Recently, I ordered a spare battery for my newfangled e-trike through a large local store. The Lithium-ion battery shipped from California to PA was involved in a rail transport delay caused by mechanical failure or possibly a train derailment. My suspicion of a derailment or crash increased when the package arrived with parts, wires and several components widely askew.
I made an official report of this issue to the store and they said this would be easy to return. So the next week I bussed into the store with the battery repackaged as directed. But then the store rep said they cannot accept hazardous materials such as batteries.
I inquired why they didn't mention this when I made the official report, knowing that it was about a battery. The Store Rep said that this happens frequently and it can't be helped because it's set in stone in their computers.
I found this dismaying and beseeched the Store Representative and her Team-Leader to try to do something to avoid similar frustrating circumstances for future battery consumers. I even mentioned that they could become folk heroes of sorts, and if the store they worked for had sense they would reward workers who persistently suggested simple solutions to such longstanding problems.
Nope - I could see clearly on their plain non-whistle-blower faces.
And this made me sad that these workers had given up on any chance of penetrating several levels of management to resolve this ongoing hazardous battery issue.
