Question about authenticity of Link Bands

[saltd]

So, I just received a link Band from an eBay seller, who advertised it as 100% authentic Apple. New open box. Box is authentic. Upon looking closely at them, I noticed that the etching on the inside of the butterfly clasp is missing, as well as the "assembled in China" etching on the lug. Plus, they don't feel very sturdy.

The seller maintains that they are real, even without those etchings. For those of you who have these bands-does an absence of the etchings always indicate a fake?

 

[pcall1128]

So, I just received a link Band from an eBay seller, who advertised it as 100% authentic Apple. New open box. Box is authentic. Upon looking closely at them, I noticed that the etching on the inside of the butterfly clasp is missing, as well as the "assembled in China" etching on the lug. Plus, they don't feel very sturdy.

The seller maintains that they are real, even without those etchings. For those of you who have these bands-does an absence of the etchings always indicate a fake?

If it's real, all the above mentioned etchings should be present. Your seller either doesn't know what he's talking about or he's trying to rip you off.

 

[Arran]

If it's real, all the above mentioned etchings should be present. Your seller either doesn't know what he's talking about or he's trying to rip you off.

Yep. Sounds fake to me.

 

[epca12]

No, most bands on ebay and even other online places are fake. They may be good quality but they're not authentic. I'm guessing they weren't charging anywhere near Apples price for it, if that is the case then assume it's 3rd party. You should be able to get your money back

 

[44267547]

So, I just received a link Band from an eBay seller, who advertised it as 100% authentic Apple. New open box. Box is authentic. Upon looking closely at them, I noticed that the etching on the inside of the butterfly clasp is missing, as well as the "assembled in China" etching on the lug. Plus, they don't feel very sturdy.

The seller maintains that they are real, even without those etchings. For those of you who have these bands-does an absence of the etchings always indicate a fake?

Sounds like you received a replica or third party counterfeit. File a claim with eBay if you haven't already and you are covered through Pay Pal as well. Contact the seller and advise them of your findings. Document pictures for Pay Pal and EBay. And save all messages from the seller.

Please report back and keep us updated.

 

[pcall1128]

Sounds like use received a replica or third party counterfeit. File a claim with eBay if you haven't already and you are covered through Pay Pal as well. Contact the seller and advise them of your findings. Document pictures for Pay Pal and EBay. And save all messages from the seller.

Please report back and keep us updated.

Good point, you'll get your money back no problem. I'm interested to hear about what happens as well. Who is the seller?

 

[44267547]

Good point, you'll get your money back no problem. I'm interested to hear about what happens as well. Who is the seller?

I think your question was intended for the OP. But the steps I recommended is how it should be handled with fraudulent sellers. This is why I stray away from eBay anymore. Hopefully it all works out.

 

[pcall1128]

I think your question was intended for the OP. But the steps I recommended is how it should be handled with fraudulent sellers. This is why I stray away from eBay anymore. Hopefully it all works out.

Yes it was intended for the OP, I should have wrote a separate comment for that. I agree with your comments on fraudulent sellers, so many of them out there. eBay provides adequate buyer protection but unless you're buying from Apple you just never know.

 

[saltd]

Thanks for all of your input. The seller has agreed to issue a full refund, but still maintains that they are genuine. The seller has been very cooperative about it, so we are just agreeing to disagree. I'm actually convinced that they believe them to be real. It is a reputable seller by the standards of eBay, but also a very high volume seller of Apple products. Nothing in their feedback suggests that this is a regular practice, so maybe this just slipped by them as well.

I actually ordered two, and both are in unquestionably real packaging. Their feedback is 99% with over 25,000 feedback, so I felt that it was a safe sale given that they stated 100% genuine more than once.

So...lesson learned-eBay is a minefield for items like this, and if it seems to good to be true, it is.

 

[OriginalAppleGuy]

OP - you didn't state the price you paid. The "fakes" tend to go for $60 - $80 while "real" Apple Branded bands go for $450.

