Smart cover counterfeits starting to flood ebay

[SDub90]

Just wanted to give a few people a heads up that over the past few weeks a lot of really bad fake smart covers were popping up on eBay - and a lot of people were paying full price for them.

I ordered 2 for $30 total (i got "lucky" depending on how you look at it, no one bid the last minute after me) to see how bad they were:

The magnetic effect is virtually nonexistent
The microfiber is too soft
It folds really easily
The leather feels like plastic
The paint job one the hinge is atrocious
The hinge scrape up against the iPad


If the hinges didn't scratch at the iPad, and the magnets were are least able to hold the cover on, and it was $15 shipped at most, I'd say they're worth it as an alternative.

If anyone wants pictures, I'll take some tomorrow and post them.

 

[Vulcan4770]

Pics would be great!

 

[ultravioletfly]

Yup, just gone burned on Amazon Marketplace

I ordered from a third-party seller on Amazon under the Apple Black Leather Smart Cover listing, Feliz Sales, for $35 plus $8 shipping. Got it today.

It is NOT leather. It doesn't have the "Designed by Apple in California" print. The metal hinge is a different quality, shinier. The microfiber is thicker and most likely not microfiber. The rubber pads on the hinge are bad quality. The magnets for sleep/wake are weak (the hinge ones are surprisingly close to the genuine smart cover strength, if not the same).

I'll try to attach a couple of pics.

Needless to say, I already asked for a full refund and am awaiting a response. Hopefully, Amazon is good about these sorts of things.

 

[oghowie]

Do these counterfeits have packaging that looks exactly like the real thing or can you tell right away by the packaging?

I ordered a gray smart cover off Amazon that was only $25. I hope it's real...

 

[ultravioletfly]

Do these counterfeits have packaging that looks exactly like the real thing or can you tell right away by the packaging?

I ordered a gray smart cover off Amazon that was only $25. I hope it's real...

I got mine from this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QKM5MG/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

If you click on the used and new link on right, then scroll all the way down, Feliz Sales is selling counterfeits at $34.99.

His description? no original box. like new condition, fast shipping

So shady.

 

[SDub90]

Do these counterfeits have packaging that looks exactly like the real thing or can you tell right away by the packaging?

I ordered a gray smart cover off Amazon that was only $25. I hope it's real...

Mine came with packaging that mimicked the Apple packaging, but the quality on that was poor as well.

I'll take a bunch of pictures tonight and post them. It seems like I bought the same one as ultravioletfly, but with packaging.

The ebay seller I bought from also made his/her/their feedback private since I bought my smart covers and they sent me a message everyday up until I sent them an email about how bad it is.

 

[ultravioletfly]

I think I attached a couple of pics. You'll also notice that one of the panels does not sit flush with the screen. Remember, this is supposed to be leather. It's totally plastic.

 

[iphone1105]

What did you folks expect buying knock off's???

 

[iamthekiller]

What did you folks expect buying knock off's???

I'm shocked, as well

 

[gugy]

What did you folks expect buying knock off's???

You get what you pay for.

That old saying it never gets out of style.

 

[ultravioletfly]

What did you folks expect buying knock off's???

I was expecting a genuine Apple cover. The one I got was under the used section, so the $35 price was acceptable to me, as long as it was an Apple product.

The seller gave me a full refund, but beware.

 

[3goldens]

I got mine from this link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QKM5MG/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

If you click on the used and new link on right, then scroll all the way down, Feliz Sales is selling counterfeits at $34.99.

His description? no original box. like new condition, fast shipping

So shady.

From my understanding of how Amazon works, you should not have received a counterfeit but a real apple ipad smart cover. If you did not and received a counterfeit, then you should report this to Amazon.

But you click through to find a used one from the original Apple Smart Cover page on Amazon and absolutely no indication you were purchasing a knock off, rather you should have been sent a used or returned/used Apple Smart Cover.

I would take this up with the seller and Amazon, right away.

 

[ultravioletfly]

From my understanding of how Amazon works, you should not have received a counterfeit but a real apple ipad smart cover. If you did not and received a counterfeit, then you should report this to Amazon.

But you click through to find a used one from the original Apple Smart Cover page on Amazon and absolutely no indication you were purchasing a knock off, rather you should have been sent a used or returned/used Apple Smart Cover.

I would take this up with the seller and Amazon, right away.

Yeah, I contacted the seller immediately. He/she (Feliz Sales) issued a full refund, and told me to keep the cover.

Debating what kind of feedback to leave them. They haven't pulled any of their "smart cover" listings, and still no indication on their listings that they're fake.

 

[jedolley]

Yeah, I contacted the seller immediately. He/she (Feliz Sales) issued a full refund, and told me to keep the cover.

Debating what kind of feedback to leave them. They haven't pulled any of their "smart cover" listings, and still no indication on their listings that they're fake.

I would give the seller a low rating and even a negative review on the listing to warn others. He is clearly trying to advertise this as genuine, even has the Apple part #.

I actually bought a knockoff from eBay, but the seller clearly mentioned it in the listing. I did it because I wanted the red Smart Cover, but not in leather (it's polyurethane).

I don't have a problem with there being knock-offs or replicas, but these sellers need to clearly state that.

 

[3goldens]

Yeah, I contacted the seller immediately. He/she (Feliz Sales) issued a full refund, and told me to keep the cover.

Debating what kind of feedback to leave them. They haven't pulled any of their "smart cover" listings, and still no indication on their listings that they're fake.

I would not debate this for one second. Deserves the lowest possible feedback rating for trying ot run a scam on you and continuing to perpetuate this on others!

Your responsibility is to warn others through feedback, that's what its there for.

And to anyone else here that has bought a case from Amazon, that stated it was an Apple Smart Cover, and it linked through to a used one from the product page and there was not indication you were getting anything but a branded licensed piece of Apple merchandise, complain, get your money back and post appropriate feedback.

Do not let these people get away with this kind of thing.

And don't listen to others who post things like "you get what you pay for", because you bought something that you believed was a genuine Apple product and nothing else.

 

[ultravioletfly]

I would not debate this for one second. Deserves the lowest possible feedback rating for trying ot run a scam on you and continuing to perpetuate this on others!

Your responsibility is to warn others through feedback, that's what its there for.

And to anyone else here that has bought a case from Amazon, that stated it was an Apple Smart Cover, and it linked through to a used one from the product page and there was not indication you were getting anything but a branded licensed piece of Apple merchandise, complain, get your money back and post appropriate feedback.

Do not let these people get away with this kind of thing.

And don't listen to others who post things like "you get what you pay for", because you bought something that you believed was a genuine Apple product and nothing else.

Yeah, I just finished leaving neg. feedback as a warning to future buyers. Here's what I wrote for Feliz Sales:

"BUYER BEWARE: Ordered what should have been a used Apple Leather Smart Cover in black. What I got was an obvious counterfeit: not leather, it was plastic, with sub-par magnets, with a poorer quality "microfiber" than the real thing. Ask the seller before purchasing if you are going to get a knock-off or the genuine Apple product. +1 for the immediate full refund."