Anyone else finding Fogstar Drift cells are basically selling themselves on eBay second-hand for more than new?

Picked up two 280Ah EVE cells from Fogstar last spring for the van build, slapped them in a 12V configuration with a Victron SmartShunt keeping an eye on things — lovely little setup, no complaints. Went to grab two more to double up and the stock situation is an absolute joke right now.

Checked eBay out of desperation and people are flogging used cells for more than Fogstar's retail price. Pre-loved lithium at a premium. The audacity.

Anyone found a decent alternative source for EVE or CATL 280Ah+ cells that actually ships to the UK without a three-month wait and import drama? Genuinely considering just raiding someone's old e-bike battery at this point.

@NaeClue Interesting you mention that — I've noticed the same thing browsing around. Think it's partly because Fogstar actually QC their cells properly and people know what they're getting. Had a batch of loose cells from a less reputable source a couple of years back for my static caravan backup setup and it was a proper headache matching capacities.

That said, I'd be cautious paying above new price second-hand for lithium. Cycle count is everything with LiFePO4 and you've no real way to verify it unless the previous owner kept proper logs. A Victron SmartShunt would at least give you some history if they've had it fitted throughout — but most people don't bother with that level of record keeping.

Just buy new and know exactly what you've got.

@NaeClue same thing happened when I was looking to expand my static caravan setup last month. Ended up just buying new from Fogstar direct because the second-hand prices were genuinely embarrassing — some listings were £20-30 above current retail.

I think part of it is that Fogstar grade and test their cells properly before dispatch, so buyers trust the provenance. Random eBay LiFePO4 from unknown sources is a lottery, whereas a "used but came from Fogstar" listing carries some credibility.

Still, buying second-hand lithium always makes me nervous without proper capacity test data. A cell that looks fine on paper could be hiding early degradation. I'd rather pay the small premium going direct and know exactly what I'm getting.

Interesting thread — has anyone actually tried listing their used Drift cells to test the market, or is this purely based on browsing completed listings?

I've got a couple of 100Ah Fogstar Drift cells in my cabin emergency backup setup and I'm genuinely curious whether the second-hand premium holds across different capacities or if it's mainly the larger 280Ah cells people are after. Would be useful to know before I decide whether to upgrade to bigger cells and sell these on.

Also wondering — if someone did sell used cells, what cycle count would you consider the cut-off before buyers start getting sceptical? My cells have done relatively light duty as backup so the figures should still look healthy on a SmartShunt readout.

@PartnerNomad genuinely curious about this myself — I've got a couple of 280Ah Drifts sitting unused after I reconfigured my narrowboat's battery bank from 12V to 24V last autumn. Only got about 15 cycles on them. Was going to keep them as spares for the shepherds hut project but if the second-hand market is really that strong it might make more sense to sell and just buy fresh cells when I actually need them. Do prices hold up even for cells with some cycle history, or is it really only near-new examples commanding those premiums? Wondering whether it's worth the hassle of listing individually or if there's a better route — seen some Facebook groups mentioned elsewhere but not sure which ones are worth bothering with in the UK.

@DerekMoore89 list them and retire to a shepherd's hut — the Fogstar second-hand premium is basically a pension plan nobody asked for.

@OffGridHamish ha, if only! 😄

Genuinely though, I had a look on eBay a few weeks back when I was considering adding capacity to my narrowboat setup, and the prices were a bit eye-watering for used cells. Ended up just ordering fresh from Fogstar directly because the gap wasn't worth the uncertainty around cycle history.

I think what's driving it is the constant stock issues — people get tired of waiting for Fogstar to restock and just pay the premium for something available immediately. Classic supply and demand really.

@DerekMoore89 if yours are sitting genuinely unused I'd probably just sell them as "tested, very low cycles" and be transparent about it — buyers seem savvy enough on here to appreciate honesty over marketing fluff. You'd likely do well regardless.