When you purchase a device from Apple, you get a one-year warranty and ninety days of complimentary technical support. Having AppleCare is advantageous because you get reduced fees for repairs and access to customer support for ninety days. If you have discovered that your AirPods are fake, you might wonder if they have AppleCare.
So, can fake AirPods have AppleCare? Fake AirPods cannot have AppleCare because they are not original products made by Apple. Apple will only provide AppleCare with its original products to reduce repair costs. When you send your AirPods to Apple for repairs or replacement, they will use the serial number to check if AppleCare still covers the products. Fake AirPods do not have genuine serial numbers, hence Apple will not repair them or replace them.
AirPods are the most popular Apple products, and the company has managed to earn billions of dollars from the sale of AirPods. However, with the success of AirPods came counterfeiters, selling fake AirPods to unsuspecting customers.
Warranty is very important when purchasing a certain product because the seller or manufacturer promises to repair or replace them. Apple offers a one-year warranty for all its products, including AirPods. If you suspect that you have purchased fake AirPods, you might be concerned whether your AirPods have AppleCare.
Fake AirPods cannot have AppleCare because they are not original Apple products, and Apple does not give warranties to products not manufactured by them. The serial number is required to check if AppleCare still covers the AirPods; because the fake AirPods have an invalid serial number, Apple will not recognize them as their product.
You can check if your AirPods have AppleCare coverage on Apple’s “Check Coverage” website. You will need your AirPods serial number to check service and support coverage on this website.
AppleCare enables you to seek certain services from Apple Support after purchasing the AirPods. If your AirPods are damaged, and Apple determines AppleCare covers the damage, they will either replace or repair the AirPods.
To avoid making losses, Apple will only repair or replace genuine Apple products. If Apple were to allow fake products to have AppleCare, they would incur losses by repairing or replacing products they did not manufacture.
If you suspect that your AirPods are fake, you can check their warranty information on Apple’s “Check Coverage” website. Open a browser on your phone or computer and go to “checkcoverage.apple.com”.
Enter the serial number of your AirPods and follow the instructions on your screen. You will see information regarding your AirPods warranty and if they have eligibility to purchase additional AppleCare coverage. If your AirPods are fake, you will not see any information on AppleCare, and you will be informed that the device is ineligible for additional AppleCare coverage.
If your AirPods are fake and do not have AppleCare, you cannot purchase further coverage known as AppleCare+. AppleCare+ is different from AppleCare because it offers additional services not included in AppleCare. AppleCare+ extended support and hardware warranty by three years from the first date you purchased it.
It is important to extend the warranty after the expiration of the first year. Without a valid serial number, you cannot purchase AppleCare+ for the fake AirPods, hence if they get damaged, you cannot have them repaired or replaced by Apple.
Can Apple Tell If AirPods Are Fake?
It is easy to get scammed when buying new AirPods since many fake ones are in the market. Before you purchase AirPods, you need to learn how to differentiate between fake AirPods that are real ones. If you have purchased faulty or damaged AirPods and want to send them to Apple for repairs or replacement, you might be wondering if Apple can tell if they are fake or not.
Apple can tell if your AirPods are fake because they have all the information on every AirPods manufactured. Apple uses serial numbers to register all Apple products in its system. All fake AirPods have fake serial numbers that are not registered with Apple. If you enter the serial number of Apple’s check coverage website, Apple will inform you if the AirPods are real or fake.
If you want Apple to repair or replace your AirPods, you need to send them to the nearest Apple Store and include the serial number. Apple will use the serial number to check if they manufactured the AirPods; if the serial number you have indicated is not in their system, Apple will know that the AirPods are fake.
It is easy for Apple to tell if your AirPods are fake since they are the ones who manufacture them. However, it is easy for a customer to get duped into buying fake AirPods. To avoid buying fake AirPods, you need to learn how to distinguish genuine AirPods from fake ones.
The quickest way to tell if AirPods are fake is the serial numbers. Real AirPods have three different serial numbers. Two of the serial numbers are printed on each AirPod, while the third serial number is printed on the charging case’s lid. If you unbox your AirPods and notice all serial numbers are the same, the AirPods are fake.
Another way to check if your AirPods are real or fake is by physically examining them. First, check the bottom side of each AirPod; real AirPods have grills at the bottom while fake AirPods do not have any grills.
Also, check the diffuser found at the top of each AirPod. A real AirPod has the diffuser correctly aligned with the circle next to it. On fake AirPods, the diffuser is normally misaligned because the manufacturer did not perfectly replicate the real AirPods.
Before you unbox the AirPods, you can use the packaging to tell if they are real or fake. Counterfeiters usually fail to pay attention to certain packing features used on real AirPods. For example, the font on the fake AirPods’ box is usually thicker than the authentic box.
The Apple logo on the fake box is also slightly thicker than its counterpart of the real box. The font on the fake box is also printed in reflective black ink, while on the real box, the fonts are usually printed in grey with non-reflective ink.
