I have 2 UPS’ that have expired batteries. The manufacturers want crazy amounts of money to replace them, and a friend recommended I look online to see if I can get them elsewhere. However, the sites all seem so sketchy. Have any of you had good luck with third party battery sites? Obviously a bit nervous about safety.
honestly, I have always had pretty decent experiences with non-oem lead-acid batteries. my local battery place has a decent supply and longevity is roughly the same as the oem ones (3-4 years). I have never had any issues (type or frequency) that were not also an issue with oem batteries.
almost no UPS mfcr makes their own batteries, so if you strip off the labeling from the oem ones, you may even find an exact replacement.
edit: another advantage of a local place is the core-return rebate and disposal of your old batteries.