Received fully charged lipo

[Moirae]

I just got my SMC packs and one of them was fully charged out of the box. How worried should I be? should I be trying to return it? I've never gotten an SMC pack fully charged before but it's a bit worrisome.

 

[dure16]

I’d definitely return it. For all you know, that battery has been sitting on a shelf fully charged for months and might have major problems.

 

[#ARRMArcfanboy4life]

^^^^^^^^

 

[Hammer Down]

That is weird, I was under the impression that they test every pack and write the individual cell voltages on the box..

I’d definitely contact SMC.

 

[Moirae]

Yea it had voltages on the box but they were definitely wrong lol. Damn man I wanted to use these packs today. My luck sucks.

 

[Hammer Down]

Yea it had voltages on the box but they were definitely wrong lol. Damn man I wanted to use these packs today. My luck sucks.

I’d still use it, but I’d also definitely contact them.

 

[dure16]

I’d still use it, but I’d also definitely contact them.

They may not take it back if there are signs of use (scratches from sliding around the battery tray, for example).

 

[Hammer Down]

They may not take it back if there are signs of use (scratches from sliding around the battery tray, for example).

Maybe, but Danny @ SMC has always been a reasonable guy. I’m sure he’ll take care of the op.

 

[SrC]

I’d definitely return it. For all you know, that battery has been sitting on a shelf fully charged for months and might have major problems.

+1
At least make a call to SMC.. Honestly there is not much they can say. It appears to be a used lipo from your perspective. How I would see it. How SMC should see it also. Crap happened. That's all. Honest mistake by the distributor or not. By defnition is now a used pack to me if received this way. Even if it was supposedly tested before shipping, No lipo should be left fully charged. At all.
No lipo pack is fully charged at the factory and shipped this way for stored inventory before purchase by the end user.. A faux pas. It is just not done.
Was it a legit sealed box?
A lipo has x amount of cyles in it once mfr'ed. Getting it cycled just one time when new , is questionable.
SMC may say they tested it and forgot to discharge it to 3.85v/cell. That it is under warranty and they stand behind it...... That's your call.
Shipping HAZMAT regulated lipos fully charged is a no no as well.

EDITED.

 

[Moirae]

It was sealed with their read instruction sticker. Both boxes looked the same tbh, just one had accurate voltage readings and the other one didn't. Should have saw my face when I checked that voltage right out of the box.

What's even crazier to me is this is their new packs, I don't even think they've been selling the that long.

 

[Diem Turner]

+1
At least make a call to SMC.. Honestly there is not much they can say. It appears to be a used lipo from your perspective. How I would see it. How SMC should see it also. Crap happened. That's all. Honest mistake by the distributor or not. By defnition is now a used pack to me if received this way.
No lipo pack is fully charged at the factory and shipped this way for stored inventory before purchase by the end user.. A faux pas. It is just not done.
Was it a legit sealed box?

+2...or +3 depending on how you're counting this thread.

It was sealed with their read instruction sticker. Both boxes looked the same tbh, just one had accurate voltage readings and the other one didn't. Should have saw my face when I checked that voltage right out of the box.

What's even crazier to me is this is their new packs, I don't even think they've been selling the that long.

Very bizarre indeed. Contact and return to sender. As @dure16 said, you have no way of knowing how long that pack has been sitting around like that. Could be weeks or months for all you know.

 

[Adiabatic]

There's a complication here in that shipping (return or otherwise) a fully charged LiPo pack is quite dangerous and possibly illegal, and if I was trying to handle such a mistake on the company's end, I'd want you to discharge it to the standard ~50% shipping SoC before sending it back to avoid liability for either of us. I suggest you set it in a safe place for now, then contact them and ask how they want you to handle it.

 

[Moirae]

There's a complication here in that shipping (return or otherwise) a fully charged LiPo pack is quite dangerous and possibly illegal, and if I was trying to handle such a mistake on the company's end, I'd want you to discharge it to the standard ~50% shipping SoC before sending it back to avoid liability for either of us. I suggest you set it in a safe place for now, then contact them and ask how they want you to handle it.

Funny considering thats how they shipped it to me.

 

[Diem Turner]

Funny considering thats how they shipped it to me.

Part of me feels like they should just send you a replacement free of charge and let you keep the "faulty" pack. What are they gonna do with it? Re-sell it? Knowing how companies operate these days, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they did. But that's just me. I guess you'll find out how they want to handle it.

 

[SrC]

I have received lipo duds out the box before, from cheapos to Gens of Ace. Can happen with any lipo. I never had an issue with getting it replaced.
However in every single circumstance, the seller never wanted it back. I was told to discard the lipo. And I would just get a new replacement shipped out.
Returning a "used lipo" is just not worth the $$, to HAZMAT ship and handle. Sellers know it is costly and don't want the liability.
And your lipo is technically used IMHO.
Lets see how well SMC will proceed.
Let us know.

 

[jkflow]

Definitely contact Danny at SMC but the pack itself is most likely fine.
They should never be shipped fully charged, something is amiss.

 

[Moirae]

Thanks for the advice my brethren. I've opened a return request and emailed them.

 

[SrC]

Definitely contact Danny at SMC but the pack itself is most likely fine.
They should never be shipped fully charged, something is amiss.

Probably fine. Who knows. How balanced is it? what are the IR's?
May need a few cycles to see how good the pack is.
Just that I would never expect this from $SMC$ at all.

 

[Moirae]

Probably fine. Who knows. How balanced is it? what are the IR's?
May need a few cycles to see how good the pack is.
Just that I would never expect this from $SMC$ at all.

For some reason my charger was being annoying and not showing the IR but the cells look very balanced.

 

[SrC]

What are the Volts for each cell exactly?