This can be summed up like this
How to identify:
There is one thing worth noting, as far as I am aware Gearbest is an authorised seller for Convoy. So maybe Simon should simply stop supplying them. Then if we see a convoy on GEARBEST it will be a fake. He is only damaging his reputation as all the people who are not in the know will be thinking convoy are just a crap light like ultrafire.
Bingo! Mine is the one on the left, for sure.
I thought buy one tonight, but… purchase canceled.
Thanks!!
Yes.
Mine from Gearbest.com looks like this
Yes it’s fake.
Does GB real 2+ version comes with gift box?
This thread and the picture on post #12 make me worry whether I have a legit or fake Convoy S3 in hand (bought directly from Simon at Aliexpress).
Simon's source is safe.
Yes, it came with nice white sturdy box
I received both a fake S2+ and a fake C8 on the same order (but only after an order with a real S2+, which is impressively good). Both are being refunded by GB.
Here is what I noticed:
- The real S2+ had a sturdy gift box with a big Convoy logo in silver. The other two came in white thin-wall cardboard boxes. The fake boxes had a bar-code and date sticker from the manufacturer. Other convoy boxes I have seen only show the model number and color bin number.
- Both fakes have the ‘BIC pen’ driver side battery spring.
- S2+ color is neutral white, C8 is cool white.
- S2+ LED plate is glued down with what seems to be white bathroom RTV rubber. C8 plate has no paste.
- S2+ has a totally inappropriate centering gasket. The gasket for the C8 fits OK.
- Both have (poor) aluminum pills and rings throughout.
- Both have the same small red tail switch. Spring on this side actually looks decent.
- Both had Nangj 105C drivers, both measuring 2.8 A. But here is the kicker, they are fake too! The controller chip is not marked and has PIC style pin-out (this shorts out an USB programmer). The visible tracks on the PCB match the real thing, so the pin-swapping is happening underneath the chip. The S2+ has only the standard 5 modes. The C8 can toggle 3/5 modes, same as the latest Nangj drivers.
- The quality of the fake S2+ body is not bad, but the C8 is terrible. The male/female threads do not match and fits very loose together until fully tight. A quarter turn back and it feels if it is ready to fall apart. The tail almost bottoms out before making electrical contact. Neither light came lubricated.
Hopefully the proliferation of fake Convoys does not hurt the reputation of Convoy. (People that think that this is what a real Convoy looks like). I have bought >10 lights/hosts from the Convoy Aliex store, ME and FastTech, and will not consider to buy Convoy elsewhere again.
Yes that’s real. It has a proper spring on the driver. Unlike the crappy copper coloured one.
OMG, is everything I buy from Gearbest.com fake?? 5 S2+ is fake then, and 3 C8 will be fake then…and my other cases. Bad power banks and crappy batteries. Whats next…have I wasted $1000 on just fake products from Gearbest.com?
Haha lol, yes it looks like it. But your power banks were not fake they were genuine crap!
Marc
Additional findings from quick inspection w/o complete teardown:
- logo on both side of the tube.
- logo mis-aligned
- low grade smooth anodizing.
- no brass cap and black retaining ring at tail.
- comes with electronics/metal smell inside battery compartment (common for sub $8 lights).
Opening a ticket now. I have paid $141 for the flashlights, that now is most likely to be fake (the ones I’ve got is fake). And I have ordered at the same time as the other that has gotten fakes ones.
As soon as I have them, I will stat filing paypal claims, if they don’t settle this with a full refund by there self. And I have written in the ticket that I will not accept store credit, for all they sell is fake or crap, so I will not use anymore money on that store.
"Convoy" C8
My example has fairly tight-fitting threads , but although the rear threads are anodized , you can't lock it out .
On the plus side , the reflector is flawless , and the beam has a sharp hotspot .