Fake VS Real Element & Draco IV

[WillWill]

Since the Element and the Draco case are so popular... and lots of people are interested about the Fake cases also.. I would like to know how many of you own the real one and how many own the fake one...🙄

 

[LoveSteve]

Well... I don't have a vapor or Draco.. even if I am going to get one, I won't get a fake one ..

 

[malias4]

Me too, i would get a fake silicon bumper but not this kind of cases!

 

[DougNg]

I have two Vapor Comps and a Vapor Pro Stealth. All authentic. All three are great in terms of fit and finish.

Considered the Draco, but I'm wary of potential signal issues

 

[vaugha]

Own geniune dracos and on the fence for a vapor pro. 😱

 

[DrSMC]

My colleague has one and I tried to put on my iPhone 4. Looks cool... just ordered one last night... wow $150... hopefully it won't disappoint me...

 

[iz2sick]

I have the fake Vapor Pro. Decent quality. The price is what makes it great for me.

I'm not paying $150 for an aluminum bumper that costs more than half of what my iPhone cost. I would probably cry if I scratched or dinged the real one. I can care less if I do the same to the lesser quality, but much cheaper knock-off.

But if I had the money to burn, I would get the genuine one. I'm just not that fortunate.

 

[LoveSteve]

I have the fake Vapor Pro. Decent quality. The price is what makes it great for me.

I'm not paying $150 for an aluminum bumper that costs more than half of what my iPhone cost. I would probably cry if I scratched or dinged the real one. I can care less if I do the same to the lesser quality, but much cheaper knock-off.

But if I had the money to burn, I would get the genuine one. I'm just not that fortunate.

How much you spent on the knockoff?? $29.99??

 

[iz2sick]

How much you spent on the knockoff?? $29.99??

Nope. $21. I already know where you're going with this. This $21 was worth it even though the case isn't "perfect" like the original. It's still aluminum albeit it might be a lesser quality metal. This case is solid and other members have dropped their phone with this case and it survived. The case got dented, but no upside-down smiles from it because the case was very affordable.

I have no problems with my case being scratched up or dinged. I would be quite upset if I did that to the real thing. I can get a multitude of other colors or even other cases for the same money so longevity isn't an issue. Well, I know this one I have will last for the life of my phone anyway unless I do some major damage to it.

To each its own though. You can afford the real thing, so more power to you. I can't, so what's the big deal if I get an imitation? If you fall back on the "Buy American" argument, I am more than ready to debunk that myth.

 

[al0513]

I also have a fake element pro and a draco IV/Deff Cleave.

I have seen a real element pro, and to tell you the truth, its great, but not $150 great. I love my fake one. You cannot tell it was only $23 shipped to my door, or can you tell that my draco was $18.

Now I know most of you are going to flame me for saying that, but to tell you the truth, these fakes probably come out of the same factory that the real ones come out of.

The real one wont offer much more protection than the fake. If your hard on your phones (not me) then your most likely going to scratch or dent that case anyways. If I were to drop/scratch my case, I wouldnt be giving myself such a hard time over a $20 case, but it would be a different story with a $150 case.

Besides, for $20.. would you rather get a replica element/deff bumper case or a crappy rubber bumper?

 

[ac921ol]

Fake one here, fits just the way I want it, Looks just the way I want it, and cost me $27 shipped.

Well Well Worth it in my Eyes.

 

[Anvil Image]

If you fall back on the "Buy American" argument, I am more than ready to debunk that myth.

Try me: Buy American, from the good people that worked hard to design these products, develop processes for manufacturing a product with many different components and dependencies, and with parts produced by American vendors from American materials using American labor.

I'm all ears...

 

[al0513]

Try me: Buy American, from the good people that worked hard to design these products, develop processes for manufacturing a product with many different components and dependencies, and with parts produced by American vendors from American materials using American labor.

I'm all ears...

So do you really think that there is a factory somewhere in the States that makes ALL of these real "US" made items?

