Fits, works very well, good workmanship

The battery grip is an excellent fit to the camera and fits comfortably in your hand, well, at least in the average man's hand. At the material there are (so far) nothing to complain about. The rubber surface is not sticky and is odorless. The buttons are all well and absolutely comparable also by the operator here (tactile, etc.) with the original buttons on the camera. A switch can be the key the handle (not the batteries) disable, which prevents accidental operation when horizontal, ie with the normal camera buttons, photographed. Practically also a small storage compartment for the small flap on the battery compartment of the camera that has to be removed for installation of the handle. (Not a problem, but it is constructed and the original handle it must come down as well. It must be observed but the right angle).
When does the battery grip sense?
PLUS: Just when you many vertical photographs shoots (eg persons in full-frame, couples, etc.) and a larger lens on the camera has (in my case the heavy 70-200 / 2.8), it is more pleasant to work with the handle because you're not constantly twisted his arm, which can already be painful at a longer session.
MINUS: For the camera but also lays neatly on weight and size. The 500D lost by your handiness. Who wants to be very agile and prefer zero bulk of camera would have in his face, better dispensed to the hilt. Spare batteries one can also bring so if you need them at all. The fact that the camera is better balanced by the handle, I think - even with large lens - any more than that wobbles less because more mass held in the hand (which ranges in a DSLR and so already).

The accompanying batteries do their duty. Whether they last as long as the really very good original battery remains to be seen, but they cost only a fraction.
The small remote control works, but compared to my original Canon RC missing the delay function. But anyway enclosed as Goodie.

Conclusion ... since the handle is very easy to assemble and dismantle, it is possible depending on the situation to decide whether to use it or not. In the Colt pocket in between the camera with the grip does not fit anyway. For more battery capacity, I would not buy it unless you work a lot with the internal flash or photographed a lot in Live View mode.

I have not compared the quality of the handle with the original Canon-handle, but there's nothing to complain about in terms of function and processing, and the price is right (less than 50% of Canon price), there are five stars.