The definition of authentic allows something to not be branded, but to adhere to the standards of the branded item. SO in a way, both of you are probably right. If it's 816L stainless steel, has the butterfly clip, and press to release links then it's probably adhering to those standards.

 

[saltd]

Yeah, I've been watching these on eBay for awhile, and I'm usually very patient and a deal comes along. I'm always on the lookout for that sort of loophole in the item description.

But that's a good point. Language is tricky, with genuine vs. authentic etc.
Navigating that can be PITA. In this case the seller stated "100% genuine Apple product", and also sold it in real Apple packaging-so he didn't cover his butt very well if he was trying to sell a fake as real.

One thing I did find odd was that after I bought them, the item couldn't be found through searching on eBay(specifying "sold items" in the search.). It makes me a little suspicious, as other items sold by the seller within that same day show up.

 

[AndrewR23]

Yeah, I've been watching these on eBay for awhile, and I'm usually very patient and a deal comes along. I'm always on the lookout for that sort of loophole in the item description.

But that's a good point. Language is tricky, with genuine vs. authentic etc.
Navigating that can be PITA. In this case the seller stated "100% genuine Apple product", and also sold it in real Apple packaging-so he didn't cover his butt very well if he was trying to sell a fake as real.

One thing I did find odd was that after I bought them, the item couldn't be found through searching on eBay(specifying "sold items" in the search.). It makes me a little suspicious, as other items sold by the seller within that same day show up.

Wow thats an incredibly good fake.

That might be worth 90$ for the fake. Can you upload the link? Wanna see if there is 42

 

[OriginalAppleGuy]

I should have keyed in more on the real Apple Box it came in. That picture sure makes it look like it is in fact the Apple band. Wow, that guy has balls. Apple would slay him if they got a hold of him.

I heard people will pay money for Apple boxes. Guess this is one of the things they do with them.

 

[Cogsworth]

That price certainly is "too good to be true".

 

[saltd]

That price certainly is "too good to be true".

You got that right! I'm pretty embarrassed that I fell for this one, considering that price....but there are sometimes amazing deals on there if you're not in a hurry. I picked up a lightly used Milanese Loop on there recently for 31 bucks including shipping(a real one).

These "look" nice enough in photos, but the fit and finish falls short when it's in your hands. As has been said before, it's the last 10% of Apple's manufacturing process that makes these so special. And these did NOT have that.
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Wow thats an incredibly good fake.

That might be worth 90$ for the fake. Can you upload the link? Wanna see if there is 42

They don't have any other bands, and the ones I bought are not shown in his selling history(?).

Trust me, they weren't worth 90 bucks. Very shoddy. Mostly they sell unlocked iPhones and other Apple merch. No bands though.

 

[Cogsworth]

You got that right! I'm pretty embarrassed that I fell for this one, considering that price....but there are sometimes amazing deals on there if you're not in a hurry. I picked up a lightly used Milanese Loop on there recently for 31 bucks including shipping(a real one).

These "look" nice enough in photos, but the fit and finish falls short when it's in your hands. As has been said before, it's the last 10% of Apple's manufacturing process that makes these so special. And these did NOT have that.

Well you never know unless you take a chance, especially when they claim it's genuine. I'll bet a lot of people wouldn't even be able to tell the difference. I got my link bracelet last year for $270 from a guy on eBay who sold a bunch of them, and it was authentic. There was a thread here about it. I thought that was a steal at the time, and though they were the genuine article I'm sure the seller was obtaining them by questionable means.

That was a great deal on a genuine Milanese though!

 

[fischersd]

Actually, that picture proves it's a fake. The link that's reversed, showing a silver release button. Apple's release button's are DLC coated, like the rest of the band and they're bigger than that one, in relation to the size of the link. (just looking at mine).
A pic of the back of mine to demonstrate:


Edit: I don't see "Made in China" stamped anywhere on mine. Inside the butterfly clasp, it has stamped 42mm (in an oval), then underneath 316L Stainless Steel

And, yes, I know mine's from Apple - I bought it from Apple with the watch - received in June '15

Also, if anyone suggests that it's the connector that's silver, it isn't - everything is dlc coated. Every surface that is visible to the consumer is black.

