Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/05/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased seven Dakota Lithium batteries to run in tow of my fishing boats. I thought they were the best name in the business, so i chose to pay their price for several different models of their batteries. I have four boats and planned to change all of them over to Dakota Lithium batteries. Three of seven batteries have quit charging even though i have used the best lithium battery chargers available as well as Dakota chargers.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/06/2024

  Hello *******,

  Thanks for reaching out to us. Your BBB inquiry has been assigned to a Dakota Lithium Tech.

  We've sent an email out to you on 3/6/24 at 10:53 AM EST. regarding troubleshooting the batteries and will work with you on getting everything fixed or replaced.

  Please get back to us as soon as possible!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased 2 12 volt 54 ah lithium batteries from Dakota lithium batteries on or around March 22nd 2023. Batteries had worked fine up until the first week of February ****. So I've not had the batteries a year yet. My Minn Kota precision charge told me based on lighting that one of the 2 batteries was in sleep mode. The minn Kota charger was unable to wake it. So I contacted Dakota about it and they told me to try their charger they provide with batteries. I did and battery still would not take charge. So I contacted them again where I had to go through week long process of trying to figure out how to s and battery back to them based on their shipping request. Of which the customer had to pay return shipping. Which is not right. So I paid the $76 to ship it back. Upon them receiving the batter they claim package was wet and that water came from inside batteries. Which batteries where store in dry area on my boat and no way they could have gotten wet enough for what they are claiming. With the vents the describe the battery would have had to be submerged in water. They claim to have an 11 year warranty on their batteries. But refuse to replace due to water damage. Upon further study I found that batteries are supposed to be kept warm and not be allowed to freeze. Which I believe is what happened in this case. And it's the electrolyte that are leaking inside the battery. But Dakota does not inform you of this upon purchase not on the material with the batteries. I punched these batteries through affirm as financing. And I am currently still paying on them. They refuse to replace my battery and will not send the battery back because of so called policy of damaged batteries. But yet they have us send possible damaged batteries back to them for replacement or repair. They will not send me a new battery or refund my money either. My order # is dak-us-******. I paid $878 for these 2 batteries and a wiring kit that they suggested.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/14/2024

  Hello ******,

  Great speaking with you today. As we discussed it looks like we have a replacement 12V 54Ah on the way to you under order number M-4-182934-1.

  I've added a rush tag to the order to ensure that we get this out as soon as possible.

  We have also refunded the shipping cost of $75 to your payment on file. 

  If you run into any issues or have any other questions or concerns, you can reach our manager ******* over at *********************

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a battery from Dakota Lithium on 1-18-2023 for $1,070.10. I quickly realized the battery had issues. I contacted Dakota lithium and was advised to send it back for warranty. This cost me $120 to send the battery back due to hazardous material. I made a small discrete **** on the bottom of the battery to see if this same battery would be sent back to me. Dakota lithium sent me a new battery back. The new battery arrived and had similar issues as the first one. I again sent this second battery back for warranty costing me another $100 for shipping. Again, I ****ed the battery. After testing, Dakota lithium sent me the same battery back stating testing showed no issues. They also sent me another battery charger thinking that *** be the problem. This battery has been charged now using 3 different Dakota lithium chargers, and one brand new MinnKota charger of appropriate charging output and this battery will not deliver appropriate power output, especially when cold. I needed two more batteries for the same boat and due to the issues with Dakota lithium I ordered the similar lithium batteries from a different company. Those 2 batteries from the new company have worked flawless in the boat. Today after leaving the boat dock this battery failed to start my boat with an outside temp of 30 degrees. I had to pull one of the competitors batteries from the front of my boat stranded on a sandbar in order to get back to the dock. I advised Dakota Lithium I would be contacting BBB and now Dakota lithium wont communicate with me. I want a refund for this battery so that I can purchase a battery that will take a charge, hold a charge, and not leave me stranded. I have attached a copy of the receipt, and the current battery charge after removing it from the Dakota Lithium charger. I have also attached a photo of what lithium battery charges should be when working properly. I do have the entire email chain back and forth with Dakota Lithium I can forward to you if needed.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/22/2023

  Hello *****,

  We would like to offer you a refund via check for the amount of $1,070.10 USD. 

  Could you confirm your address to be sure it gets issued to you properly?

