I Just Spent $275 on a Sears Platinum Car Battery and Feel Ripped Off

Three years ago I bought an Interstate battery, which my mechanic installed for $130. This morning in front of my children's pre-school, my car was dead. I got my neighbor to give me a jump with my jumper cables, which I purchased 3 weeks ago.

I went to my trusty and trustworthy mechanic Hiro and he told me that while my battery was low due to a lack of driving (I drive only 4,500 miles a year), the battery was fine. "Just drive on the freeway for a half hour," he said. "Take a joy ride and it should be fine."

But I got to thinking: "I took my family on a 130-mile trip to San Clemente over the weekend. If Hiro didn't want to sell me a battery, I'd get one from someone else. So my neighbor Joe, the same person who gave me a jump, recommended the Sears Platinum.

Talk about sticker shock. I just spent $275 installed. Was it worth it? I better get 10 years or at least the life of my 2007 Maxima on that thing.

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Comments

[Paul]

I'm sorry to say but that's a complete ripoff especially in SoCal where you don't get much cold/snow and don't need great cold cranking amps. Why so expensive? If you are a AAA or Costco member you can have this done at about 1/2 the amount you paid. AAA will even show up at your door to do it.

[Ed]

You got ripped off.
Replacing a battery by yourself is relatively easy. You buy one at any auto parts store and give them your old one. Two bolts hold your battery in; two connections to the battery connect it. Really simple. The parts store guys will even do it for you inositol cases for a fiver.

[Jeffrey McMahon]

Never again, Sears.

I'm joining Trip A. I was thinking of doing so anyway.

Yeah, I got ripped off. Lesson learned.

[Gary]

Don't count on getting 10 years out of a car battery, Jeff, no matter how much you paid for it. With my current car, the batteries have lasted between 2-1/2 and 4 years. My brother is a mechanic, so he gets me new batteries for a discounted price and puts them in for free. Newer cars, with all their electronics, take a toll on battery life, especially if you don't drive enough to keep the charge topped off.

Wait till you get a car with stop/start technology. A standard lead acid battery will die in a matter of months in this role. Newer battery formulations, like lead carbon, fare much better for quick charge/quick discharge applications.

[Angelo]

I'm not an expert at much----but when it comes to car batteries, I'm pretty darn close. I currently own 4 cars and also have one company car--- a total of five vehicles. I buy a lot of batteries. $275.00 is being overcharged, but if it's a top level Sears Die Hard, at least it's a very good battery.

From my experience, the two best batteries available are the Die Hards and Interstate Megatrons. I've replaced batteries a couple times----but prefer that it be done by someone who does it all day long. If you don't secure the battery down level and tight in its tray, you could buy yourself a nightmare if you're in an accident or hit a huge bump. And on some newer cars, the bolt downs are not as straight forward as they used to be.

Regarding AAA batteries: I've had at least three or four of them and will never buy one again, unless it's an emergency. Simply stated: They are the worst batteries available----cheap, awful batteries that you pay a premium for because they come to you to install. It's a weird coincidence----because before reading this, I posted on AAA's Facebook page, how dissatisfied I am with those batteries. I wish they would charge $50.00 more and actually provide Interstates or some other really good battery. They rarely acknowledge that the battery is bad if it's still under warranty----they will make any excuse in the book to not replace a battery that doesn't hold a charge. I'm done with them as far as batteries go.

In fact, my last AAA battery (in a BMW) died this week. I had them come to my house yesterday and of course, they told me "it's not defective, but with Winter coming, you might want to buy another one from us." and he had a nice supply on his truck. My battery was only 2 1/2 years old and he suggested a new one----but wouldn't warranty the old one, not even a credit. I told him thanks, but no thanks. Went to my shop and bought a Megatron. My guy told me he's replaced a lot of "newer" AAA batteries. He told me they are poor quality, made in China batteries that don't last. And they do seem to die at the first signs of colder weather.