Doubtful. To cut down on cost which increases profit, they have contracted some production plant to make these in China- most likely the same place that the "fakes" come out of. They just use lower grade materials.

ALSO, not to mention, the DRACO IV/Deff Cleave, says .... MADE IN TAIWAN on the back of the box.

So before you say "BUY AMERICAN" do some research.

Let me guess, you drive a Mexican/Canadian made Chevrolet while yelling "BUY AMERICAN" to someone driving an BMW X3- which is manufactored on US SOIL. ( Of course not all the components but every X3 comes out of a plant in SC)

 

[Prototypical]

So do you really think that there is a factory somewhere in the States that makes ALL of these real "US" made items?

Doubtful. To cut down on cost which increases profit, they have contracted some production plant to make these in China- most likely the same place that the "fakes" come out of. They just use lower grade materials.

So before you say "BUY AMERICAN" do some research.

Let me guess, you drive a Mexican/Canadian made Chevrolet while yelling "BUY AMERICAN" to someone driving an BMW X3- which is manufactored on US SOIL. ( Of course not all the components but every X3 comes out of a plant in SC)

Can you prove any of what you just said, or are you just making blind assumptions?

http://www.elementcase.com/aboutus.asp

Considering Element can get in pretty deep trouble for lying about their products being built in the US, I'm going to guess you're wrong.

 

[Anvil Image]

So do you really think that there is a factory somewhere in the States that makes ALL of these real "US" made items?

There IS for Element Case.

Doubtful. To cut down on cost which increases profit, they have contracted some production plant to make these in China- most likely the same place that the "fakes" come out of. They just use lower grade materials.

Nope. Not one of the Vapors, Vapor Pros, or COMPs is manufactured in a Chinese factory. The Chinese factories that are producing counterfeit EC products have taken items sold at retail, copied them and have reproduced copies without having incurred any of the development costs that Element Case have. Many of the fakes come to you with cheap foam inserts in a baggy that you need to install yourself, have crappy spray on coatings vs anodizing/powder coating, and/or are made from inferior materials like a pot metal amalgam. Sloppy construction is prevalent and sometimes parts like the RF insert on copies of the Pro is not secure. On the genuine article, it takes a special press to install/remove the part.

So before you say "BUY AMERICAN" do some research.

Same to you, pal...[/quote]

Let me guess, you drive a Mexican/Canadian made Chevrolet while yelling "BUY AMERICAN" to someone driving an BMW X3- which is manufactored on US SOIL. ( Of course not all the components but every X3 comes out of a plant in SC)

Putting me into some stereotypical "Buy American" box isn't holding water here. I have no issues with buying from a foreign supplier as long as it is a legitimate product for which that company is the originator. Purchasing a counterfeit copy is supporting an economy of thieves that steal IP and sell it for their own gain. Element Case is NOT making a damn thing off of the sale of copies of their design, either directly or through licensing agreements. In fact, the sale of counterfeit items drives up the cost of legitimate items because EC spends money devoting resources to fight proliferation of counterfeits in the marketplace and increases the load on customer support due to unknowing buyers purchasing fakes passed off as the real thing attempting to obtain support for a broken, inferior, fake product.


BTW: BMW make a damn fine product, as do Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, etc. Many products from foreign car companies are manufactured/assembled in the US - Here's a list of Toyota's plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toyota_manufacturing_facilities#United_States

 

[iz2sick]

Try me: Buy American, from the good people that worked hard to design these products, develop processes for manufacturing a product with many different components and dependencies, and with parts produced by American vendors from American materials using American labor.

I'm all ears...

First, where's your proof. Do you have any evidence that proves every process, every machine, and every part of the case is made in America from American-made materials by American made machines with American made parts in said machine?

