counterfeit goods

It seems difficult to get kosher original manufacturer or genuine aftermarket rechargeable batteries for electronics from online suppliers. Even when the price asked for is not impossibly low, it is no guarantee that the items advertised are not knock-offs.

I wanted a battery for a serviceable Samsung Galaxy SII - Samsung themselves don't seem to advertise batteries for their old models in the UK online shop - so the aftermarket is open for counterfeiters and wide boys.

There are markets in China, where traders openly spend their days exchanging the labels on secondhand and cheap copies of popular batteries for labels that imitate the genuine article.

Having bought a suspected fake from an Amazon Marketplace trader, and spending 10 days engaged in email tennis to the seller who seemed to be unable to accept that the goods involved might in some way be substandard, and in fact, fakes, I ended up using the Amazon online chat to customer support.

Within 6 hours, on a Sunday afternoon, I had the money refunded to my account. I don't know what sanctions, if any, Amazon will apply to the trader.

The seller had sent me an identical* second battery, and a returns envelope after my initial inquiry in which I had asked for them to advise me concerning a refund and disposal for what were either faulty goods (if genuine) or a substandard knock-off. *Identical - down to identical serial numbers on the battery labels!

I do not feel happy returning substandard knock-offs to an online seller - they would just be passed on to another punter.

So I have 2 different addresses given to me by the seller to return the goods, a telephone number for them from Amazon, 2 variations of their business name jn our correspondence, 2 fake batteries, and a return envelope.

A short search on the addresses on 192.com, Google and Facebook, gave me corresponding names for the 2 addresses for the directorships of several businesses, but not the business name of the seller. However, the initials of the persons at these addresses match the business name.

What I should probably do is to pass the goods, and any evidence I have to Trading Standards in the area where the sellers operate from.

What do you think, and what would you do?

go to your local trading standards first, they may take the matter to the next level.

Fake batteries can be very dangerous when being charged. A fake 7 amp-hour battery had 1 amp-hour cells buried in expanded foam. The cells overheated and on exploded when being charged at the rate for a 7 amp hour battery,

did it say " manufacturers original batteries " or similar
have you got a link

Batteries have become quite a lot more dangerous than they used to be, when a leak could ruin your torch.

All batteries - including genuine ones - can become unstable in use due to corrosion and damage, and lithium ion or lithium polymer rechargeables may explode with an impressive display of pyrotechnics.

There are plenty of Youtube videos showing this.

Of course the substandard clones pose a special risk.

Following on from my original post, today I received yet a third battery and return envelope from the seller! This was not asked for either. I may open up an online shop if this carries on

The third battery has a minor difference on the label:


Can you see it? (Clue:- the first 2 have identical serial numbers!)

The labels are obviously meant to appear as identical to genuine SAMSUNG labels.

I believe that the OEM batteries should weigh about 33 grams - these weigh 29 grams each. I believe that the reverse (adhesive side) of the label is a matt silver on genuine labels. On one of the batteries, the reverse is white and the metal battery case itself is printed with - KINGCELL 4304141220 - underneath the label.

The item was described as:

"OEM Replacement Battery for Samsung Galaxy S2 SII i9100 Lithium-Ion 1650 mAh EB-F1A2GBU"

Searching for that (within quotes) on Amazon.co.uk I now find the product unavailable - result! - here's the original ad:


I'd rather not name the company here in print - you can see it in the image. Maybe at a later date if I get to know the final outcome.

The recommended way to handle the situations from The National Trading Standards eCrime Team NTSeCT)http://www.tradingstandardsecrime.org.uk/contact/

is to call Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline:

Citizen’s Advice Consumer Helpline
03454 04 05 06

So our government handles ecrime using a charity to triage the cases.

they closed down the consumer council and handed the work to citizens advice with a bit off funding following but not a lot
no need for a link they are obviously real or trying to pass them off as real