Apple website warns against counterfeit & third-party power accessories
Apple has quietly updated its support website to warn people against using counterfeit batteries and power adapters, or even just some third-party options in general.
These products "may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues," Apple writes. Instead the company is recommending first-party power adapters, and directing people to go to an Apple store or authorized service provider for replacement batteries.
Apple often charges high prices for first-party accessories and repairs, which can lead many people to turn to outside sources. While certified third-party accessories are typically safe, unauthorized and/or counterfeit products have been known to work poorly or even cause fires.
Underwriters Laboratories -- better known as UL -- recently tested 400 fake Apple chargers, and found that 99 percent of them were unsafe. In October Apple filed a lawsuit against one counterfeit vendor, Mobile Star, accusing it of violating copyrights and trademarks through sales on Amazon and Groupon.
Amazon is reportedly poised to engage in a major crackdown of its own, creating a registry of recognized sellers that vendors will have to match against to get their inventory on sale. In its Mobile Star suit, Apple claimed that almost 90 percent of Apple accessories sold as genuine through the "Fulfillment by Amazon" program were fake.
These products "may not be designed properly and could result in safety issues," Apple writes. Instead the company is recommending first-party power adapters, and directing people to go to an Apple store or authorized service provider for replacement batteries.
Apple often charges high prices for first-party accessories and repairs, which can lead many people to turn to outside sources. While certified third-party accessories are typically safe, unauthorized and/or counterfeit products have been known to work poorly or even cause fires.
Underwriters Laboratories -- better known as UL -- recently tested 400 fake Apple chargers, and found that 99 percent of them were unsafe. In October Apple filed a lawsuit against one counterfeit vendor, Mobile Star, accusing it of violating copyrights and trademarks through sales on Amazon and Groupon.
Amazon is reportedly poised to engage in a major crackdown of its own, creating a registry of recognized sellers that vendors will have to match against to get their inventory on sale. In its Mobile Star suit, Apple claimed that almost 90 percent of Apple accessories sold as genuine through the "Fulfillment by Amazon" program were fake.
Comments
Is saving a few bucks really worth the risk?
Just because an item or a knockoff may look almost the same on the outside, that doesn't mean that it's the same on the inside at all.
I've seen some tests of original Apple chargers VS some of the counterfeits, and the difference is like night vs day.
As an example, they were measuring the temperatures of the chargers and the Apple was measuring around 40 c while in use, and one of the counterfeits was around 100 c.
I pity the cheap fool who thinks that they were smart because they saved a few bucks. They must not value their own lives or the lives of their family very highly.
http://www.righto.com/2014/05/a-look-inside-ipad-chargers-pricey.html
Some of those counterfeiters and sellers should be put into prison for life. Some of them should be given the death penalty, if it can be proven that their intentionally faulty and illegal product caused a death.
Anyone defending the "I can buy an Apple cable for 3-bucks that works just as good as the OEM" is about as ignorant as can be.