Defective handheld battery - thank you to ACS

[XOverZero]

I bought a new battery pack for my Icom A24 handheld. Aircraft Spruce was temporarily out of stock, and the item had to be shipped from their Georgia facility when the restock shipment arrived. I didn?t realize that the battery I ordered would be an off-brand ?direct replacement.? It didn?t fit. Something about the molded latching recess wasn?t right and it would not attach to the radio body. Gloom. To add to the joy, I had been charged for freight from GA to where I live, only 20 minutes from ACS in Corona, CA.

A phone call to Claudia in customer service was all that was needed. She immediately reversed the mistaken freight charge, and I dropped by there this morning and swapped out the defective unit with a jen-you-wine Icom battery pack. Happy now.

The off-brand battery was labeled Batteries America, p/n BP-210N. It was mentioned that they (ACS) had never had a problem with them before. Since this one came from a new shipment just received, my brain says that makes them all suspect. If anyone else is about to buy this battery pack, be advised that it may or may not work. Shop wisely.

Thanks again to Claudia and counterman Joe at Spruce. They do take care of their customers?always a pleasure to work with.

[flightlogic]

I have used Batteries America packs for over 15 years. Usually on amateur radio HT's. They usually fit well and last well. Sorry yours didn't. They often build up extended length packs, for long duty cycles.
Spruce is a good outfit. They will do the right thing and keep customers happy. My experience with them is even longer.
I will say this though.... about HT radios sitting around in airplanes. It will self discharge and Murphy will hand you a pretty well dead radio about the time your panel mount blows a semiconductor.
Most of the major brands have an optional throw away battery type pack that you fill with AA batteries. They can sit and be ready for a couple of years. A good example is the ELT's that simply use Duracell D cells with expiration dates on them.
One of the only exceptions I have seen are called ENELOOP.
They are a nimh rechargeable AA's that have very little if any self discharge characteristics.
I use them in both Lightspeed headsets, with spares in the glove box.
I don't find them in retail stores, but buy them on ebay. Expect to pay about two dollars per cell. They come in AAA as well... and I put them in the LED headlamps. They can sit for years.
Glad Spruce stepped up for you.