From the photos I can see that the positive contacts have different shapes.
That’s a good point, but I’d prefer to stick to the manufacturer’s guide for identifying fakes. For example Nitecore could use more than one shape depending on supply. They’ve already specifically listed many clues.
Odd thought — I was talking to some contractors about tools, and they said that it’s common for brand name manufacturers (talking power tools now, saws, drills and such) to have several apparently identical production runs of different quality that go to different resellers. One specific mentioned was steel gears for the quality line, and plastic gears for the Home Depot cheapy line. Others chimed in saying everything at Home Depot is seconds or cheap versions of things you can find better made elsewhere.
Not to nail Home Depot per se, but to point out that it could well be the same place and the same people are making Nitecore and Nerdcrap, on different shifts, for different wholesalers. Could be these aren’t “counterfeit” except that the Nerdcrap innards got put into the Nitecore boxes by someone who figured out how to get more for his money, er, more of your money for his money.
So far I’ve seen a lot of analysis of the new batch of fakes but after 3 weeks, the OP has still not told us who sold them. Only that they have 100% positive feedback. Well that certainly helps narrow it down. Has OP been instructed to not reveal the name lest (s)he face legal consequences?
Kudos to the several other people who’ve posted in the thread with names of sellers both fake and legit.
any comments about the Nitecore 18350 batteries? In HKJ’s test, he purchased them from Fasttech, but there is no mention of Sysmax nor Nitecore on packaging and battery wrap.
Good point. Freeme,please identify “this new store” that “had positive ratings with 100% ”good”
Where were these ratings posted, Amazon? Ebay? Somewhere else?
That’s 100 percent out of how many total reviews? And over what period of time?
And is there anybody who can corfirm my findings that the contact points for the cells are not looking like copper?
Nitecore claims they are but they look nothing like copper on the inside, more aluminium in color nd alu also does not attract magnets
I find this disturbing, Nitecore is supposed to be an A brand but if they do not provide correct info on this I have to write them off.
I did check it by breaking the contacts for both the + and - side for cells in half.
And then look at the metal.
If you have a broken down charger, please do the same.
When I suspected my D2 was fake I contacted Nitecore several times via email and was completely ignored. No a single response!
Well I have just done the magnet test on my D4, which passed the authentication code test when I bought it about a year ago & both the positive & negative contacts attract a magnet ?
It passes the other things mentioned by freeme, such as spelling, type face, spacing etc.
CORRECTION.
My positive contacts do not attract a magnet but the negative contacts do
EDIT : Looking at freeme”s pic again although he states that the positive & negative contacts & the sliders “do not attract” a magnet his picture of a “real” D4 shows that the positive contact & sliders do not attract a magnet but the negative contact does.
Confused ?
Going by his written word I have a fake but going by his pictures I have a real D4 ?
As my charger passed the verification code test properly, has no spelling, spacing mistakes etc & conforms to his pictures of a real D4 (but not his written description of a “real” D4) I am going to go with I have a genuine D4.
PS. how the hell do we insert smilies on this new format forum ?
They are voice operated, just say "insert smile". :D
hmm this seems to work. :diablo:
Taobao store: 白金宫殿 DO NOT BUY FROM THEM
I believe they are not the only one supplying fake NITECORE chargers. I am not surprised if they are been sold in eBay or Aliexpress as well.
Thanks for the warning!
Still I am not buying any at all since Nitecore states copper yet no copper where they claim it and that makes even the genuine not as advertised. Bye bye nitecore for future buys for me.
I understand that you may be doing this on principal. With that said I don’t think it’s normal to use pure copper on sliders like that, regardless of what Nitecore states.
Sure and if they would just say “non magnetic metal” I would not have any issue with it 
Fair enough.
I think the problem,as Wight points out, Nitecore are possibly not describing their products correctly and if you contact them to clarify, they don’t reply. So I understand The millers point.
My D2 is fake according to the magnet test, 240v input socket, verification number doesn’t exist and it won’t charge AAA eneloops without taking them to 1.59v. But when I emailed Nitecore, 3 times, I didn’t get one reply.
I now avoid Nitecore products.
I just received 8 Nitecore UM10 chargers ( for gifting ) and found the negative slide contact instantly grabs a magnet, while the positive contact does not. I have done some researching to learn if “all” Nitecore chargers use non-magnetic metals, without any success so far. I was going to contact Nitecore until reading a members post mentioning Nitecore did not reply to his correspondence, so I hope to save time and learn the answer here. If they are fake I of course need to contact the shipper right away,and also update you who the supplier is.
Thank you
I got a (really good) fake i4 from EdisonBright on amazon, but that was about 2 years ago so no refunds, and the packaging is long gone.
It fails the magnet test and there aren’t any nitecore caps.
Edit: 3/3/16, since I’m officially in the OP reporting a fake, I thought it would be a good idea to say that the purchase date from EdisonBright was 11/11/13. I believe this to be one of the earliest fakes to be reported.