This whole "Buy American" mentality is grossly misguided. I see it all day every day here in Detroit. People driving their Ford cars built off of a Mazda platform with Mazda parts with bumper stickers touting "Buy American." I see the same sticker on Chrysler's with Mitsubishi engines. People bash Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Mitsubishi buyers totally ignorant to the fact that these brands have factories right here in America employing American people and you want to know what? Treating these Americans better than the Big 3 with CEO's who make poor decisions like stopping the development of Hybrid vehicles to jump on the SUV explosion. Yep. That actually happened. Then GM CEO killed development of the EV1. They would have been the first real deal auto-maker with a legit hybrid. But nope. Greed got the better of him and now the Prius is the king of hybrids.

I have 0 sympathy for the Big 3 Automakers. I felt awful when hundreds of Americans got laid off, but that was the fault of their bosses. I will not support companies like this regardless of the fact that they are American. This is what I have against the Buy American mentality. People see that "Made In The USA" sticker and blindly accept it without even knowing the facts. They are quick to support that company even though the company isn't conducting smart business. Americans ultimately lose out in the long run by supporting companies like this.

I am Korean, but was born in America. Therefore, I am American to my core. I paid attention in my undergrad level economics courses. They made me realize that the import business is a huge help to our economy. The real killer is not consumers who purchase non-American products... it's the American companies that off-shore or outsource. Now, many good companies do off-shore and outsource, but that's more out of necessity than wanting to cut costs. It's almost impossible for a big company to stay competitive when all of their competitors are charging insanely low prices because they cut right through the bottom line by outsourcing/off-shoring. Levi's is one example of a company that had to follow suit in order to stay in business. They did it the right way though and gave all of their laid-off employees severance pay and benefits. They went as far as giving these employees free training in different fields so that they could be more marketable when finding a new job. They donated to the state they had their factories in. I commend Levi's for this as they did not have to do any of that.

So don't be fooled by that intoxicating "Buy American" slogan. You can do far more for the economy by supporting your local businesses. Support your local economy. You contribute a whole lot by doing that. You are keeping the money local. Stop buying those Dole fruits and get produce that was grown locally if possible. Stop shopping at places like Wal-Mart that treat their employees like crap and basically kill off all competing small businesses in the vicinity.

If you are preventing yourself from purchasing a knock-off Vapor because of your business ethics, then I really don't have much to say about that. All I can suggest is that you also turn that ethical critical eye on the company you defend.

If you are bashing knock-off purchasers because they aren't buying American, then you have my reply on that subject.

Phew, that was a dissertation lol.

By the way, if you peruse the Fake Vapor Pro thread, you'll see the vast majority of consumers openly stated that they would never buy the real Element because it's simply out of price-range. It was a matter of finding a good bumper for under $30 for them. A few did in fact spend as much as the real deal in order to get a plethora of colors, but they are the minority. A few even bought the real one and fake one for the sake of just comparing the two. Now, this is only a sample, but it seems a good enough one. If this is true for the majority of knock-off purchasers, Element didn't really lose out on business as these customers would never have even bought the real one because it was simply too pricey for them.

Again, your point about intellectual property is a fair one. Won't argue that. But are you really going to view me as an immoral person because I had $30 to spend on a case and chose a knock-off? It was this or some other China-made plastic bumper.

 

[applemonkey]

Try me: Buy American, from the good people that worked hard to design these products, develop processes for manufacturing a product with many different components and dependencies, and with parts produced by American vendors from American materials using American labor.

I'm all ears...

Yea let me pay 150$ for an ALUMINUM case, while i turn around so element can rape me from behind.

 

[iz2sick]

Yea let me pay 150$ for an ALUMINUM case, while i turn around so element can rape me from behind.

You know, it would be reasonable if it's proven to be worth it. Aluminum does come in many different grades. My critical eye comes from the fact that I am a snowboard reviewer. I deal with aluminum snowboard bindings a great deal. Ride snowboards is one of the most well known brands that utilizes aluminum chassis in their bindings. This is one of their lower-tier bindings:

http://ridesnowboards.com/bindings/ex

Check the price out. Even as an entry-level binding, the aluminum is superbly durable and has really good coloring. They don't say, but I'm guessing annodized as these things don't have paint chipping issues.

