Finally, a FAQ section!
Q: What is the typical turnaround time for battery re-cell service?
For small orders of 1-4 batteries, turnaround is typically 3-5 business days. For larger orders it varies, but almost all orders are completed within 5-10 business days of receipt.
Q: Do you ship internationally?
Yes! Make sure to declare that you are shipping broken equipment for repair, so that you can save on duties / fees.
Q: Do you offer trade-in credit for batteries I don’t want re-celled?
For many batteries, yes. Let us know what you’ve got and we’ll make you an offer. Trade-in credit is only offered for batteries in good cosmetic condition with fully functional circuitry.
Q: Do you sell refurbished equipment also?
Yes! We do. We usually carry a variety of batteries and chargers, and they’ll be listed in our online store.
Q: Are there different cell upgrade options available?
Our standard re-cell service is designed so that whatever battery you’re sending in, the default cells will at minimum match the battery’s original capacity when it was new. However, upon request, we can use higher capacity cells to upgrade the capacity of your batteries. It varies from model to model, but many are able to be upgraded from a 98 to a 125Wh, or a 150 to a 165Wh, for example.
Q: What if I send in a bunch of batteries and one of them accidentally didn’t need new cells?
We test every battery that arrives in the shop before performing service. If any battery seems like it’s actually still in good shape, we will let you know before proceeding. Our goal is to reduce waste, so we don’t want to re-cell any batteries unnecessarily!
Q: Do you offer battery diagnostics?
Yes we do! Feel free to send in as many batteries as you’d like for diagnostics. We will let you know the state of health of each of your batteries, and you can decide how to proceed. There’s a small fee for this service that is waived if you end up getting work done.
Q: Any special tips for sending in Anton Bauer Cine VCLX batteries?
Yes. We recommend shipping your VCLX kit complete with charger and cables in its shipping case. We will perform testing on the full system to identify any potential issues with the battery, charger, or charge cable. Sometimes one bank of the VCLX charger will go bad, making the corresponding battery bank also fail as a result. We like to catch this before a bad charger can ruin a fresh battery re-cell job.
Q: How expensive is charger repair?
We strive to offer options to customers at multiple price points. We offer new parts direct from the manufacturer whenever available, but we also stock as much as possible in the way of pre-owned parts for all the common chargers. So you have the choice to either go new or go pre-owned and save some money (also a greener option!).
Q: What happens to the old battery cells?
First, we discharge all cells to empty for safety, and then we ship them off for recycling. We partner with Call2Recycle, a nonprofit organization committed to the responsible recycling of battery materials. There, the battery cells will be shredded down, and then many of their critical components (Lithium, Cobalt, etc) will be used to make new battery cells. This is a significant domestic source of these important resources, so it’s super important to recycle batteries.
Q: What type of battery cells do you use?
At THT Battery we have strict quality standards, and use genuine Panasonic and EVE Lithium-Ion cells from suppliers with third-party verification. Additionally, we have researched and chosen specific cell models based on their above-industry-standard lifecycle statistics. We’ve prioritized a battery cell that won’t need replacing for as long as possible.
Q: Doesn’t longer-lasting cells mean less frequent re-cell business for you in the future?
Yes, that’s kind of true… oops! Actually, we don’t have investors demanding that we maximize profits at the expense of quality. Our mission is simply to reduce waste.