Thats pretty clever :sunglasses:
I might have to steal this idea :innocent:
It came out of the box at 3.62v， i think 30Q 99% fake
I would suppose they’re legit but the shop might know best if you can’t test them adequately (and actually, many times shops are just going by trust in their supplier anyway, or they don’t care a lot). The boxes are nothing but retail and you can buy similar boxes yourself if you want, or plain white ones at most of our trusted online cell suppliers. Same with the sticker….I don’t know if it’s required anywhere down here but it’s a way to make it into a “product” so they aren’t just selling individual factory cells like they are not supposed to be doing (sigh).
The printing on the wrapper….dunno, man the fakes are sure getting good there and Samsung-pink is all over the place. The extra text shown in other pics is a relatively new thing that Samsung started plastering all over every cell in response to accidents and to help avoid litigation/shift it onto distributors that may sell to people they aren’t supposed to.
With super popular cells like the 30Q good fakes were quick to appear and external differences aren’t always there now (so they say)…even can crimps/rolls are looking like the originals. So the electrical characteristics are the best way to tell. I’d say give ’em a whirl and if they seem to be duds then maybe you can work out a return with the shop you bought them from. I know you’re more limited in Canada for getting cells at fair prices but this is one reason a lot of people love Liion Wholesale - they are super careful with suppliers and actually do test their cells before selling them to people (and they do all the other whizbang stuff like private labeling, adding buttons or protective circuits, etc…much bigger operation than vape retailers and such).
Smart idea on the taped magnet! One of life’s little irritations…getting a cell to hold still for probing. 
On the subject of fakes…wrappers. Samsung-pink is easy to find and can look absolutely oem. If someone can tell me where to buy identical Sony-green wraps that match the current/recent years VTC6……every color under the sun but those seem impossible to find. I’ve tried five different greens, a couple of which looked like the right thing, but nope.
I have a total of 8 Samsung 30Q cells and only one of them has the old batch code. They are all genuine cells because I have tested the AC impedance using my Yaorea YR1035+ and the capacity using my Vapcell S4 Plus charger.
I picked two out of 8 and measured their AC impedance and weight:
Old batch (AC impedance 13.01 mΩ, weight 46 gram)
New batch (AC impedance 11.17 mΩ. weight 46 gram)
Manufacturer specification:
AC impedance: 13.13 ± 2 (typical)
Weight: 45.6 gram (typical)
I would say that they are most likely genuine and unlikely to be fake.
Maybe a older Samsung wrap. I may look different than what’s on the market at this time. I’m a amateur, so it’s a guess to me.
It has the same wrap print as this 30Q review. Beside the color being off.
So Im still getting a lot of mixed replies as to whether its real or fake.
Some mixed replies now about it being 3.62v also. I have been told on reddit that 3.62v is perfectly fine.
All cells I have ever recieved have tested around 3.8v though, so I was a little concerned about it.
Lets say it is fake. What is the worst that can happen? Am I taking any huge risks using it?
In use, what kinda of warning signs would I be looking out for that would suggest its a bad cell?
I unfortunately cant weigh the cell, but holding it my hand and comparing it to four other random 18650’s I have, (which all feel about the same weight as each other) the 30Q does feel slighlty lighter. than them.
The only reason I bought it was because I was certain it was going to be real based on a previous purchase from this shop. After bringing it home and looking at it though, I became unsure. I’ve never had any 30Q’s before for any kind of real comparison.
The cell is fine. No need to worry about it. If at some point you notice rapid self-discharge, low capacity, high impedance, then you can retire it.
Rapid self discharge and low capacity I can probably notice.
I have no idea how I would notice high impedance though.
I dont think thats anything I can tests for only having a DMM and XTAR VC4L.
I was unaware of them, what a great resource, thank you!
What is your Top-5 list of cell suppliers?
Do you have a source for Sub-C NiCd & NiMh? (outdoor temperature determines which chemistry I can use).
If you lived nearby Ikea. You can get those Ladda battery. Made from Japan.
You’re probably going to continue getting mixed replies. I don’t think there’s a definitive way to find out.
If you know someone close to you that can run a test on the cell, that would be ideal.
Since I cant be certain, I have decided to return it.
Just use the thing and see how it performs.
Not the end of the earth.
Cost less than a Happy meal
Have plenty of ones that look identical and work fine.
Live a little
Hopefully you can still return it with the sticker removed.
Buying Li-ion batteries can be risky since fakes have been around forever. And the last thing you want is to put yourself or others in danger. That’s why I only buy them from reputable suppliers, such as Mountain Electronics. They may cost more, but knowing they are legit is worth it to me.
Anyone miss the days when a panny-B was, like, the standard go-to cell to get? 
A member suggest Liion Wholesale to me. Everything went good. I would buy from them again.
Do you have any experience with Battery Junction?
Since you’ve already used it, by charging it, then you really should not return it. Even if you try, I doubt the vape shop would even allows returns. This isn’t Walmart where you can return anything. There’s no legal requirements (in Canada) for stores to have a return policy, especially on used items.
Just use the cell and stop worrying.
Still lots of people telling me not to worry and use it, and lots of people saying its not worth the risk.
Since I dont really understand what im doing, or exactly what the risks are…
Its been returned. They didnt really want to take it back, but they did.
I also have an email from them saying it IS returnable so…
I emailed them about it before returning it and got this reply after having returned it.
Still no certainty.
Im just gonna move on and search for cells elsewhere.
For now Im just gonna use on of my Convoy’s Liitokala 3500mah 18650’s and hope for the best. (In a D1/GTFC40)
Based on your post I went to Mountain Electronics looking for 18650 cells and found the first ones that popped up are Efest, so I looked at Efest high-discharge batteries.
Maximum Discharge: 35A
That seemed unreasonable, so I looked up what's going on: "Efest is using cells from other manufacturers, rebranding them, and then advertising over-rated specifications allegedly as a marketing ploy for better sales of their batteries."
Correllux suggestion Li-Ion Wholesale doesn't sell Efest, so I feel better about that.