Fake or Genuine Magsafe 2?

[higgalls]

Hey,

I just bought a 85W Magsafe 2 charger off eBay which was claimed to be Genuine, but there are a couple of very minor things that make me wonder whether it is genuine or fake. So was just wondering what your opinion is. I paid $99 for it, which is only about $20 cheaper than retail, so not a massive saving, but that did also include shipping.

The charger says it is manufactured by LiteOn Technology Corporation.



My concerns are:

1) All Apple chargers that I have seen show a serial number clearly on the unit in the same place (near where the power cord attaches - next to the silver connector). On the one I received, there was NO serial number there. However, if you look right inside where the pins are that the power lead attaches into it, there is a very small serial number in there. Does Apple do that (well the manufacturers they use)?



2) The product I received used a poor quality piece of plastic to coil the cable together - I haven't seen Apple use a piece of plastic like that before (because it looks cheap)



3) On the Magsafe 2 connector, there are scratches already over the connector, showing that it is likely not of the standard Apple quality. I am assuming this is because the connector they used may be plastic, rather than the possible aluminium that Apple uses.



Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[chrfr]

You should assume any power adapter you bought on eBay is a counterfeit. They are rampant.

 

[chscag]

I agree with @chrfr. Never buy Apple accessories such as MagSafe adaptors, batteries, and the like, off eBay. Just about anything you buy from eBay nowadays is a knock off. Of course if you don't care and just wish to save money.....

 

[higgalls]

Thanks for your comments. If it is a fake, then it is a VERY good quality fake, and so the things I am questioning are very small things.

 

[TonyK]

The problem with counterfeit accessories is they can damage your Apple product or cause a fire. In worse case you could get electrocuted from it.

If it were me I'd stick with Apple branded items or from a known manufacturer like Belkin, Kingston, etc.

 

[mobi-logic]

I purchased the same Magsafe2 85W yesterday from Apple store. I was not confident about the apple chargers I was getting online and hence settled by buying at full price from apple store for peace of mind. Looking at your charger, my charger fit and finish is way above than yours.

 

[MacGizmo]

I'm a very distrustful person... if I don't buy it directly from Apple, it's 100% knock-off, and 80% junk. There are a few reputable brands out there, of course—but as others have said, eBay and Amazon are almost exclusively cheap garbage knock-offs.