I find it highly doubtful that an iPhone aluminum bumper is more durable than a snowboard binding. Granted, Ride doesn't manufacture in the States so understandably, there is a price premium for American made products. But really, does the premium need to be that high? An Element bumper costs nearly as much as a Ride snowboard binding which much more aluminum in it that is more than likely more durable.

Also, I guarantee Ride puts their binding designs through way more R&D than Element does with their cases.

This is why I can't find justification for Element's prices. That coupled with the fact that they have an overall bad track record for customer service.

 

[al0513]

There IS for Element Case.



Nope. Not one of the Vapors, Vapor Pros, or COMPs is manufactured in a Chinese factory. The Chinese factories that are producing counterfeit EC products have taken items sold at retail, copied them and have reproduced copies without having incurred any of the development costs that Element Case have. Many of the fakes come to you with cheap foam inserts in a baggy that you need to install yourself, have crappy spray on coatings vs anodizing/powder coating, and/or are made from inferior materials like a pot metal amalgam. Sloppy construction is prevalent and sometimes parts like the RF insert on copies of the Pro is not secure. On the genuine article, it takes a special press to install/remove the part.




Same to you, pal...

Putting me into some stereotypical "Buy American" box isn't holding water here. I have no issues with buying from a foreign supplier as long as it is a legitimate product for which that company is the originator. Purchasing a counterfeit copy is supporting an economy of thieves that steal IP and sell it for their own gain. Element Case is NOT making a damn thing off of the sale of copies of their design, either directly or through licensing agreements. In fact, the sale of counterfeit items drives up the cost of legitimate items because EC spends money devoting resources to fight proliferation of counterfeits in the marketplace and increases the load on customer support due to unknowing buyers purchasing fakes passed off as the real thing attempting to obtain support for a broken, inferior, fake product.


BTW: BMW make a damn fine product, as do Audi, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, etc. Many products from foreign car companies are manufactured/assembled in the US - Here's a list of Toyota's plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toyota_manufacturing_facilities#United_States

Woah woah woah. You need to calm down. You do realize when I said cases in general, I did mean the Draco also. I mean after all, this is a Element/Draco thread, I mean, if you could read. Also I am sure SOME part of the Element Case is made in China. Sure, they might have a final production/packaging plant here in the states, but most likely they source from elsewhere.

We didnt want your opinion/ hatered towards people that buy things from elsewhere. Its our money and we can do what we want.

Element should learn from these threads that they COULD lower their prices because I'm sure even if its produced in the United States, their cost shouldnt be that much.


Overall .... you need to get out of this thread because its merely an opinion poll on which one you would want to get, not an invite to insult the ones posting here. Dont be THAT guy.

BTW forgot add- as another member pointed out in another thread, your in a MAC form. Where do you think Apple products are made?

 

[Munkypoo7]

This is why I can't find justification for Element's prices. That coupled with the fact that they have an overall bad track record for customer service.

Bad? BAD?! You're insane. ElementCase has horrific Customer Support. Bad is merely an understatement. Just to ask a product question... it took them 5 days to respond, with the wrong answer at that [did research after the fact and found the answer]. That coupled with just terrible wait times to ship... I'll be honest, I'm surprised they're still around.

GearMoxie, which is an authorized distributor is unbelievably awesome. Responses within a few hours each time and same day shipping... it at least makes you feel like you're getting what you paid for.

With ElementCase themselves, the whole purchase leaves you wanting more, and quite frankly, imo, is why knockoffs have so much going for them, they're cheap yet good, plus their seller is actually a living person that can respond to you in a timely fashion.

 

[Anvil Image]

Also I am sure SOME part of the Element Case is made in China. Sure, they might have a final production/packaging plant here in the states, but most likely they source from elsewhere.

Nope. I guarantee it, first hand knowledge.

We didnt want your opinion/ hatered towards people that buy things from elsewhere. Its our money and we can do what we want.

