Gearbest: Samsung Wrapper -- what's inside? Opinions and descriptions vary (seems likely all OK)

[hank]

EDITS: title changed to reflect the uncertainty — and likely reassurances — about what’s what — hr

Warning posted in the Deals thread by Billy X at [NO COMMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS HERE!] The BLF Deal Alert Thread

Gearbest 25Rs no deal
gb

http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_192842.html

Check out the questions,I particularly like the last response.I’ve just asked the same for the 30Q.

[L4M4]

wtf?
http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_190732.html

Question:
Is this authentic, brand new Samsung battery?

Reply:
Hi it is the Rechargeable Lithium - ion Battery, it does not mean that this is brand new Samsung battery.

So, they say that the cells are neither from samsung nor they are new?
Great - I only have 12 of them on the way…
My Lii-260 will tell me if GB got the last money from me or not. And PP will get me my money back. If.

[kronological]

I saw that. If you look at the comments, the last one says they are authentic. But a comment that appears above that says they are not Samsung cells? Whaaaa

[Billy_X]

5000mAh In the questions again

Krono,I think they mean genuine real authentic lithium ion cells,and I’m sure it’s true

[SIGShooter]

@kronological

I saw that. If you look at the comments, the last one says they are authentic. But a comment that appears above that says they are not Samsung cells? Whaaaa

Authentic “batteries” perhaps? They never said authentic Samsung batteries

[pilotdog68]

Gearbest has a habit of doing this with their cells. If you look at their other listings, the descriptions suspiciously rarely mention the manufacturer.

[L4M4]

@Billy X

5000mAh In the questions again

Question:
Do you sell a charger for this battery?

Reply:
Hi, Jeff, sorry, we are not sell a charger for this battery.

So GB doesn’t sell chargers for 18650 cells.
Interesting.

[Blinky1]

Surely there has been some misunderstanding in the translation or something?
Why would they put up pictures of new genuine cells, and then admit selling fake cells that are not even new?

At least the user submitted reviews and pictures give me positive feeling.

[pilotdog68]

@Billy X

5000mAh In the questions again

Krono,I think they mean genuine real authentic lithium ion cells,and I’m sure it’s true

5 STARS!

[Blinky1]

@L4M4

@Billy X

5000mAh In the questions again

Question:
Do you sell a charger for this battery?

Reply:
Hi, Jeff, sorry, we are not sell a charger for this battery.

So GB doesn’t sell chargers for 18650 cells.
Interesting.

Seems like their customer service does not understand the questions, or does not know their products.

[hank]

“AWT Style” batteries in genuine AWT wrappers, too.
http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_178120.html

By tbp4life Jun-02/2015 07:06:05
Question:
Is this an Authentic AWT? Or a clone?
Reply:
Hi, tbp4life ! It is not an Authentic AWT.

And I’d guess they misspelled “Fakery” here:

http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_189833.html

Question:
Hi, Is this product belongs to PANASONIC FACORY’s Brand… wishes
Reply:
Hi,it is belongs to PANASONIC FACORY’s Brand.

I wonder about these: http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_190737.html

[cabfrank]

Based on what I’ve read, GB’s 25r’s have been authentic. It may no longer be the case, however, and I would not trust the 30q’s at $3.77.

[cabfrank]

Here is a real problem though; how can we really know? I mean, if we don’t have a way to test the cells, when will we find out? When something bad happens?

[hank]

Has anyone checked the specifications advertised?

If they’re putting on Samsung-label wrappers, and advertising the specification quoted from Samsung’s product — that’s a leeeetle bit more suspicious even.

I haven’t checked them.

[Blinky1]

@cabfrank

Here is a real problem though; how can we really know? I mean, if we don’t have a way to test the cells, when will we find out? When something bad happens?

You can check the 25r’s by looking at the markings in the metal cylinder: Test/Review of Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh (Green)
It might also work for the other Samsung’s too, if they have not changed the way of marking them.

[Old-Lumens]

@Blinky1

@cabfrank

Here is a real problem though; how can we really know? I mean, if we don’t have a way to test the cells, when will we find out? When something bad happens?

You can check the 25r’s by looking at the markings in the metal cylinder: Test/Review of Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh (Green) It might also work for the other Samsung’s too, if they have not changed the way of marking them.

I’m almost not willing to even trust that. Sooner or later someone over there will start printing on the bare cells and re-wrapping them, so that they look totally authentic. Might have already been done. With all the fakes coming out, they are really getting better at making them look authentic. I think it’s a shame and a crime, but it is what it is and there’s no real trust any more with these sellers.

[L4M4]

As long as the most fakers make 8200mAh batteries - so we can clearly see the fake - it’s not a massively big deal.

You need a seller who has your trust - and to be honest, GB is not one of them. I read too much bad stuff here - but BangGood has my trust and they never failed til this day.

[Blinky1]

@Old-Lumens

@Blinky1

@cabfrank

Here is a real problem though; how can we really know? I mean, if we don’t have a way to test the cells, when will we find out? When something bad happens?

You can check the 25r’s by looking at the markings in the metal cylinder: Test/Review of Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh (Green) It might also work for the other Samsung’s too, if they have not changed the way of marking them.

I’m almost not willing to even trust that. Sooner or later someone over there will start printing on the bare cells and re-wrapping them, so that they look totally authentic. Might have already been done. With all the fakes coming out, they are really getting better at making them look authentic. I think it’s a shame and a crime, but it is what it is and there’s no real trust any more with these sellers.

Well, that would be going pretty far just to make a fake battery little harder to recognize as a fake. I think most of the fakes are out there because it is so easy to just buy a roll of fake wrapping and use heat gun to install it.

[ruffles]

@Blinky1

@Old-Lumens

@Blinky1

@cabfrank

Here is a real problem though; how can we really know? I mean, if we don’t have a way to test the cells, when will we find out? When something bad happens?

You can check the 25r’s by looking at the markings in the metal cylinder: Test/Review of Samsung INR18650-25R 2500mAh (Green) It might also work for the other Samsung’s too, if they have not changed the way of marking them.

I’m almost not willing to even trust that. Sooner or later someone over there will start printing on the bare cells and re-wrapping them, so that they look totally authentic. Might have already been done. With all the fakes coming out, they are really getting better at making them look authentic. I think it’s a shame and a crime, but it is what it is and there’s no real trust any more with these sellers.

Well, that would be going pretty far just to make a fake battery little harder to recognize as a fake. I think most of the fakes are out there because it is so easy to just buy a roll of fake wrapping and use heat gun to install it.

The heatgun/wrapper trick works well for fleabay… if a seller gets outed for selling crap, they just disappear and reappear under another name. If someone like GB gets outed here, it diminishes their reputation among people like us. So, folks like GB would like it very much if they could sell a fake without getting caught.

[marcl]

I have asked the question ‘why are they not Samsung cells’? Let see what the reply is.

I have 4 and they seem real. My lights pull more from these then any other cell, thats the only way I can check them.