smells fishy...

Website kinda similar to the other gadget company "Myle Home Intelligence" from a few days ago
http://myle-homeintelligence.com/page/homepage.aspx

That's a left hand drive vehicle.

Greece drives on the right side, so steering on the left side

[drussell]

That may well be someone who ordered a bunch with the intention to resell them in some sort of retail store.  They may have absolutely no intention of using them or even trying them out, just to try to sell them to suckers and make a buck.

They may well have got them earlier than others because it was one of the larger orders which would have been shipped out differently and separate from the bulk of backers' orders.  I will not be surprised at all if people really do start receiving them. 

I expect that photo is genuine.  That does look to be about what I would expect the real, finished, packaged product to look like. It is just still amazing that it is the first such photo that we've seen.

Didn't they lose the right to say Batteriser?

Their deal(s) with Energizer may well have allowed them to ship their existing stock to the IGG backers.

Without being able to see the agreement(s) or be a fly on the wall during their discussions, only the Batteroo insiders know what the precise terms of the agreement(s) are.

[timb]

That may well be someone who ordered a bunch with the intention to resell them in some sort of retail store.  They may have absolutely no intention of using them or even trying them out, just to try to sell them to suckers and make a buck.

They may well have got them earlier than others because it was one of the larger orders which would have been shipped out differently and separate from the bulk of backers' orders.  I will not be surprised at all if people really do start receiving them. 

I expect that photo is genuine.  That does look to be about what I would expect the real, finished, packaged product to look like. It is just still amazing that it is the first such photo that we've seen.

Didn't they lose the right to say Batteriser?

Their deal(s) with Energizer may well have allowed them to ship their existing stock to the IGG backers.

Without being able to see the agreement(s) or be a fly on the wall during their discussions, only the Batteroo insiders know what the precise terms of the agreement(s) are.

I seem to recall them saying they had to reprint all the packaging and create new dies to stamp the sleeve. It was an excuse they used around the time they announced issue with Energizer was settled.

They had known about Energizer issue since well before they ever went into production, so it's highly unlikely they ever manufactured any significant number of units with the Batteriser name, let alone packaging!

Besides, the last thing I'd want to do is ship large numbers of my product to a retailer that didn't have my actual product name on it... That's just asking for customer confusion.

[Halcyon]

That's a left hand drive vehicle.

Yep, the Greeks drive on the right-hand side of the road (same as the USA) so their cars are backwards as well ;-)

I think everyone here has his the nail on the head all along. There is still no verifiable evidence that a Batteriser (in any form) exists.

[PeterL]

Looks like they deleted the latest comments on Facebook, including this last picture.
Or at least it's no longer public visible..

[PA0PBZ]

I can still see it, are you banned? 



Too bad actually, I was going to suggest it would be back soon branded Batteroo.

[PeterL]

I can still see it, are you banned? 

I'm not even on Facebook, Yesterday a saw the picture without being logged in.
Today I don't see any comments on their last two posts.

Oh well, maybe it's just facebook trying to lure me in...

[McBryce]

Regarding the car in the photo. It's a left hand drive BMW 3 series, probably from the early/mid 2000's. A car that would be pretty common in Greece (but also in many other countries).

McBryce.

[Halcyon]

Is it possible to add a poll to this thread at this stage?

Something like:

Are you a 'Batteriser' backer on Indigogo or have you ordered a Batteriser through some other means?

(1) No, I'm just here for the amusing thread
(2) Yes, I backed them on Indigogo but I'm yet to receive a product
(3) Yes, I ordered a Batteriser through other means, but I'm still yet to receive my order

It'd be nice to know how many people reading the thread actually backed them. The poll would allow them to remain anonymous (for obvious reasons). Quite frankly, at this late stage, it's like waiting for Charlie Bucket to find Willy Wonka's golden ticket.

[Muttley Snickers]

Yes, some organisation around these parts could possibly assist those who may have not followed the debacle from the beginning, this thread could probably do with an index or something similar, I started one months ago and then gave up so feel free to fill in the blanks as I’ve now completely lost interest again and generally only ever judge a battery by its cover anyway.

[Fungus]

Didn't they lose the right to say Batteriser?

Maybe they shipped the "Batteriser" branded ones to countries where copyright laws are hard to enforce.

(are they that smart?)

Something about that package/photo just doesn't seem right though...why would you take a photo from the back?

The smoking guns for me are that:
a) Bob never posted any photos of anything. That's just not plausible given how easy it is to upload photos these days.
and
b) The first people posting on Facebook were obviously Bob's cronies. They didn't post photos either. How does that work, Bob? Does nobody own a smartphone?

[kalleboo]

So if they're all manufactured and in the mail, why is their website still taking "pre-orders" of "the first shipment" with an undetermined ship date? Shouldn't they be selling them outright by now?