How to spot a fake e-cigarette

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When any product becomes popular or something new disrupts an established market, fakes and counterfeiters are quick to swoop in. Unscrupulous people steal ideas, copy products, slap fake labels on, and try to make a quick buck.

Unfortunately, this type of behaviour is rife in the e-cigarette industry. According to this Vaping Daily article, while some of the best e-cigarettes in the world are manufactured out of Shenzhen, China, in that one tiny industrial area there are 600 e-cigarette factories. The vast majority of these are thought to be fake or counterfeit operations.

These fakes and counterfeits are sold in vape stores, on auction sites, and even on specialised vaping online stores. They look the same as a trusted brand, right down to the packaging and the instruction leaflet, but they are definitely not.

Quality control and counterfeit e-cigarettes

The biggest problem with counterfeit e-cigarettes is the lack of quality control. These products may look exactly like the real thing, but they’re not designed to emulate their features. They’ll be made out of poorer quality materials and won’t be tested to ensure they work effectively.

This leads to many potential dangers to vapers, including:

  • E-cigs that get too hot to touch and can burn your fingers.
  • Overheating e-cigs that burn the e-liquid, which releases toxins into the vapor.
  • Coil wire that releases particles into your vapor.
  • Unregulated electrical current – electric shocks, ouch!
  • Batteries that can catch fire or explode.
  • Materials that break or wear out quickly.

And, on top of that, you’re not going to get an enjoyable vaping experience. So why bother?

Learn more about how to tell if you’re getting a high-quality vape.

How to spot fake e-cigs

The manufacturers of these fake e-cigarettes aren’t exactly going to give you a fair deal if you complain, so the best advice is to avoid them. But how?

  • Look for certificates or statements of authenticity at any vendor you purchase from (you can see ours here).
  • Ask reputable stores or manufacturers for referrals to authenticated vendors.
  • Avoid auction sites like Amazon, Fasttech, or Alibaba. There are no doubt authentic sellers there, but these are the sites counterfeiters use to prey on the unsuspecting.
  • If in doubt, ask. You can also ask if a shop will refund you for a vape product if it turns out to be counterfeit. If you don’t like the answer you get, shop somewhere else.
  • Learn to discern quality vape stores from the garbage.
  • Look at authenticity codes. Many counterfeit devices simply copy authenticity codes from brands like Kanger and Aspire. Look on the packaging for an area you scratch to reveal a code. You can enter that code on the manufacturer’s website and see if your device is real. If the code has been checked hundreds or thousands of times, then you’ve probably got a fake with a copied code.
  • If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. If someone is offering a $100 e-cigarette for $20, be very wary.

If you’ve purchased an e-cigarette that is fake, then you can try taking it back to the person who sold it to you to get your money back. Don’t be surprised if this doesn’t work, though. In most cases, you’ll have to throw it out and buy from a more reputable dealer.

Fake and counterfeit e-cigarettes give all of us manufacturers and retailers a bad name. Don’t settle for these substandard, knock-off devices. Get yourself a real vape.

NOTE – NZVAPOR ONLY purchase e-cigarettes directly off the factory line, so you can be sure we do NOT sell ANY counterfeit vape products. Genuine only!

At NZVAPOR we stock a range of genuine, well-known and trusted e-cigs and vaping products for you to choose from, so you can experiment and find the perfect mix and flavour for you.

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