Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Great batteries at Great prices, with free chocolates |
| Disadvantages: |
It's not as easy as popping to the shop |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Whatever we do in life, these days we often need to put batteries in something that's designed to make our lives easier, more entertaining, more exciting or simply more fun.
From the triple-A's in your television remote control to the 2CR5 in your digital camera, the C-size in your doorbell ringer to the D-size in your child's favourite toy and on to the AA battery for that toy in your bedroom that gives your bedtimes a more exciting buzz, batteries are all around us, in a variety of shapes and sizes, brands and prices.
But buying batteries can be an arduous, and often expensive, task that leaves one frustrated. At birthdays you've invariably bought the wrong size battery for the present you're giving - if you've remembered it takes batteries at all - and when the Ever Readys in your torch are no longer ready for that powercut you're often left cursing in the dark. The cheap ones you bought off the market stall from the slightly dodgy-looking geezer aren't even powerful enough to operate your solar-assisted calculator and when the CR11108 in your car's remote blipper finally fails you find yourself kicking the tyres in frustration. Which will probably set the alarm off.
With prices in the shops ranging from the so-cheap-it's-never-going-to-work to the sublimely so-expensive-my-bank-manager's-having-a-heart-attack, it's time to consider rechargeable units - and these can be expensive to start with. You've got to weigh up the extra price over the fact that they can be charged over 1000 times before they need replacing, but then you need to buy a charger too.
Sadly, it's rare these days to find a "battery shop" and you'll end up paying through the nose for some Duracells in your local petrol station or have dubious Tesco Value ones shoved in your basket while you do the weekly grocery shop. Go to Toys R Us for your kids' gadgets and you'll get branded batteries from there too, and you're never quite sure whether they're going to last or not.
That's where Battery Force comes in - www battery-force co uk. Put simply, it's an online "battery shop", selling nothing but batteries for your consumption, and at amazing prices to boot.
Whatever battery you're seeking, Battery-Force.co.uk would appear to have it. Whether you need one of those odd-looking small silver ones for your watch or a replacement power pack for your mobile phone, Battery Force has a range to suit you.
The website design is a little basic but relatively uncluttered, though the colour scheme can make reading certain menus or pages a tad difficult. The menu option to the left of all pages allows you access to the different batteries they offer, but the pale orange background overlaid with the dark orange or red lettering, in a relatively small font, of the menu means you sometimes have to squint to work out the words.
Choose your option and the main part of the screen will fill with the batteries available to purchase, the price of them and then the option to view more details of that battery - simply by clicking on its title - or add it to your shopping basket. Once you've got the items in your basket that you want, simply proceed to checkout and complete your transaction online as you would any other online purchase. Battery Force's online system is secure, ensuring that your credit card details are protected, and is quick to process. You can even register an account with the site in order to speed the process up the next time you need to replace your batteries.
Three delivery options are open to you - standard first class via Royal Mail, next business day delivery [Monday to Friday], or next day delivery [includes Saturday]. Unless you need to guarantee the arrival of your batteries the next day, I would stick to the standard Royal Mail service; on the occasions I have purchased from this site I have only used the first class delivery and my batteries have turned up the next day. It's not as quick as getting into your car and nipping to the corner shop, but unless battery power is that urgent then the service, and the price, is worth the next day wait.
Battery Force's website states that over 85% of standard orders arrive the next day, but all orders must be placed by 4pm in order to stand a chance of getting to you next day, regardless of which service you choose.
The site also guarantees that items are in stock - on the site it says only stocked items are shown - and this would appear to be the case on all items I've checked, and they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back.
So far, I've not had cause to complain - after all, Duracell's most expensive range of batteries, the Ultra M3, have a RRP price of £4.99 for a 4-pack of AAs, though I have seen them in many retailers at much higher prices than that; on Battery Force, they're just £2.49, so even with a 99pence delivery charge they're still cheaper; buy a few packs and you're definitely saving money. Similar differences in prices are offered across Battery Force's range of products, and I saved a small fortune when I purchased a range of rechargable batteries for my children's play things.
In short, Battery Force has recently become my favourite website. Not because it's interesting to visit on a daily basis and not because it has fun activities on it to keep me amused when I should be working (it is neither of these at the end of the day) but simply because it does one thing, and it does it very very well indeed. Great prices, great delivery, no fuss.
And to keep you sweet while buying all those acidic batteries, the company sends a small chocolate with every order. It's as satisfying as the mint the maid leaves on your pillow...
