Wasted $75 on a 'compatible' battery for my old ThinkPad - it died in 3 months

Honestly, I saw a listing on eBay for a replacement battery for my 2015 ThinkPad, claiming it was tested and worked like new. Took a gamble for $75 because the original battery was barely holding a charge. After 3 months, it started swelling and the laptop wouldn't even power on without being plugged in. I should've just hunted down a genuine OEM one on a parts forum instead of trusting some random seller. Anyone else get burned by third-party batteries that look good but fail fast?

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jennifer_west1mo ago

That part about it swelling? My buddy had the exact same thing happen with a third-party battery he bought for his old Dell. He said the battery started puffing up after about 4 months and he could actually feel the trackpad getting stiff because it was pushing up from underneath. He had to yank it out quick before it cracked the case or something worse. He swore off non-OEM batteries after that and now just buys used machines with the original battery still in good shape. It's a real gamble with those cheap replacements.