Apple Warns Of Counterfeit Power Adapters and Batteries Following Lawsuit (9to5mac.com)

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Apple Warns Of Counterfeit Power Adapters and Batteries Following Lawsuit (9to5mac.com)

Posted by msmash on Tuesday December 13, 2016 @04:50AM from the fake-products dept.

Following a lawsuit revealed back in October in which Apple exposed an issue with a large percentage of fake Apple adapters being marketed as "genuine" online, today the company has posted an official warning to customers. From a report on 9to5Mac: The message, posted on the front page of the company's support webpage, warns customers that counterfeit power adapters and batteries could pose safety issues. The company also offers customers that might have had a recent battery replacement the option to bring in their devices to an Apple Store or authorized service provider to check if the battery is genuine.

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fire Fire FIRE! by Thud457 · 2016-12-13 05:00 · Score: 4, Insightful

This is what happens when you outsource manufacturing to China.
Also, watch out for Amazon. Are there currently problems with counterfeits getting into the stream when fulfilled by Amazon? Or is it just their affiliates?

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the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
1. Re:fire Fire FIRE! by magarity · 2016-12-13 05:04 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Also, watch out for Amazon. Are there currently problems with counterfeits getting into the stream when fulfilled by Amazon? Or is it just their affiliates?
  They've fooled you with the "fulfilled by Amazon". That just means the seller shipped a pallet or whatever of stuff to Amazon's warehouse so their picker robot stuffed it in a box when you ordered it. Other than that, Amazon doesn't give a hoot what the item is. What you need to watch for is "Sold by Amazon, fulfilled by Amazon" if you want them to have any liability for the quality.
Warning! by Opportunist · 2016-12-13 05:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

Buying those counterfeit products could endanger our profit!

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We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re: That it matters, means that they've failed by Opportunist · 2016-12-13 05:08 · Score: 4, Insightful

Want to bet that those "counterfeit" products come from the same assembly line as the "genuine" ones?

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We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Re:Maybe if Apple didn't insist on reaming... by Anonymous Coward · 2016-12-13 05:14 · Score: 4, Funny

... My cat chewed through my power cord ... A new one is $70. ...
$70 for a new cat is WAY too much
Re:Nonsense by 110010001000 · 2016-12-13 05:27 · Score: 4, Funny

It says "Batteries" in the headline. DAMN, you just got OWNED sucka, 1990s style!
Re:That it matters, means that they've failed by guruevi · 2016-12-13 05:29 · Score: 4, Insightful

There is a reason some of those items are pricey. A well designed power supply includes large capacitors and a good heat sink and margin of errors and safeties for out of spec components, brownouts or spikes. There is also space on the circuit boards so the line voltage of 110/220VAC doesn't become part of the rest of the circuit.
Some of these counterfeits actually run components that are underpowered (e.g. a 3A regulator will often do 5A as long as you have thermal capacity), are simply removing capacitors and fuses to save costs. Also they often put up UL certificates without owning them and have traces that are both too thin and too close so as to become a safety issue under stressed conditions.

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