Counterfeit Vapes: Complete Guide to Avoid Buying a Fake
Much like any other major industry, the vaping industry is ripe with fake vaporizers that you could potentially own if you haven’t been careful enough. However, it can be difficult to avoid counterfeit vapes if you have no idea what to look for. If you're worried about buying a fake device, read on to learn more about how to spot and avoid counterfeit vapes.
What Are Fake Vapes?
A fake vaporizer is a device resembling a name-brand dry herb vaporizer but with different internal components. These components are usually sub-par pieces used inside the device. The only reason these are being considered is because of the low prices. Unfortunately, these types of rip-off products come with their fair share of issues. Here are some that you need to be aware of.
The Dangers
The issue with these devices lies in the fact that they are cheaply produced using parts that are not meant to last. When these pieces malfunction, the results are often harmful. For example, when the heating component within a fake unit doesn’t work as planned, it could result in the production of dangerous chemicals being exposed to the heat. Even worse, your entire device could malfunction and begin leaking or completely explode. The reality of these devices are that poor production quality could be quite dangerous.
Battery Safety
Batteries that are used in counterfeit vapes are typically low-quality batteries. These batteries lack the power necessary to operate the device and when this happens, it can often spell disaster in the form of fires or explosions. If you are lucky, you will only get an e-cig that will fail to charge due to the poor quality of the battery.
If your battery has an LCD display with a temperature read out, this can also show the wrong temperature. If you have an irritation in your throat or lungs which stops you from smoking, be careful with these. The temperature heating up your herbs can be higher than it says, which will burn your herbs.
How to Avoid Counterfeit Vapes
Now that you know exactly why you want to avoid clone vaporizer devices, here are some tips on how you can make sure that you don’t end up owning one.
Authenticity Code
Due to the massive increase in the production of fake replica vapes, some manufacturers have responded to the fake vape market by printing authenticity codes on their products. The code will generally be found on the box of the product itself and can be revealed by scratching off the material that is covering the code. Once you have the code, it can then be entered into the manufacturer’s website. If the code cannot be found on the website, the product is not authentic. If the code has already been checked, the product is most likely fake as well.
Check Prices
It’s always great to find a bargain. That being said, finding a much cheaper price for a vaporizer that is much more expensive can indicate that the product you are looking at might be a fake. Make sure to check the typical price of a product and match it with the vendor you are looking at to see if you might be dealing with a clone product.
Most manufacturers will have a company sign a form that makes sure they sell at the minimum advertised price (MAP).
Examine the Packaging and Text
You won't always be lucky enough to find a counterfeit product that has severely messed up typos on their packaging. Sometimes the product looks to the point that you can obviously spot its in-authenticity. This is the reason you have to double check your product and the text on the body of the packaging with the actual packaging to see if there are any discrepancies. If you notice anything that seems out of the ordinary, you are probably dealing with a fake product.
Only Buy From Authorized Retailers
If you aren’t going to buy directly from the manufacturer, you absolutely need to make sure that you purchase your product from an authorized retailers. These web stores will already have built a positive reputation for themselves and are trusted by vape enthusiasts. Always do your research into a vendor before you purchase a product from them.
What to Do If It’s an Imitation?
If you do happen to buy a counterfeit vape, here is what you need to do in order to prevent the same thing from happening to someone else.
Report to the Platform
Once you’ve found out that your product is fake, the first thing that you need to do is report it to the website where you purchased it. It’s important that you report the purchase so that the website can take action to stop any more of the fake products from being sold. Make sure to give as much information as possible so that the website can do its job thoroughly.
If you tell the manufacturer about what happened on that platform, they will generally send a DMCA or cease and desist order. This will get the listing taken down and the seller gets a strike against their account.
Write Reviews and Post on Social Media
Once you have alerted the vendor or website about the fraudulent sale, the next step that you need to take is to spread the word. The best way to do this is to write reviews on the site where you purchased your vape from to make sure that future buyers don’t end up making the same mistake. From there, you can take to social media and other platforms to warn others. These fraudulent vapes are making their way around. The more impact, the better the chances are that you’ve made a dent in the fake vape market.
Easy Ways to Spot a Clone Vaporizer on a:
There are some vaporizers that are more popular when it comes to producing counterfeit vaporizers than others. Off the bat, sometimes it's noticeable because of the color of the vape or even the box. If you are considering purchasing the best weed vape product, take a look at some of the pieces below to better understand how you will be able to spot a fake vaporizer when you come into contact with it.
Mighty Vaporizer
There are several ways to tell if you are holding a clone Mighty Vaporizer. Here are a few of the biggest tells.
Problematic Sticker
On the bottom back of the unit, there is going to be a product sticker that lists the serial number as well as other information about the device. On a fake unit, you are going to spot a sticker that is not properly aligned with the product. It has a light gray color and that has a cheap matte gloss over the sticker itself. The real sticker is darker, properly aligned, and much better looking.
Cheap Manufacturing
Overall, the clone of the Mighty Vaporizer can obviously be spotted due to its poor manufacturing. For one, the buttons on these devices are usually installed upside down. They are installed in such a way that you could tell there was not much thought put into construction of the product. The not real Mighty Vaporizer is also a few shades lighter than the original product. The imitation will feel cheap and poorly made when you come into contact with it.
The Display and Function of the Mighty
Another way to tell if the device is fake will be demonstrated on the display and in the function of the device. The buttons and the materials that make up the display will have imperfections and will function poorly when you are trying to operate the device.
False Heating Chamber
Although they did manage to a do a decent job replicating the heating chamber, there are a few rings on the device that are slightly discolored when compared to the original product. For example, the inner and outer rings on the fakes are lighter colors than the rings on the original Mighty product.
