Happy Ending to Leaky Duracells

erco

I've had lots of things ruined by leaky alkaline batteries the last few years. Nothing particularly valuable until recently, a digital camera that cost ~$100 several years ago. I knew that Duracell (and Energizer FYI) offers damage warranties, so I tried it for the first time. I used their website (P&G owns Duracell) application and they sent me a huge FedEx box with a folded prepaid mailer to send them my camera. Very simple & easy. They asked for a copy of my receipt, which was long gone, so I didn't include it.

Based on camera prices I had seen at Radio Shack (in numerous frenzied visits seeking Parallax parts), I figured maybe they would offer me $25 to $50 for the camera damage. I never heard anything from them until today. Much to my surprise, they sent me a prepaid VISA card for $175! That's pretty amazing IMO.

So if you have similar battery damage to anything of value, it may be worth your while to contact Duracell or Energizer. I found the whole process to be simple and painless.

doggiedoc

Good to know. It never crossed my mind that the battery company might stand behind their product like that. Lord knows, I buy a lot of batteries.

Yanomani

Hi erco and doggiedoc

You are lucky ones, living in a country where consumer rights are fully acknowledge and respected, no questions asked!
In my country, despite we have a complete law, aproved by our congressmen, named "Consumer Defense Code", we must follow a huge series of lawful procedures, including signing a contract with a lawyer, and gathering many paid lab analisys, to definitely stablish at least three proofs, in excess of any possible doubt, that the observed damage was caused by leaky batteries, not inadvertently left inside any goods, out of their expressed warranty period.
Case there are allegations of consequential damages, such as property (leather bags, purses, furniture, clothing) or lack of necessary access or use, more technical proofs or testimonials to produce, and to aggregate to the pile of paper.
If the total monetary value involved is less than US$ 16,000,00, there are special jurisdictions, named "Courts for Small Causes", specialized in dealing with such procedures.
In this way, many requirements are someway "relaxed" by the law, including the exemption of a lawyer. But as the other part will be normally represented by one of them, it's wiser to have your own, under contract, unless you are fluent in ancient Latin.
The whole process lasts "normally", three entire years, and will demand at least a presencial audience between you and/or your lawyer and the manufacture representative and/or their lawyer, objectivating an agreement between the parts involved.
For causes that cannot be classified as "Small Ones", the whole procedures could last some 20 (twenty) years.
When personal injury is alleged, like death, amputation of members, burns, lost vision or other sensorial damage, the full court procedures must be followed.
At the end of the court procedures, the damaged goods could, at judge discretion, be repaired to its original condition, replaced by new ones, or fully refunded, respecting the damaged goods value.
Consequential damages will be paid by cashier checks, in the name of the plaintiff.
The lawyers will receive the biggest part of the monetary refunds, as usual, about 30% + expenditures from you, plus 10% from the loosing one, determined by the court. The IRS will keep its fare, another 30%, if you win.
You (we), the offended ones, by grace, could keep our 40%, and smile, if possible.
This is the present situation, in Brazil.

Yanomani

P.S. You can ask for a consequential damage refund, case you lost the capacity of smiling, as a consequence of the original damage. But you can't ask for it, if the cause was the court procedures results themselves.:frown: