Did you know that there are probably millions of counterfeit vapes on the market today? Most of the world’s consumer electronics are made in Shenzhen, China. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the world’s counterfeit products are made in the same place – which isn’t really that surprising when you think about it because the supply chains for Chinese-made electronics are so intermingled. Being the most popular brand in the vaping industry today, Geekbar is the brand most heavily targeted by counterfeiters – and that means fake Geekbars are a real problem.
Why should you be concerned about the possibility of buying a fake Geekbar? Here are just a few of the biggest reasons.
- The flavor won’t be the same as an authentic Geekbar, and the nicotine strength could also be incorrect. Either way, you’re definitely not going to have the same experience that you’d have with an authentic device.
- A fake Geekbar could be unsafe to use, either because of poor-quality components or because it wasn’t assembled in sanitary conditions.
- It could be underfilled, which would mean that you’d end up wasting a large portion of your money.
Although the factories that produce fake vapes are getting better all the time, there are actually several tricks that you can use to reliably spot and avoid a fake Geekbar. Run through this checklist in your mind every time you stock up on vapes, and you can always be sure that what you’re buying is the real thing.
Check the Authenticity Code
Checking the authenticity code is always the first thing that you should do before opening and using a Geekbar. On the box, you’ll find a QR code with a scratch-off panel below it. Under the panel is an authenticity code, which you can enter on the official Geek Bar website to confirm that the device is real. The authenticity tool should tell you that the code is valid and hasn’t been used previously. If the code isn’t valid or has been used many times before, you shouldn’t use the device.
It’s usually best to enter the manufacturer’s URL – geekbar.com – manually rather than using the QR code on the box. A fake Geekbar could have a fake QR code that leads to an unofficial lookalike website. Note that Geekbar only offers products on a wholesale basis and doesn’t sell directly to the public. If you find a site that’s selling Geekbars and claims to be the official website, they’re lying.
If you buy a Geekbar from a brick-and-mortar store, you should refuse to complete the purchase if the seller tries to take the empty box from you. There have been reports of shady sellers packaging fake Geekbars in authentic boxes and reusing the same boxes over and over. Buying Geekbar products from a reliable online vape shop is the best way to avoid this situation because you can be sure the package hasn’t been reused.
Examine the Quality of the Packaging
Once you’ve gotten past the initial hurdle of checking the authenticity code on your Geekbar, the rest should be smooth sailing. Continue by giving the box a quick quality check.
- The cardstock should be glossy and firm. Low-quality, mushy cardstock is a very likely sign of a fake Geekbar.
- Check the print quality. The text should be sharp and should have no misspellings. The images should be bright and not blurry.
- The box should display the correct legally mandated nicotine warning for your region.
Check the Geekbar’s Fit and Finish
If the box seems correct, it’s time to remove the Geekbar and look it over. The device should look excellent and should have no signs of poor-quality fit and finish. Authentic Geekbars are manufactured very professionally and have consistent quality from one device to the next. Here are some of the common signs of fake Geekbars.
- There may be an obvious seam between the two halves of the device. On a real Geekbar, the seam is almost invisible.
- There may be a prominent circular injection mold port at the bottom of the device. On a real Geekbar, the injection mold port is much less prominent.
- There may be a rough or scratchy texture on the power/airflow adjustment slider, like the result that you might get if you tried to copy this component with a 3D printer. The airflow slider on a real Geekbar has a pleasing texture.
- You may notice that the device has washed-out or mismatched colors. In a real Geekbar, the colors of the device’s two halves are perfectly matched.
- The screen-printed “Geekbar” logo may be fuzzy around the edges or may scratch off easily. In a real Geekbar, the logo is sharp and durable.
Make Sure the Geekbar Tastes and Feels Right
If everything about the box and device seems correct – and the authenticity code passes the check – your Geekbar is probably legit. Remember that the makers of fake vapes are getting better all the time, though, so you’ll need to use your sense of taste and pay attention to the way you feel to make the final determination.
- The Geekbar should obviously have the correct flavor. If you’re a Geekbar aficionado, you already know what your favorite flavor tastes like because you’ve bought it a million times – so let your sense of taste be your guide. The factories that make fake Geekbars don’t have access to the real e-liquids that Geekbar uses in their official devices, so the best that they can do is attempt to clone them. If a Geekbar doesn’t taste right, you shouldn’t use it.
- The Geekbar should also have the correct nicotine strength, which is 50 mg/ml in most regions but may be lower in some countries. Once again, you should know what type of experience to expect here because you’re a Geekbar fan and have probably been buying the same nicotine strength for a long time. Are you not experiencing the same throat hit and satisfaction that you’re used to feeling? The nicotine strength of your device may be wrong, and that’s not a problem you’d ever experience with an authentic Geekbar.
