It’s the way of the modern world that any successful product will be counterfeited. Vaping is growing in popularity and so it should come as no surprise that the associated hardware is often copied. Unscrupulous people are taking advantage of the demand for electronic cigarettes by manufacturing replicas of the most popular devices. These are usually sold at cheaper prices that the genuine articles but if something seems to good to be true, it generally is!
It is vital for your safety that you purchase and use only genuine equipment.
If you have been reading our guides, you will be aware that vaping hardware is now safer than ever. However, the equipment can be dangerous if used incorrectly. This is primarily due to the batteries and circuitry that the devices contain. Bona fide manufacturers have worked hard to produce incredibly safe equipment with built-in safety features that protect you from the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries. The fakers won’t have tried so hard!
You should always purchase your e cigs, tanks, pod systems, coils and batteries from an established retailer such as vapekit.co.uk that you know you can trust. Authorized retailers will have obtained their stock directly from the manufacturer or an official distributor. The best retailers boast excellent reputations that they are desperate to keep and so will only offer genuine equipment.
Counterfeit hardware is common and you will find fake versions of the equipment of all major brands. The fakes may look identical to the genuine products from the outside. But the build quality and safety features are another matter. To protect their own reputations and to enable vapers to verify the authenticity of their purchases, the leading manufacturers now feature labels with verification codes on their packaging.
If you are in any doubt about your hardware, don’t use it before checking that it is genuine. You can do this by entering the verification code in the authentication section of the brand’s website. If you discover that your code is not recognised or has been checked previously, you may be in possession of a fake.
You will find Aspire’s authentication sticker on the reverse of the product’s packaging. It features a code that is concealed by a “scratch and check” panel. Erase this to view the verification code. You can then check your product by visiting Aspire’s official website or by clicking the link below. The website also boasts a page listing the sources of fake Aspire gear that have been identified.
To ensure you have received a genuine Innokin product, locate the “scratch-and-check” authentication sticker on the reverse of the box. Reveal the verification code and then visit the Innokin website to confirm that your purchase is genuine.
There are many clones of SMOK’s popular vaping devices on the market. SMOK have recently updated their verification system to better combat the counterfeiters. You are required to download the IVPS Tour App and then scan two QR codes which you will find on the reverse of your product’s box. The two-step process takes a little longer than other verification methods but enables you to 100% guarantee the authenticity of your product.
As with most leading manufacturers, Eleaf’s hardware is often faked. You can check that you have the genuine article by locating the authentication label on the back of the box. This features the serial number of your item plus a verification code concealed by a “scratch and check” panel. Scratch off the panel and enter the code on the Batch Code page of the Eleaf official website.
Genuine Vaporesso products have a sticker on the packaging which features a hologram and a “scratch & scan” panel. Simply scratch off the coating and scan the verification code using your smartphone or enter the code manually on the Verification Page of the official Vaporesso website.
The packaging of Voopoo products boasts a security sticker with a “scratch and check” panel. When you remove the coating, the security code is revealed. Enter this on the Security Code page of the official Voopoo website to authenticate your gear.
HorizonTech products feature a “scaratch and check” sticker. Remove the coating to reveal a verification number which can be entered on the Verification Page of the official HorizonTech website.
Verify your HorizonTech product
Locate the security sticker on the packaging of your Geekvape device. Remove the coating of the “scratch and check” panel to reveal the verification code. Enter this in the appropriate box on the home page of the official Geekvape website.
All Uwell products have an authenticity sticker on their packaging. This features a code which you can enter on the Product Verification page of the official Uwell website. If the code isn’t valid or someone else has registered it before, your product is likely a fake.
KangerTech products feature authentication stickers which include an ID code in the upper right corner of the authenticity sticker and a secondary code on the left side of the sticker. Visit the KangerTech website and locate the verification section in the footer of every page. Enter the ID code in the box.