Apple says 90% of all Apple charging accessories sold on Amazon are fake

posted by Alan F. / Oct 22, 2016, 5:30 PM

Apple says 90% of all Apple charging accessories sold on Amazon are fake

If you have been purchasing some Apple products from Amazon, Apple has a warning for you. As many as 90% of the chargers and cables listed as being "genuine" Apple products turned out to be counterfeit. This bit of information was disclosed in a federal lawsuit filed by Apple earlier this past week. Apple is suing a New Jersey company called Mobile Star for being the source of the counterfeit goods on Amazon.

Apple purchased these devices itself, and then informed Amazon that they were not legitimate Apple products. At that point, Amazon told Apple that a firm called Mobile Star was offering the counterfeit goods. These fakes present a health risk to consumers according to Apple, because they "pose a significant risk of overheating, fire, and electrical shock."

Back in 2013, after a 23-year old woman was reportedly killed in China when she answered a call on her Apple iPhone 5, a number of incidents took place where iPhone and iPad users were getting shocked. Apple tied the problem to the use of cheap, third party chargers. The company started a campaign to exchange those poorly made chargers and cables for genuine Apple manufactured charging accessories. Apple is concerned that a number of its customers could again be facing danger after purchasing the knock-offs that were sold on Amazon.

If you purchased what was labeled as "genuine" Apple charging accessories from Amazon, we suggest that you call the online retailer or Apple.

source: AP

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30 Comments

2. AlikMalix unregistered

I don't mind 3rd party accessories - I do have a problem of straight out lies about the genuity of a product.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 5:38 PM 5

3. TerrellAmerica unregistered

Maybe if Apple's accessories weren't so over priced people wouldn't have to buy fake accessories from Amazon.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 5:39 PM 8

4. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

Those 90% who purchased those"fake" Apple accessories on Amazon, did so in belief that those said accessories where "genuine", which now turns out to be rather fake. This isn't about Apple's price tag of it's genuine accessories.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 5:56 PM 17

5. kiko007

Posts: 7493; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

Well said.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 6:07 PM 3

6. TerrellAmerica unregistered

Says you... half of the accessories that says its "genuine" on Amazon costs half the price of most Apple accessories, so you can't say price doesn't have anything to do with it.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 6:14 PM 4

9. kiko007

Posts: 7493; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

Wtf are you even trying to say? That made absolutely no sense, at all.....

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 6:48 PM 5

29. TerrellAmerica unregistered

Ok Ill put it like is, so your small mind can understand... Apples....Accessories....Cost....To....Much........People...Go...To... "Amazon"....Thinking....Those....Fake....Accessories.... Are....Genuine....."Apple"....Accessories.......At....A...Discount.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 11:13 AM 4

20. AlikMalix unregistered

Indeed, very well summarized.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 9:46 PM 0

7. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

Well maybe it means that people feel the 'real' products are overpriced? Also that said, even if people use 'fake' products to charge their iPhone, it doesn't seem unreasonable to say that if anything goes wrong, the thing that should blow up is the charger, not the phone? the phone should have safety features preventing that on the phone? and not relying on the charger being 'the right' one?

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 6:16 PM 8

8. kiko007

Posts: 7493; Member since: Feb 17, 2016

"Well maybe it means that people feel the 'real' products are overpriced?" If you can't afford a REAL charger, perhaps you shouldn't be buying an $800 dollar phone.....just sayin'. "Also that said, even if people use 'fake' products to charge their iPhone, it doesn't seem unreasonable to say that if anything goes wrong, the thing that should blow up is the charger, not the phone? the phone should have safety features preventing that on the phone? and not relying on the charger being 'the right' one?" You say stupid s**t a good percentage of the time, but this pseudo-paragraph takes the "Tard of the month" award. Seriously, you went out of your way to defend retailers offering fake items as genuine....and even tried to rationalize their faulty nature. I'm sure Johnny Cochran is slow clapping at the spin job you tried to pull there....bravo!