  Please don't hesitate to reach out and I apologize for all the issues you had with our batteries.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/22/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided they follow through and send me a check for full reimbursement in the amount of $1070.10. Dakota Lithium Batteries has requested my address to send the reimbursement check to. Please inform Dakota Lithium Batteries that my address is as follows...

  ***********************

  N3574 WI-58

  *******, **. 53948

  ************

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/22/2023

  I accidently responded with personal information to the company so that they can issue me a refund check. Could you please check to make sure my personal information isn't shared publicly. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/14/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought a ****** Dakota Lithium battery in February 2023. Had problems within 2 months of purchase. After weeks of back and forth testing, they asked me to ship the battery back. It cost me *****. They replaced the battery. The new one lasted 3 hours. Im requesting a refund plus the shipping amount. They said the 30 day warranty did not include the new replacement battery and wants to start the testing process again with this new replacement. I only have about 12 days on the 30 day replacement but they wont honor the brand new battery they just sent. Help!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2023

  The eleven year warranty places all of the testing and emailing results to the manufacturer which leads to more tests which leads to frustration which is what they want. I even paid ***** to ship the original back. The replacement battery is less than 30 days old but they refuse a refund because its a Warranty Replacement!! This sounds fraudulent to me but Thank You for your help!

  *************************;

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  Hello ******,

  As far as we can see, the incorrect spec of battery has been chosen, leading to a lower, but expected, runtime. While the order is 9 months old we have decided to offer a refund to you.
  
  As a one-time courtesy, we will waive our 30-day policy and refund you on your 12v 54Ah battery.

  Please refer to the email sent by ********************* for instructions on returning the battery to us for refund. All necessary labels and Data Sheets have been included for an easier time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a dakota 12v 10ah life po4 lithium battery from amazon on 9-10-22. On 12-30-22 the battery was dead . I tried to charge the battery with the dakota charger and the battery would not take the charge. on january 6 2023 i sent an email to dakota warranty department no response I called them several times in the last few months no call back . I have sent numerous emails to the warranty department no response. Amazon support advised me to contact dakota direct and i did as instructed.. I paid ****** and the advertisement states a 11 year warranty. I have exhausted all means to contact dakota batteries so the bbb is my last resort. After months and months of emails, phone calls no response from this company

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  Hello ******,
  

  Great speaking with you on the phone today.

  As discussed, I've placed an order for a 12V 10Ah Battery & 12V 3A Charger to be sent to you. I will also be having it rushed out from our warehouse today if possible, or tomorrow at the latest.
  
  Your order number is: M-20231114-144457
  
  You'll receive tracking from our shipping department once it's shipped out.
  
  Please let me know directly if you have any other questions and keep me updated once it arrives!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased Dakota batteries for my 48v club car golf cart They have no range. I charge them to 54v. Drive 1/2 mile and Im at 52v Ive tried many times to contact Dakota but they never answer or return calls. Theyve even said someone would contact me but they never have. They advertised these batteries for a golf cart. But they are not holding charge. Lithium batteries are supposed to go at least 30 miles on full charge. These I have wont make it 4 miles until they die I know it was a lot of money. I dont mind the money. Just want something that will work in my application

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2023

  Hello ***,
  
  Please respond to us when you get a chance. We'd like to help you diagnose the problems happening with your battery. 
  
  Here is our email we sent on 10/11/23. We have yet to receive a response at this moment.
  
  Hello ***,
  
  Great speaking with you on the phone earlier today.
  
  I'd like to help you get to the bottom of this. My initial guess is that one battery in your 48V set *** not be holding a charge OR the battery is out of balance with the rest of the series. 
  
  What this means is that if one battery reaches max ******** while charging, the entire series will stop charging. This could leave a battery at potentially lower values than the others and could be why your runtime is so low.
  
  I'd like to get a little more information on your batteries:
  
  Do you happen to have access to a multi-meter or DC voltmeter? Please disconnect each battery from the series and check the following:
  - Voltage of each battery before and after attempting a full charge
  - Voltage coming out of the charger not connected to the battery
  
  Are you using a Dakota Lithium charger? If so, what color is the LED on the charger before and after connecting to the battery? Do you have a 12V 10A charger on hand?
  
  What does your charger label say: model number, volts/amps?
  
