Jackie Nie informed me that she is still selling the vapor pro, through a payment of 24$ through her paypal address.
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Fake Vapor Pro Reviews
- Thread starter Jongo1
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Yeah mines was missing the padding there, hence the reason why it was loose. It's all fixed now.
I ordered one on ebay thinking it was real but now I am not totally sure. Here are some pictures and my suspicions, any help would be great!
1. The cloth is just grey without any writing or anything that shows it is from Element Case
2. Screw driver bit looks shorter than the ones on the Element website
3. Felt backplate it not the fluffy felt that they show on the site, it is a very tight weave and seems to have some white fibers in it.
4. The screen protector's stickers are not the ones pictured on Element's site.
5. The clear plastic piece does not match neatly with the aluminum case, it is raised at least a few millimeters.
6 To open the case you zip from bottom to top, none of the other cases I have seen from videos do this. This a picture of the case zipped close.
1. The cloth is just grey without any writing or anything that shows it is from Element Case
2. Screw driver bit looks shorter than the ones on the Element website
3. Felt backplate it not the fluffy felt that they show on the site, it is a very tight weave and seems to have some white fibers in it.
4. The screen protector's stickers are not the ones pictured on Element's site.
5. The clear plastic piece does not match neatly with the aluminum case, it is raised at least a few millimeters.
6 To open the case you zip from bottom to top, none of the other cases I have seen from videos do this. This a picture of the case zipped close.
it looks like a fake but could be wrong.
was the extra screws in the driver cover or on the side. (mine on the side fake)
but I am not too sure that the knockoffs were selling the cases with the different color backing
also when you put the case how is the fitment??
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it's 100% fake 
the real one doesn't have silver screwdriver
and if you didn't buy it from elementcase.com seller or takecases.com, then it's fake unless the seller can show his receipt that he bought it from them.
the fake one is 99% identical
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you ask 100 people, all 100 people will give you different answer.
just pick one and you'll be fine.
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my sliver/silver still looking good and tight and secure...
the real one doesn't have silver screwdriver and if you didn't buy it from elementcase.com seller or takecases.com, then it's fake unless the seller can show his receipt that he bought it from them.
the fake one is 99% identical
----------
you ask 100 people, all 100 people will give you different answer.
just pick one and you'll be fine.
----------
my sliver/silver still looking good and tight and secure...
element does not have ahutorized sellers on ebay, so if you got it from there is a 100% fake, unless you got it from a private seller but I doubt that
I wouldn't say that they don't, what about tekcases?
This is why I wish Element would show all of the products that come in a package with each case, cause it varies so much on which one of their products you buy.
Thanks for your help.
I believe there are only 2 authorized sellers..
tekcases
gearmoxieinc (this is actually owned by ElementCase.com company as they created a new website).
And to be certain, buyer should contact the elementcase to confirm it. Those are the 2 listed on elementcase.com site. Anyone can create a login using their name, so that's why you should contact elementcase first.
tekcases
gearmoxieinc (this is actually owned by ElementCase.com company as they created a new website).
And to be certain, buyer should contact the elementcase to confirm it. Those are the 2 listed on elementcase.com site. Anyone can create a login using their name, so that's why you should contact elementcase first.
well if you bought it from tekcases then it is probably authentic but if not you have a high possibility of it being fake.
You can thank all the people in this thread for your fake element case. Without demand the fake cases would disappear and prices for the real thing would go down. File a complaint through paypal and send ebay a message about it.
Or you can look at it this way: If Element lowered their prices, there wouldn't be demand for a less expensive fake. The expensive cases came first...the prices created he demand for a cheaper alternative.
Can you share with me where you sanded down? Did you sand down the sides or the depth of the RF insert? Thanks
DO NOT buy a white one. I've only had mine for a few weeks and the paint is already starting to chip off.
I don't feel bad for anyone who pays a pretty penny for a "real" one but gets a "fake" one. There's real and fake everything out there...if you do your research and know what to look for then you won't get screwed.
OR...if you cannot tell the difference and have to ASK if it's real or fake then WHO CARES?! It's not a matter of different materials like real diamonds vs fake diamonds. It's aluminum vs aluminum. If you have to ask then it shouldn't matter in your head if it's "real" or not. Right? Does calling it "real" all of a sudden change anything? Nope... It's still an aluminum iPhone case. Real or not.
