Why does my IPod shuffle stop after a few hours playing on shuffle when it should go for days?

The battery of the current iPod shuffle is rated for 15 hours of playback, according to the specs

http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/specs.html

So even a brand new shuffle will not "play for days" if it is being played continuously. The battery will last for days at a time, if it is only being played for a few hours each day.

If the shuffle is a few years old, depending you the anount of usage and number of recharge cycles for its battery, its battery can be worn out. If the shuffle is under one year from the date of purchase, and the battery is not holding a charge as expected, that may be a warrarnty issue.

It says "iPod shuffle" in the title, and you are posting your question in the iPod shuffle forum category.

If it is in its dock, connected to power, and you are listening to it, and the sound unexpectedly cuts out from the headphones even though the shuffle is still running?

After the sound cuts out, you must do something to get it to come back... What do you do to make the sound come back, until the next time it cuts out?

My husband bought my son's iPod shuffle from an Apple store that is located 4 hours away. The date of purchase is 6/15/14. The iPod NEVER played longer than an hour or two, even after being charged overnight. Now I can not get it to charge at all. Is there anything that can be done or should I just send it back? It seems to be a common problem in this forum. And, if we do get a replacement, will it be recognized as yet another device for iTunes or is there a way to get a credit for the one that doesn't work?

Thanks

A few possibilities... (Each numbered item is a separate thing to check or try.)

(1) What does the shuffle's light do when you connect it to USB?

(2) If the docking cable plug is not fully inserted, it may not have a good connection for charging. Make sure the docking cable plug is fully inserted into the shuffle's headphones jack, as shown in this document

iPod shuffle (4th generation): Not seen in iTunes

(3) If there are other USB devices connected to your computer at the same time, try disconnecting other devices (including USB hub) so that the shuffle is the only device connected to a direct USB port, to see if that makes a difference (you can leave standard USB keyboard/mouse connected if used).

(4) If you have a USB power adapter (such as from an iPhone, iPad, or other device), that plugs into the wall outlet, as a test, connect the shuffle's docking cable to the adapter and connect the shuffle. Does it change from a power adapter?

(5) Some newer Windows PCs (if you use Windows and not a Mac) may have a "feature" that shuts off full power to the USB port when a connected storage device is no longer mounted by the system. An iPod is a storage device, and after syncing, iTunes unmounts the iPod's disk (if you are using automatic syncing). If Windows shuts off full power to the USB port, the battery cannot charge. To see if this is the problem, does the iPod appear in iTunes when it is connected, even though the battery is not charging? If it does, select the iPod in iTunes so that you see its Summary screen. There is an option (checkbox) there for Enable disk use. If it's not already checked, check that box and Apply. Enabling disk use keeps the iPod's disk mounted continuously, so Windows will keep the USB port at full power (and the battery will charge). If the iPod now charges, there may be a way to disable this "energy saver" feature in Control Panels, so that you can turn OFF Enable disk use. NOTE: When Enable disk use is turned ON, you need to Eject the iPod in iTunes before physically disconnecting it.

I tried the above suggestions. The light no longer turns on. Not when plugged into the wall or the computer. I guess I have my answer. Thank you.