I have never purchased any AW cell before. Price is attractive but wrappers (air bubbles trapped underneath) look suspicious to me 
. That prompts me to do a quick check on how to identify fake AWs, and I found an article at fatboyvapors.com.
100% fake? Anyone able to confirm it? Counterfeit Alert - DO NOT BUY !!!
Those bubbles are on some batteries I'm just about to start testing. They're 18650's though, and not AW.
The article at fatboyvapors seems legit. My AW batteries from lighthound match up with his info - I would be weary of the one you posted with the solid “recycle” label.
I looked into them last week as well. and found enough proof to say that they are fake.
2 made points were the letters ROHS shouls be written with a few lower case letters.
anyway... just use google and you`ll find a few threads about these batteries.
There is also another version with silver AW label. Are they older or newer batch? Any idea?
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?230876-AW-s-LiIon-Batteries-Sales-Thread-\*Part-12\*/page135 starts at post 4040.
It would be interesting to know how many people tell them they are selling counterfeits.
I posted a correction to the error report links for those three cells; thanks for the pointer texasp, I referred them to AW’s confirmation they’re selling fakes.
cool thanks for this.
one of my AW’s pass all the test other than the recycling sign. mine is black and filled in. does this mean real or fake?
From the CPF Marketplace thread AW states that gearbest cell listing is fake. They are not an authorized dealer.
You have to figure —- each time a batch of counterfeits is detected,
people post online pictures and details about what the fakers got wrong.
The counterfeiters read. They will “improve” their fakery for their next batch.
You can see that’s already been happening.
The only safety is an unbroken record — provenance and chain of custody.
That’s what authorized — and honest — dealers are able to offer.
Counterfeit flashlight bodies are ripoffs, but the danger is to your wallet.
These things pretending to be lithium-ion cells could be dangerous trash, much worse.
How the vendor handles being caught selling fakes will be interesting.
Probably worth remembering that AW’s business started by contracting out production to his specs. I haven’t checked the current state of the business but following that model with Chinese factories can easily open the door to exceptionally good or indistinguishable on visual inspection fakes.
Point is — as long as they’re just faking the wrappers and stickers, they can put them on the cheapest crap.
People doing that won’t give a shit about performance.
Those aren’t factories selling extras made to specification. They’re fakers using counterfeit shrinkwrap.
Once they’re doing perfect fakes of the wrappers and stickers — then the reseller’s honesty about authenticity is the only protection.