Counterfeit batteries are out there, sad but true. Unfortunately, those who do purchase a fake might encounter either sup-par performance or worse damage caused to their equipment. According to Canon, 18% of their customer base bought forgeries unknowingly, yikes! The question is, would you know how to spot a fake camera battery??
[REWIND : HOW TO SPOT A SCAM: MUST READ BUYERS ADVICE]
No one sets out to buy a fake battery, we just want to find batteries at a cheaper price? After all, we spend so much money on gear already. Manufacturers frown on purchasing fake batteries, for obvious reasons, and unfortunately, for those who do purchase them, there is only one way to tell it is a fake. Compare it to an original battery.
Luckily for us, Canon and Nikon are way ahead of us.
Nikon’s website has images of every battery that they know is a forgery. They show you what the original should look like and some of the fakes they have encountered. Clues to discerning a fake battery can be as simple as a spelling error, a missing box around an icon, printed instead of a etched area or variations on the holographic seals.
Canon also has a nifty help page as well that includes a video and a quiz to help you spot a fake battery. They also give you a checklist of things to look for such as their hologram sticker, printing and the packaging the battery may come in. Watch the video below and take a quiz over on the Canon website to see if you can spot the fake.
So, before you decide to purchase a battery from another site, take a gander at these images and make sure you aren’t causing yourself more of a headache than you need to.
via [Nikon/Canon/Popular Photography]