  Please provide as much detail as possible, and we'll work on getting this resolved with you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made a $1,000.00 purchased for 24 volt battery for my new boat January 20 2022. Haven't had the opportunity to try out until this fishing season.. Took the boat out twice and the battery preformed great. Took the boat out afterwards to fish a tournament and 45 minutes in the battery felled and shut off on me. After this it never recharged. And I been emailing and sending meter reading back and forth for over a month with no satisfaction from company. Mean while the summer is passing me by and I can't use my boat. I'm so tired emailing constantly and giving battery and charger readings, for them to tell me everything's in working order. So sorry for repeating myself, but I'm mad and frustrated. Thanks for reading and I pray you understand. ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/08/2023

  Hello *******,

  As discussed via email and a voicemail we have waived the warranty return and put in for a new 24V 60Ah battery to be sent to you through Overnight shipping as soon as they are available.

  This order was placed on 8/21/23 and you will be the first to receive a replacement once our new stock arrives.

  Please let me know if you have any other questions and don't hesitate to reach out to our ****************************************************** email.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 20480815
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I know everything is a process, but it seems there's not a replacement battery available. How long, do anyone know how long i will be waiting for a new battery to be produced and sent out. I'm a fisherman with a boat that's unable to be fish out of because I don't have a battery for my boat trolling motor. The season is coming to a end and I'm unable to use my boat the way it was set up to be use. Help me figure this out, because I'm confused with the process. 
  
  Sincerely, ****************************
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2023

  Hello *******,

  As discussed on the phone on Wednesday (9/20/23) we'll be overnighting you a 24V 60Ah once it arrives to our shop. 

  We should be expecting to receive them anytime within the next 1-3 weeks and you'll be first in line to have one shipped to you once it's here.

  The order number is: M-4-******-1

  You'll receive tracking information once it's shipped to you.

  The offer still stands that if you require the batteries sooner, we can ship you out (2) 12V 60Ah batteries instead to run in series.

  Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/25/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/17/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Just recently bought purchased for lithium batteries from the company for my easy go golf cart, I tried to reach out to them through email and phone prior to purchase to make sure I was buying the proper brand. Never got a return call or follow up, now that I purchased the product the battery charger stopped working after maybe two or three weeks of use. Once again, unsuccessful and getting anyone to reach back out to me or contact me for warranty. Lastly, the batteries are not lasting as long as they stated, still waiting for somebody to contact me back from the company. I believe this is the worst experience I have ever had with any company in my life.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2023

  We are currently working with this customer, and we have sent a replacement as of 7/17/23.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I bought these 12v 100amp batteries 3ea 12v batteries for a 36v series set. From the very first moment I bought them they would not charge as a 36v series set. Fast forward the same problem persisted, instead of fixing the problem they just kept sending me chargers. I now have a total of 3ea 36v and 4ea 12v chargers. None of these fixed the problem of why they would not charge in a 36v series. When I 1st purchased them I had them in a different boat where I pulled the batteries out when I put the boat in storage so I could charge them individually but not as a set like they are intended to be charged. Now I have a different boat that I store in my garage so I have the batteries installed in a very small tight center console. The same problem is still happening, they took my #1 battery in for repair and sent it back with an on board charger. The same problem keeps happening but now with the #2 battery which they also took in and sent it back. They claimed the onboard charger would fix the problem bc it charges each battery individually. When fully charged #1 battery ****v #2 battery 12v #3 battery ****v. I have a brand new Garmin 36v trolling motor and with these volts being off even by 1v it will trip and I will not be able to use my trolling motor. As of right now I have been dealing with the same issue I cant fish, I risk damaging my boat everytime I remove their equipment, they arent making my boat payment or insurance to have boat sit idle. I have spoken to 2 different battery companies along with 3 different boat mechanics. They all said if one battery is faulting like this they all need to be changed. The problem ** having is this company keeps throwing me band aids instead of fixing the problem wasting my time and my money. I have stressed $2k may seem little to them but Im on dissabled combat veteran pay and I have to save a year and a half for that money only to have a boat I cannot use for weeks and this has happened from day #1

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/25/2023

  Hello, after speaking with this customer, he decided that he wanted a replacement rather than a refund, and we have sent the replacement and the customer received it as of 6/27/23.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Getting customer service to help with fix. All thats been offered is 20% off new one only had this one 2 months.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/14/2023

  #******** this complaint has been resolved with Dakota Lithium satisfactory to me ***********************.