Have I Bought Fake Bose QC20's Headphones?

icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 12:05
Last edited 19/10/2018 - 12:34 by 2 other users

Hi

I am getting a little worried. Bought QC20 from here : (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BOSE-QC20-Quiet-Comfort-Noise-Ca…

I know they are not a Bose reseller but everything seemed to check out there is plenty of positive feedback from people buying the same headphones and they arrived today and at first, I couldn't fault them. Everything seemed to be in order, the serial number on the box, manual and headphones matches and it checks out on bose as valid

Build quality seems fine and I actually played with a pair last night at the Bose shop to compare and took photos. Manuals all seem fine look legit, these are replacements for a pair I lost so I kind of know what real ones look like too

There is only one thing that has me worried:

See pic last night I took a photo at the bose store and on the control unit the serial number sticker has the Bose Logo and is grey and shiny:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PER1Mx4vvtftQzM49

But with the headphones I got the serial number sticker doesn't have the bose logo and is white:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8MYRpewKNySnspoW8

I thought maybe these headphones are from different country why they are cheap but even in the box it has a warranty card mentioning about warranty is different for Australia / NZ

Hope someone can shed some light on this or had experience with this seller?

Thanks

Electrical & Electronics Bose Earphones

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Comments

  • BargainCowboy on 19/10/2018 - 12:25

    Picture link is broken.

    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 12:35

      Thanks I think I fixed the links

  • giventofly on 19/10/2018 - 12:34

    Dunno if this head-fi link helps

    https://www.head-fi.org/threads/how-to-identify-a-fake-bose-…

    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 12:36

      Thanks I have seen that link before I bought them. This article is from 2015 and has a number of flaws in the fake product which are not evident in mine. I figured skip ahead 3 years and the quality of the fakes would have improved

  • HighAndDry on 19/10/2018 - 12:42
    +1

    Bose allows you to register your product with the serial number:

    https://www.bose.com.au/en_au/support/product_registration.h…

    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:15

      Thanks Yes I was able to register with the serial number

      • HighAndDry on 19/10/2018 - 13:16
        +3

        Then it's authentic.

        • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:24

          Ok fair enough thanks. No chance the serial number could have been copied and that serial hasn't been registered yet?

          I just wonder why it doesn't have the proper Bose hologram sticker that's the only thing that's throwing me off

          • HighAndDry on 19/10/2018 - 13:35

            @icanfly:

            No chance the serial number could have been copied and that serial hasn't been registered yet?

            They'd have to open another authentic product box to get that, which means spending money to buy that box (for each counterfeit they want to sell - because they'd only do that if they thought people were going to check serials, which would mean re-using the same serial would defeat that purpose), and taking a loss because that's now an open-box/used product, etc.

            No one selling fakes is going to go to those lengths. If nothing else, it'd cut into their margins.

            I just wonder why it doesn't have the proper Bose hologram sticker that's the only thing that's throwing me off

            Different country model, different production run, they changed factories/packaging facilities, etc. Lots of possible reasons.

            • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:39

              @HighAndDry: The serial number is visible on the outside of the box without opening. So couldn't they be getting legit ones from all over the place? Also the copy industry is pretty big and sometimes they have inside contacts who could provide them with valid serial numbers? Especially in China

              • HighAndDry on 19/10/2018 - 13:43

                @icanfly: Not likely. Bose would find out pretty soon if there were duplicates of their serial numbers floating around.

                This is basically the standard, fool-proof way to check if you have a real unit. I think the other common way is to see if it can pair with the Bose app, if QC20s use the app.

                • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:52

                  @HighAndDry: ok thanks no they dont pair they dont have bluetooth

                  so seems ok i guess just need to find out why my unit doesnt have the hologram sticker

                  • blonky on 19/10/2018 - 15:01

                    @icanfly: Not sure if that's a foolproof way to verify - if the code is on the outside of the box it wouldn't be difficult to collect a list of them and rotate them on the copied products. Many people may not register their genuine Bose product so the serial could still show as valid until then.

                    I was in the same situation with a pair of Sony XM headphones - I took them into JB Hifi and compared to the demo model and could see the differences, but it wasn't obvious unless they were sitting side by side.

                    I complained to the seller and they refunded me in full + I kept the headphones; then sold them on gumtree as fakes and made $50 from it

                    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 15:04

                      @blonky: oh ok thanks.. so now still not sure they are genuine :(

                      I have emailed Bose asking about the absence of the hologram serial sticker and asked the seller too.. see what happens

  • websterp on 19/10/2018 - 12:58

    If you are able to take the headphones to a Bose store they will be able to verify whether it is fake or not. A while back I had similar doubts regarding a QC25 I bought and it happened to be genuine.

    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:00

      Thanks I will try that

  • JIMB0 on 19/10/2018 - 13:37
    -4

    Fake ones would probably sound better anyway.

    • icanfly on 19/10/2018 - 13:48

      Fair enough the ones these are replacing which I lost sounded great

  • [Deactivated] on 19/10/2018 - 14:06
    +2

    User returns are back to base in Colombia.

    • MoonlapseVertigo on 19/10/2018 - 14:33
      +1

      I'm on my way there now bringing a pallet back for a new friend i met at a pub - do you need to me to bring a pallet back for you too?

  • Xiaomi on 19/10/2018 - 22:32

    Be careful when comparing demo headphones/earphones with real merchandise. It is very well know that the demo version have better hardware to exaggerate the sound compared to what you get out of the box. In saying that, there may be simple design changes as well.

  • Penpinch on 19/10/2018 - 22:56

    Funny how I'm at the moment selling my pair on ebay. Awesome earphones btw. Can't believe it's still going for that much money after this many years.

  • HeWhoKnows on 20/10/2018 - 11:49

    Firstly you need hard evidence
    Secondly depends on the claims made the the seller.

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