There may differences on the colors and buttons on the product but you will certainly notice when you are holding a fake.
The Mighty Vaporizer
Pax 2
When it comes to owning a fake Pax, there are quite a few signs that will let you know that your device is counterfeit. Pax has been one of the most replciated device because of it's high price point. You can find them all over from online marketplaces to CraigsList. Here are some of the most notable differences.
Dull LED Light Display
When you activate an authentic Pax 2, a brilliant light will shine out of the display. On fake devices, the light will not be as bright. It can also be a different color than the original. The following colors are to specific procedures.
·Heating Up - Purple
·Ready to Vape - Green
·Temperature Setting 1: 360ºF (182ºC) - 1 Yellow
·Temperature Setting 2: 380ºF (193ºC) - 2 Yellow
·Temperature Setting 3: 400ºF (204ºC) - 3 Oragnes
·Temperature Setting 4: 420ºF (216ºC) - Full Red
·0-25% Battery Life - 1 White
·25-50% Battery Life - 2 White
·50-75% Battery Life - 3 White
·75-100% Battery Life - 4 White\
Inconsistencies on Packaging
Although these minor issues may be overlooked by inexperienced eyes, there are inconsistencies between the packaging of the real Pax 2 and the fake Pax 2. For example, the front of the fake packaging will often contain a low-quality image of the device whereas the real packing will have a high-resolution image. Another inconsistency is the X on the inside of the packaging. The fake will have a much wider X on the top of the inside of the packaging while the real packaging will have a skinnier X. Also look out for typo's.
Poor Manufacturing and Fake External Components
Like most fakes, the body and internal pieces of a fake Pax 2 will scream cheap and will be easy to identify when compared to the functioning of the real Pax 2. In addition to the poor quality of materials and function, external pieces such as the charger and oven lid have smaller pieces on them that prove the product is a counterfeit.
Differences in Materials and Lettering
One major way to tell between an authentic Pax 2 and a fake is the type of screws used to put the device together. Fakes will often be put together using Philips head screws while the real one will use torx screws instead. In addition, there should be more information about the product under this screw.
The Pax 2 Vaporizer
Pax 3
Another popular model to turn into a counterfeit profit, the Pax 3 has plenty of problems that allow you to discern a real model from a fake model.
Incorrect Text and Packaging
Luckily, you won’t even have to pull the Pax 3 out of its box in order to identify whether or not you are dealing with a fake. A fake Pax 3 package will be riddled with text inconsistencies such as spacing errors and smaller fonts. Besides the text errors, you will also notice that the material of the packaging will be of poor quality and the images contained on the packaging will be clearly lacking as well.
Bluetooth Compatibility Error
The Pax 3 comes with the ability to pair your device with an app on your phone. Since a fake is made without these types of functions in mind, you will immediately tell that your Pax 3 is a fake if you try to pair it with your phone and it doesn’t work.
Poor Manufacturing and Usage
As usual, the fake Pax 3 is made of very cheap materials that are lighter both in terms of weight and color when compared to the original. Although the functions such as charging and some of the other capabilities are said to work decently, the vapor quality is a dead giveaway as it generally produces toxic fumes when turned on.
Wrong Components
Like the previous fake model, the counterfeit Pax 3 comes with quite a few fake pieces designed to charge the device. The charger holes are smaller on this piece and the connection cables that are supposed to feature the Pax symbol are plain instead. The materials used in the construction of these external pieces are cheap as well and will indicate a fake device.
The Volcano
Even desktop vaporizers are not safe from the counterfeit vape industry! Here are some of the ways you can spot a fake Volcano model.
Fake Serial Numbers
On the newer Volcano models, they have changed their serial numbers to exclude the spaces that were previously on the older models. Although it may not indicate you have a fake, a serial number with any variation that includes spaces could be a counterfeit product.
False Easy Valve
Both the fake and the real model will include an easy valve for your device. However, it will be lacking a promotional flyer and a new adapter bag that comes with the real model. This may change over time but for now, this is a major tell.
Lack of Packaging and Poor Device Quality
When you first open up the Volcano package, you may notice that there are tons of zip ties, flyers, and other packaging pieces. The fake package will be lacking quite a few of these materials and you will be able to tell that your device is fake because the coloring and body is cheaper and lighter than the actual Volcano.
The Volcano Vaporizer
DaVinci IQ
An amazing vaporizer device, it would be a shame to get your hands on a fake DaVinci IQ. Here is how you can ensure that you avoid these fake vaporizers.
False Packaging
With the DaVinci IQ, the fake packaging is actually quite impressive. However, the biggest problem with the fake packaging is that is a little bit lighter than the original packaging. The boxes may also have some inconsistent build issues that will not match the original packaging.
Major Changes to the Body
Fortunately for those who have purchased a DaVinci IQ, it is very easy to spot a fake from an authentic device just by looking at the body. The real IQ has a shimmery, glossy look that will immediately attract your attention. The fake body is sleek but lacks that shimmer and immediately stands out as inauthentic. All these changes will reflect in the other pieces of this device as well.
Lackluster Pieces
The fake IQ is one of the few devices that can be identified as a fake just from the body and pieces. The LED lights are less bright, the additional pieces are flimsier and clearly lacking logos and other identifying pieces, and the fake is clearly underwhelming when compared to the original.
Receiving a fake vaporizer can be a major inconvenience and a major health hazard if you end up using it. Armed with this information, however, you will be better prepared to spot fake vaporizers and keep them from causing harm to yourself and to others. Remain aware and cautious and you will have no problem avoiding these fake devices!
The DaVinci IQ Vaporizer