That's right, you can shop elsewhere, but when doing so directly threatens my livelihood, then I take issue. If you can't/won't spend the money for an EC product, buy a legitimate product from a competitor and not from a thief stealing the design. Buy Speck, Casemate, Griffin, etc., but buy from the real companies producing the designs and support real people.

Overall .... you need to get out of this thread because its merely an opinion poll on which one you would want to get, not an invite to insult the ones posting here. Dont be THAT guy.

I'm not trying to insult you. You said that you could debunk the myth that EC is made in the US and I'm here to see what knowledge you think you have of that. You seem to think that you're quite the authority on EC product manufacturing when you don't have any first hand knowledge. YOU don't be THAT guy....

BTW forgot add- as another member pointed out in another thread, your in a MAC form. Where do you think Apple products are made?

That's not my point. For me it's the ethical stance that you should buy from those that are creating the product, not the thief that is counterfeiting it. Buy from a legitimate competitor if you want to "vote with your dollars" but don't buy a counterfeit.

 

[orlandocano]

Bad? BAD?! You're insane. ElementCase has horrific Customer Support. Bad is merely an understatement. Just to ask a product question... it took them 5 days to respond, with the wrong answer at that [did research after the fact and found the answer]. That coupled with just terrible wait times to ship... I'll be honest, I'm surprised they're still around.

GearMoxie, which is an authorized distributor is unbelievably awesome. Responses within a few hours each time and same day shipping... it at least makes you feel like you're getting what you paid for.

With ElementCase themselves, the whole purchase leaves you wanting more, and quite frankly, imo, is why knockoffs have so much going for them, they're cheap yet good, plus their seller is actually a living person that can respond to you in a timely fashion.

Woah.. maybe you got a bad customer service representative! Don't get me wrong.. I believe you when you say you had a horrific experience.. but I had the best experience ever in dealing with them. I got an authentic vapor comp -- but i hated how the plastic side fit.. It felt cheap and loose.. and crud got into the case and scratched (tiny scratch) my brand new iphone 4s. I wrote to them complaining and asking for a refund and they let me know that they redesigned the vapor comp and that it they would send me a new one free of charge... I waited a week and the new case never got here (yes i know, this was bad on their behalf) but when I contacted them again asking for me refund, they went ahead and processed my refund that very same day... funds were in my account the next day... and they said that because they are so sorry about the inconvenience, I did not have to send the vapor comp back...

so all in all... because i was not 100% satisfied with their $120 case... they let me keep it for free!!! this has never happened to me before.. not even with cheapo $10 amazon cases!!! you always have to send the product back before the refund...

so in my eyes, after having the vapor comp for a week I could not justify having paid $120 for it... so they basically let me have it for free... i, for one, thing their customer support is GREAT!!!... but maybe i am just one fo the lucky ones...

 

[iz2sick]

I've had many companies let me keep defective products and most attempt to do the same that Element did by sending a replacement.

Best Buy messed up my TV order badly twice... what started out as a samsung 45" TV led to a 58" samsung for no extra charge including the 3-year protection plan I purchased.

The price difference between these two sets at the time was about $700.

 

[al0513]

Nope. I guarantee it, first hand knowledge.



That's right, you can shop elsewhere, but when doing so directly threatens my livelihood, then I take issue. If you can't/won't spend the money for an EC product, buy a legitimate product from a competitor and not from a thief stealing the design. Buy Speck, Casemate, Griffin, etc., but buy from the real companies producing the designs and support real people.



I'm not trying to insult you. You said that you could debunk the myth that EC is made in the US and I'm here to see what knowledge you think you have of that. You seem to think that you're quite the authority on EC product manufacturing when you don't have any first hand knowledge. YOU don't be THAT guy....



That's not my point. For me it's the ethical stance that you should buy from those that are creating the product, not the thief that is counterfeiting it. Buy from a legitimate competitor if you want to "vote with your dollars" but don't buy a counterfeit.

Oh really? Please, tell us about your first hand knowledge.

 

[Anvil Image]

Oh really? Please, tell us about your first hand knowledge.

Takin' it to PM's....