Fake Beats Are BIG Business--5 Ways to Tell If Beats are Fake

Counterfeit consumer goods or "knockoffs" have reached the global value of $1.77 trillion. The problem is so prolific that it makes up 5 to 7% of world trade. Everything from baby formula to your beloved Beats have become a "challenge accepted" to counterfeiters. The problem is so large that in a 2014 lawsuit, Beats claims a group of unnamed websites based in China are getting rich selling inferior counterfeit headphones, bearing the iconic “b” logo and raking in more than $135 billion.

Recently we announced that we repair Beats and we've had customers reach out to us to have their Beats restored to their better days. While we were quite aware of fake Beats proliferating the market, we had never run into a pair during our in house refurbishing.

However, recently we had a customer contact us requesting to have their pair fixed. We quoted the repair and had the unit sent in. Upon arrival we quickly realized we had finally gotten the opportunity to see a fake pair in real life. We were ecstatic about being able to see how well these knockoffs are made, and don't be fooled they can be really well made.

10% of Beats on the market are fake (counterfeit).


To protect buyers of Beats we've come up with a list of ways to tell if Beats are fake.

1. Make sure you know which model of Beats you are buying: Monster manufactured Beats or just Beats. Beats always have item or serial numbers located on the left side swivel housing covers. All Monster Beats have a large serial number tab on the left interior panel. So serial number is an easy one. At times it can also be torn off so if you are knowledgeable with Beats check for the serial number impressed into the interior of the plastic headband behind the rubber cushion.


2. Quality of sound, material and colors. Make sure to test the headphones; they should sound clear. The quality should be high and the colors should be vibrant, fading should be minimal or not present at all. Any imperfections on the headphones or packaging are big red flags.


3. Make sure the “b” logo is nicely made. It should have a brushed metal look, although some fakes have this as well so this is just a good way to weed out the really bad fakes.


4. This is strange and may only be good for people who deal with lots of Beats but the overall weight of the fakes are different enough that we can notice the difference without a scale.


5. Lastly, look for weird labeling, markings or misspelled words. These are all sure signs of counterfeits. 

By now we’ve seen plenty of Beats and, unfortunately, plenty of fakes as well and the difference can be remarkable. You never have to worry that you’ll get knockoffs from Joe’s Gaming & Electronics. The easiest way to be sure that you’re getting genuine Beats is to buy them from a trusted, reliable source.

We always work hard to bring our customers the best products and the best experience. You can’t counterfeit that promise!

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