OR...if you cannot tell the difference and have to ASK if it's real or fake then WHO CARES?! It's not a matter of different materials like real diamonds vs fake diamonds. It's aluminum vs aluminum. If you have to ask then it shouldn't matter in your head if it's "real" or not. Right? Does calling it "real" all of a sudden change anything? Nope... It's still an aluminum iPhone case. Real or not.
I posted pics and a review of mine on my 4S just a few posts above yours.
Yes, it works perfectly fine with the 4S.
I ordered a real Vapor Pro Stealth on the day the iPhone 4S was officially announced and I when I knew that the shape of the phone was not going to change. I got it from tekcases.com which is a recommended dealer linked from the Element Case website. Shipping was free and they were 20% off at the time.That discount has gone down as demand has gone back up. Shipping was fast and the case is flawless. I got a real one because no one was offering that all satin black Stealth version on AliExpress.
I liked the case so much that I decided to try one of the copies from China. So now that I have one of each, I can review and compare them.
I ordered a Silver/Silver Vapor Pro Spectra which is the original glossy anodized finish that is a close match to the silver band on the iPhone 4/4S case. Unfortunately the AliExpress seller sent a Vapor Pro Chroma which has a satin finished flat Silver color. The seller offers both Spectras and Chromas on separate AliExpress web pages. I sent a message to try to get this corrected. We'll see what happens.
Other than that, I will review the rest of the case and the packaging.
The box looks the same including the made in the USA label. There is a barcode label on the bottom of the real one, but that could have been added by tekcases.com.
You can't see it in these pictures, but if you look very closely, you can see differences in the embossed printing and there is an insert in the box that is a different thickness of cardboard.
The real Certificate of Authenticity is sharper and printed more clearly. The red E is also slightly raised.
The real one came with a screen saver, micro fiber cloth and a small card to install the screen saver.
The installation tool for real one has a small rubber o-ring to help keep the screw driver from getting loose and falling off if you had it on a key chain. The silver installation tool for the copy came in a bag with the screws and the key chain ring unassembled.
The back cover is different for the Stealth case and the suede ear piece on the copy is cut from a different material with a 3M backing.
The quality of the real soft case is noticeably better than the copy. The real soft case unzips from the top and the copy unzips from the bottom.
The copy has the longer insert, but it still isn't the same length as the real one.
The finish on the real one is smoother, more refined and more consistent. The silver on the copy has a slight mismatch from one piece to the other. The real one looks like an anodized finish while the copy looks like it could have been spray painted.
The joint for the insert on the real one appears and feels like it has been deburred for a much smoother fit. You can feel the slightly sharp edge on the copy and the fit is not as flush. You can't feel the joint on the real one.
The foam rubber pads inside the case are very similar on both. Same sizes and same placement. The fit for both cases is the same. Both are tight and both have the same size gaps.
The screws for the real one are longer which maybe why some people are having problems with threads striping.
What does all of the show?
It shows that all of these parts and packaging are copies. I thought that maybe some of the parts could also be made in China for real Element Cases.
There are still many small details that make the real ones real. To me all these little details make the real ones better... But the real ones cost 3 to 4 times more. Are the real ones 3 to 4 times better? That's up to you. I just wanted to show the differences that I found. The copies still look real and most people will never know the difference.
I liked the case so much that I decided to try one of the copies from China. So now that I have one of each, I can review and compare them.
I ordered a Silver/Silver Vapor Pro Spectra which is the original glossy anodized finish that is a close match to the silver band on the iPhone 4/4S case. Unfortunately the AliExpress seller sent a Vapor Pro Chroma which has a satin finished flat Silver color. The seller offers both Spectras and Chromas on separate AliExpress web pages. I sent a message to try to get this corrected. We'll see what happens.
Other than that, I will review the rest of the case and the packaging.
The box looks the same including the made in the USA label. There is a barcode label on the bottom of the real one, but that could have been added by tekcases.com.
You can't see it in these pictures, but if you look very closely, you can see differences in the embossed printing and there is an insert in the box that is a different thickness of cardboard.
The real Certificate of Authenticity is sharper and printed more clearly. The red E is also slightly raised.
The real one came with a screen saver, micro fiber cloth and a small card to install the screen saver.
The installation tool for real one has a small rubber o-ring to help keep the screw driver from getting loose and falling off if you had it on a key chain. The silver installation tool for the copy came in a bag with the screws and the key chain ring unassembled.
The back cover is different for the Stealth case and the suede ear piece on the copy is cut from a different material with a 3M backing.
The quality of the real soft case is noticeably better than the copy. The real soft case unzips from the top and the copy unzips from the bottom.