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 6:47 PM 8

11. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

Wow you are an aggressive fella aren't you? If you actually read what I wrote, you'll notice I never once defended the sale of unoriginal projects, but that maybe they buy them because the original are expensive? Add that my entire point in that line is that even IF someone uses a bad charger, the thing that should fail is the charger, the thing that should explode is the charger, the very expensive device should have protections in place to prevent it getting issues? If you find that stupid, cool :)

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 7:00 PM 5

27. ryandt220

Posts: 13; Member since: Jul 11, 2015

If you expect the phone to do all of the electrical regulating from the wall outlet, it would require entirely too much room in the device. You would essentially be putting yourself at even more of a risk of shock, as well as electrical interference with all of the radios and measurement components. There are no electronic manufacturers or devices that negate how important the power supply is at taking the brute-force electrical current from the wall outlet. Further electrical conditioning is done by the device, (that's a fact with all phones, laptops, desktops, TVs, Microwaves, etc, etc...) but not to the degree that you're expecting. Simply do a Google search for "inside iphone charger," and you'll get more than enough technical details to warm your little soul.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 10:02 AM 0

28. xondk

Posts: 1904; Member since: Mar 25, 2014

I am fairly sure that protection circuits, would not add substantially to the internal electronics, because there are phones that already have this? I will grant that I do not know the internals of various phones for obvious reasons, but saying it would take too much room, seems a false statement, especially also since it is a choice by those producing said phones, they can make room, but also especially since it has been in phones for quite some time, and phones are already analysing the charge they get in anyway, so I do not see how it would be something that shouldn't be there. I will entirely agree though that many electronics do not have it, however the general theme I see in that is 'cheap' electronics, and high end phones do not fall into that category in my eyes, so yeah, they should have protection in my book.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 11:10 AM 1

12. darkkjedii

Posts: 30964; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Good job Apple, way to go.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 7:14 PM 2

13. cncrim

Posts: 1586; Member since: Aug 15, 2011

of course, anything $ doesn't go to Apple wallet it is a fake regardless some perform way much better and cheaper.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 7:41 PM 1

14. Subie

Posts: 2353; Member since: Aug 01, 2015

Wow, scary reality of buyer beware. Treat this like a good public service announcement people. Thanks for posting this Alan! There's definitely a lot of counterfeit products out there of all brands and genres for purchase. Definitely don't want to hear of people getting hurt because they bought something they thought was genuine.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 7:43 PM 1

15. ctdog4748

Posts: 797; Member since: Mar 05, 2016

Sh!t, and I just bought a Samsung Fast Wireless Charging stand, and a Samsung dual port fast car charger, both from Amazon. Prices where excellent, almost too good. I think I'll return them and play it safe by buying from Best Buy.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 8:01 PM 2

18. dimas

Posts: 3343; Member since: Jul 22, 2014

Never buy gadgets that are too cheap. Always contact your trading agency helpdesk whenever you find your online orders scummy. I thought amazon is better than these fake issues.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 8:29 PM 1

17. dimas

Posts: 3343; Member since: Jul 22, 2014

Amazon should straighten up their credibility or it will go down the drain like what some people about alibaba.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 8:26 PM 1

19. sticker

Posts: 41; Member since: Feb 24, 2015

for Iphones so high in price tag, there should always be fail-safe in every accessories.

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 9:38 PM 0

21. sukrith2194 unregistered

What Apple means by fake is that this company refused to pay licencing fees to Apple! Now apple just wants to force them to pay up by causing scare and destroying their reputation!

posted on Oct 22, 2016, 10:22 PM 3

23. KyleRiemen

Posts: 170; Member since: Oct 29, 2014

Genuine cables, chargers, batteries, they are all fake, not just on apple products. I use Anker products, good quality, good pricing.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 4:45 AM 0

24. sissy246

Posts: 7070; Member since: Mar 04, 2015

You know I don't care that ifanboys are going t get on their high horse for this but it is just apple putting the blame on the customer again.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 7:26 AM 0

25. ctdog4748

Posts: 797; Member since: Mar 05, 2016

sissy246 please just stop, your idiotic trolling is getting old, and you are embarrassing yourself.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 8:09 AM 1

26. sissy246

Posts: 7070; Member since: Mar 04, 2015

No it is not trolling. Why is it OK for apple fans to give their opinion in other articles but not for other fans to give their opinion in a apple article. It's my opinion its fine you don't agree with it. Isn't that what a decision board is for to give your opinion.

posted on Oct 23, 2016, 9:18 AM 1

30. Subie

Posts: 2353; Member since: Aug 01, 2015

If you believe that this issue is Apple's fault then that is your opinion. But you ranting and calling out people who think differently then you as "ifanboys" is the trolling.