I recently purchased what was supposedly an authentic Canon NB-7L battery for my Canon G11 camera from a seller with high ratings on Amazon’s Marketplace, but after opening the package, I discovered that the battery is significantly different than the stock Canon battery that came with my camera. This and other discrepancies lead me to believe that the battery that I purchased is fake, and I am in the process of returning it to the seller. I will withhold the seller’s name unless there is any problem making the return.
There are several reasons why I believe my recently purchased NB-7L battery to be fake. First, the printing on the new battery appears of substantially lower quality and it is distorted. Also, the new battery has substantially less information on the battery including no serial number.
The following pictures are of the front and back of my real NB-7L battery that was included with my Canon G11 camera.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855871166/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855871508/in/set-72157627011177070
The following pictures are of the front and back of the suspect NB-7L battery.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855873224/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855323131/in/set-72157627011177070
Second, the weight of the real NB-7L is substantially higher (real = 1.8 oz., fake = 1.4 oz. = 0.4 oz. difference) than the suspect battery. I immediately recognized that the suspect battery was lighter when I picked it up.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855873778/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855323747/in/set-72157627011177070
Third, the packaging of the suspect battery looks authentic and it includes a Canon hologram. Do real retail packages have this hologram? I don’t know since I haven’t seen a package on a store shelf. However, I found it troublesome that the packaging includes the words, “Made in China,” but the suspicious battery is marked “Made in Japan.” My authentic battery is “Made in China.” This leads me to believe that the packaging may be real or more faithfully copied than the battery.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855871866/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855872204/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855322181/in/set-72157627011177070
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dynamicsubspace/5855322533/in/set-72157627011177070
I hope to return this battery soon to the Marketplace seller, because I will not settle for anything other than an authentic Canon battery or a battery made by a reputable third party. The problem with using a battery posing as a real, oem battery is that there are potential dangers associated with a fake battery. Modern lithium-ion batteries include microchips that communicate with your electronic hardware, and if these battery chips are fake or send the wrong information, it could do a variety of things ranging from damaging your camera’s internal electronics to inaccurately reporting the charge status of the fake battery. There is also the very real hazard of exploding, overheating, or leaking batteries. Authentic batteries have a slim chance of doing these things, too, but at least with an authentic battery, there is a real party who can be held liable for damages. The fake battery also likely holds less charge due to its lighter weight and potentially less battery cells.
Protect your camera and yourself by carefully selecting and purchasing authentic oem or reputable replacement parts.
If you have more info about fake batteries, please share your stories in the comments.
Dynamic Subspace 