[Tom Welch]

BTW, if you going to get AAA service coverage, get AAA Plus

[RobRich]

$275 is ridiculous unless you have a battery buried in a fender well or under a back seat, and in those cases, much of the excessive cost is labor.

AFAIK, a Diehard Platinum is still a flooded cell battery. For future reference, you could have picked up an Optima AGM battery for similar, or probably less. An Opitma Yellowtop can even be deep cycled if you have high-drain devices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA_battery#Absorbed_glass_mat
http://www.optimabatteries.com/us/en/products/yellowtop/

[Angelo]

Some of the better batteries are selling over $150. now, up to $200. for certain cars.
Chances are, the battery was overpriced to begin with----and Jeff might have also been charged for labor to do an electrical system test. Sears does this crap. They heap it on----have to test everything before they take 10 minutes to put that battery in.

[RobRich]

Been there, done that on costly batteries, in particular for a BMW 750iL. Under the back seat, too. :/ I suppose putting it in the trunk would have been too easy. ;)

BTW, I ordered that one online at Advance Auto with a coupon code to save a decent chunk of change.

[Angelo]

Rob: I had an Advance Auto battery in my Saab---and while it wasn't the worst battery I ever had, it stopped taking a charge and even though it was still under warranty, they wouldn't admit there was a problem with the battery. I put a new Die Hard in and didn't have any issues---showing that the Advance battery was probably having a problem with one of the cells. One thing is that like Jeff, my cars aren't driven enough to keep the batteries at full charge at all times. But when they start to go----you need to replace them. Jeff----I don't agree with Hiro's solution. Yes, driving it on the freeway for half an hour would have given it a charge----but I believe that battery would exhibit a no-start problem the next time that car sat for a few days. With the new battery, you're good for another 3 years at least. But with short driving and not consistent driving----even good batteries can have early failures.

[RobRich]

I drive maybe 1000 to 2000 a miles a year. I am a dot com consultant with a home office. I am also in Florida, so luckily cold weather is not much of an issue on battery life.

About that Advance battery for the 750iL, it set for weeks without being driven or charges. However, IIRC, it was also a massive group 49 size at nearly 50 pounds.

[Angelo]

But wait, there's more! Newer cars will drain your battery if you're not driving them enough----to a much greater extent than older cars. I have a 1979 Chevy Monza that I bought in 2009----and I've never changed the battery in it. It was not a new battery when I bought it, either! That car often goes a month or six weeks between starts----and it's started every time for me. The reason? There appears to be no parasitic drain on the battery. The only thing that runs continuously is a little clock and I believe that's not even working because that fuse is out. Meanwhile, my '93 BMW (and a '94 Buick Roadmaster I had) will kill a battery in two weeks if you don't run the cars. There are on board computers, theft deterrent radios, etc., that pull from the battery when the car is off. As a car ages, one tip is to buy the replacement battery with the most cold cranking amps available.

[Gordon C]

Is the car in a garage? Why not get a trickle charger? I use a Schumacher $20 device on the Miata. Miatas have odd gel batteries that when discharged fully do not come back. $20 charger versus $120 battery is a no-brainer for a oft-stored vehicle.

[herculodge]

Yeah, my neighbor recommended I get one. He owns 4.

[Angelo]

I bought one of those. Gordon: My BMW battery is in the trunk. There is also a light in the trunk that comes on when the trunk is open. Do you think I can connect the charger to the battery terminals, then close the trunk on the cord? Leaving the trunk open wouldn't work because that light would stay on. Some hoods also have lighting----so I would think these trickle chargers can be problematic if you can't close the trunk or hood enough to turn the light off----and stop the battery from discharging as you charge it! But yeah----if I know I won't be using my car for more than a week or so----I think plugging that thing in (especially in the fast discharging BMW) can save me money in the long run. They also have solar devices that are supposed to keep your battery charged by plugging into your cigarette lighter----but since my cars are in the garage, I need the type that plugs in a wall outlet.