The copy has the longer insert, but it still isn't the same length as the real one.
The finish on the real one is smoother, more refined and more consistent. The silver on the copy has a slight mismatch from one piece to the other. The real one looks like an anodized finish while the copy looks like it could have been spray painted.
The joint for the insert on the real one appears and feels like it has been deburred for a much smoother fit. You can feel the slightly sharp edge on the copy and the fit is not as flush. You can't feel the joint on the real one.
The foam rubber pads inside the case are very similar on both. Same sizes and same placement. The fit for both cases is the same. Both are tight and both have the same size gaps.
The screws for the real one are longer which maybe why some people are having problems with threads striping.
What does all of the show?
It shows that all of these parts and packaging are copies. I thought that maybe some of the parts could also be made in China for real Element Cases.
There are still many small details that make the real ones real. To me all these little details make the real ones better... But the real ones cost 3 to 4 times more. Are the real ones 3 to 4 times better? That's up to you. I just wanted to show the differences that I found. The copies still look real and most people will never know the difference.
I ordered a real Vapor Pro Stealth on the day the iPhone 4S was officially announced and I when I knew that the shape of the phone was not going to change. I got it from tekcases.com which is a recommended dealer linked from the Element Case website. Shipping was free and they were 20% off at the time.That discount has gone down as demand has gone back up. Shipping was fast and the case is flawless. I got a real one because no one was offering that all satin black Stealth version on AliExpress.
I liked the case so much that I decided to try one of the copies from China. So now that I have one of each, I can review and compare them.
I ordered a Silver/Silver Vapor Pro Spectra which is the original glossy anodized finish that is a close match to the silver band on the iPhone 4/4S case. Unfortunately the copy that I received has more of a Vapor Pro Chroma finish which is a satin flat Silver color. The seller confirmed that this is their version of the Silver Spectra but it does not match the more glossy, brushed finish of the real Element Case Spectra Silver.
Other than that, I will review the rest of the case and the packaging.
The box looks the same including the made in the USA label. There is a barcode label on the bottom of the real one, but that could have been added by tekcases.com.
You can't see it in these pictures, but if you look very closely, you can see differences in the embossed printing and there is an insert in the box that is a different thickness of cardboard.
The real Certificate of Authenticity is sharper and printed more clearly. The red E is also slightly raised.
The real one came with a screen saver, micro fiber cloth and a small card to install the screen saver.
The installation tool for real one has a small rubber o-ring to help keep the screw driver from getting loose and falling off if you had it on a key chain. The silver installation tool for the copy came in a bag with the screws and the key chain ring unassembled.
The back cover is different for the Stealth case and the suede ear piece on the copy is cut from a different material with a 3M backing.
The quality of the real soft case is noticeably better than the copy. The real soft case unzips from the top and the copy unzips from the bottom.
The copy has the longer insert, but it still isn't the same length as the real one.
The finish on the real one is smoother, more refined and more consistent. The silver on the copy has a slight mismatch from one piece to the other. The real one looks like an anodized finish while the copy looks like it could have been spray painted.
The joint for the insert on the real one appears and feels like it has been deburred for a much smoother fit. You can feel the slightly sharp edge on the copy and the fit is not as flush. You can't feel the joint on the real one.
The foam rubber pads inside the case are very similar on both. Same sizes and same placement.
The screws for the real one are longer which maybe why some people are having problems with threads striping.
What does all of the show?
It shows that all of these parts and packaging are copies. I thought that maybe some of the parts could also be made in China for real Element Cases.
There are still many small details that make the real ones real. To me all these little details make the real ones better... But the real ones cost 3 to 4 times more. Are the real ones 3 to 4 times better? That's up to you. I just wanted to show the differences that I found. The copies still look real and most people will never know the difference.
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awesome review! Thanks for the comparison.
I'm very happy in spending $20 for the fake ones vs. the real ones at $150. I highly doubt anyone can spot a real one vs. fake one in public.
If i had paid $150 for the real one, I would have been "oh my gosh, I can't believe I paid that much for this..."
I know price is very subjective, but I doubt many people who bought the real one can say "best $150 well spent on a case"...
I'm very happy in spending $20 for the fake ones vs. the real ones at $150. I highly doubt anyone can spot a real one vs. fake one in public.
If i had paid $150 for the real one, I would have been "oh my gosh, I can't believe I paid that much for this..."
I know price is very subjective, but I doubt many people who bought the real one can say "best $150 well spent on a case"...
Oh! Thanks! Your review is what spurred me to order from the same one from jacky.