What Happens If You Send Fake AirPods To Apple?
When your Apple product is damaged or not functioning as it should, you can send it to Apple for repair or replacement. You have the option of sending the device as a package, or you can take it yourself to the nearest apple store. If you have fake AirPods and have sent them to Apple, you might wonder what will happen to them.
When Apple finds out the AirPods you sent them are fake, they will contact you and inform you. You will have to explain how you got the fake AirPods before Apple can send the AirPods back to you. Some people committed fraud by sending fake Apple devices and getting real Apple products as replacements for many years.
To avoid getting defrauded, Apple will request that you provide proof of purchase before you can have your AirPods backs. You should also note that Apple will not replace or repair the fake AirPods even if you prove that you bought them by mistake.
Apple makes billions of dollars in profit from selling their devices to people worldwide, and counterfeiters take advantage of their brand recognition. Some counterfeiters are looking to earn money by taking advantage of the AppleCare coverage. The idea is to scam Apple by sending in fake Apple devices, and Apple replaces them with real Apple devices, which they now sell.
To avoid falling for this scam, Apple checks the AirPods you send, and if they are fake, they will contact you and ask how you got the AirPods. You might be in legal trouble if you cannot explain where you found the fake AirPods.
To avoid sending fake AirPods, first, make a counterfeit or knockoff report on Apple’s website. You need to provide your name and email address that Apple Support can use to reach you. You can also provide your phone number. You may also provide information about where you bought the AirPods and describe why you think the AirPods are fake.
At the bottom of the page, you need to select the Apple device; ensure that you select “AirPods” before submitting the report. You can also attach photos of your AirPods to the report. If Apple confirms that the AirPods are fake, you can contact the seller and ask for a refund or replacement.
The best way to avoid purchasing fake AirPods is to purchase directly from Apple Store, an authorized seller, or Apple’s Amazon Store. There are other third-party sellers that sell genuine AirPods, such as Walmart and eBay.
However, if you do not have enough money to buy AirPods from the Apple Store, you might want to buy second-hand AirPods. Before purchasing used AirPods, ensure they are real by checking their serial number on Apple’s website.
Can Fake AirPods Have Valid Real Serial Number?
Whenever you purchase an Apple product, you will notice a serial number printed on it. One way to confirm if your AirPods are real is to use a serial number printed on the charging case. Counterfeiters have to include a serial number on the AirPods, and you might be asking if the serial number they used is valid.
Fake AirPods can have a valid serial number. This usually happens when the counterfeit buys original AirPods, takes them out, and inserts the fake AirPods. When you use Apple’s “Check Coverage” website to check if the AirPods are fake, the serial number will be valid, but the AirPods in the charging case will be fake. To avoid falling victim to such tricks, ensure that you use other methods of proving AirPods are real.
AirPods counterfeiters are trying to ensure that their products seem the same as the real ones. Apple uses serial numbers to confirm if their products are real or not; some counterfeiters have developed new ways to ensure they keep selling their fake products.
Since you only use the primary serial number printed on the packaging, receipt, and charging case, the counterfeiter will purchase real AirPods and use them to scam you. They will take out the real AirPods, insert the fake AirPods into the real charging case, and repackage it. When you open the packaging, everything will seem okay, and you will start noticing the difference when you use the fake AirPods.
Some of the issues you might encounter when using fake AirPods with a valid serial number include difficulty pairing to your device. Real AirPods are easy to use and pair quickly with your device. Fake AirPods might take time to connect and can even disconnect or have a poor connection while you are using them.
Another issue you might encounter is tracking your AirPods with the “Find My” app. When you misplace your real AirPods, you can easily track them using the “Find My” app. If you misplace your fake AirPods, they are gone forever because you cannot track them using the “Find My” app.
If you find out that your AirPods are fake, but the serial number is valid, you should contact the seller immediately. The seller should explain why they are selling fake AirPods using genuine AirPods.
If you bought the AirPods from a seller with a return policy, return the AirPods and ask for a refund. You should also report the counterfeit to Apple on their website and ensure you include the seller’s details so that Apple can take the necessary actions to ensure the seller does not sell fake AirPods to other customers.
Wrap Up
Authenticating AirPods is not an easy task, even people who have used AirPods before can get tricked into buying fake AirPods. If you are not careful, you can buy fake AirPods, and it might take you a lot of time and energy to get your money back.
You can use some of the ways discussed above to check if the AirPods you are about to buy are real or fake. If you suspect someone or a business is selling fake AirPods to unsuspecting customers, you can report them to Apple.
AppleCare is very important because it helps protect you from incurring high fees when repairing your AirPods. If your AirPods are fake, Apple will not repair or replace them if they get damaged. You also cannot purchase AppleCare+, which provides more coverage to Apple devices for three years.