 

[saltd]

Edit: I don't see "Made in China" stamped anywhere on mine. Inside the butterfly clasp, it has stamped 42mm (in an oval), then underneath 316L Stainless Steel

I'm pretty sure you should see that etched on the on the end of the connector that slides into the watch. Reads: "assembled in china"

So, getting ready to ship these back, and I noticed another thing or two-these have 8 links on either side of watch that are non-detachable instead of 6 that the real Apple products have. That could be a deal breaker for people with tiny wrists.

Also, the one band doesn't even have the quick detach buttons....so that's a fairly big problem if the seller wants to maintain that these are genuine Apple

 

[fischersd]

I'm pretty sure you should see that etched on the on the end of the connector that slides into the watch. Reads: "assembled in china"

So, getting ready to ship these back, and I noticed another thing or two-these have 8 links on either side of watch that are non-detachable instead of 6 that the real Apple products have. That could be a deal breaker for people with tiny wrists.

Also, the one band doesn't even have the quick detach buttons....so that's a fairly big problem if the seller wants to maintain that these are genuine Apple

I'm telling you - there is no "assembled in china" on my band on the connector - but mine isn't the accessory either - it came with the SBSS 42mm watch. There is nothing stamped on the connector. Only stamping on mine is on the butterfly clasp.

Yes, you're right - the 42mm has 6 stationary and 6 removable links per side (the 38mm may have fewer links).

 

[saltd]

I'm telling you - there is no "assembled in china" on my band on the connector - but mine isn't the accessory either - it came with the SBSS 42mm watch. There is nothing stamped on the connector. Only stamping on mine is on the butterfly clasp.

Yes, you're right - the 42mm has 6 stationary and 6 removable links per side (the 38mm may have fewer links).

Thanks for checking on that second etching. I know the Milanese loop has it, but that proves the Link bracelets don't.

 

[saltd]

'm telling you - there is no "assembled in china" on my band on the connector - but mine isn't the accessory either - it came with the SBSS 42mm watch.

Here's the marking I was thinking of below. I just grabbed one off eBay for 220 shipped. The guy sent me pics of his receipts and all of the markings. This one came with a watch as well, but it was a first gen.

 

[fischersd]

Here's the marking I was thinking of below. I just grabbed one off eBay for 220 shipped. The guy sent me pics of his receipts and all of the markings. This one came with a watch as well, but it was a first gen.

You don't think June of 2015 was first gen? Heh. We were all on here every day waiting to see who shipped.

Yes, I looked again - nadda. Put it under a bright light and magnifying glass. If Apple's doing that now, they changed their manufacturing process to do it, as the first watches didn't have it.

The only for-certain tell-tail that you have is the etching inside the butterfly clasp - haven't seen any clones doing that (methinks if they do, Apple would sue them into non-existence). It's one thing to make a copy/clone - it's another to create an actual counterfeit. (and, yes, Apple's been successful getting a lot of storefronts for the clones taken down on Amazon).

 

[WarHeadz]

Here's the marking I was thinking of below. I just grabbed one off eBay for 220 shipped. The guy sent me pics of his receipts and all of the markings. This one came with a watch as well, but it was a first gen.

Sell the watch and get some of your money back.

 

[Arran]

I heard people will pay money for Apple boxes. Guess this is one of the things they do with them.

Yep, I was wondering who'd buy an empty box.
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Here's the marking I was thinking of below. I just grabbed one off eBay for 220 shipped. The guy sent me pics of his receipts and all of the markings. This one came with a watch as well, but it was a first gen.

Mine's the same. Genuine link bought directly from Apple.

 

[saltd]

Sell the watch and get some of your money back.

He's just selling the band, not the watch. Otherwise, I'd certainly go that route.