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Here's what to look out for and be extra cautious about:
1. The packaging SHOULD BE GLUED and SEALED. You're definitely going to have to RIP IT OPEN! If it slides out easily and you can put it back in and be none the wiser, it is a MAJOR RED FLAG.
2. Check the Hologram. The Genuine Canon Hologram, when viewing from different angles, should have a big CANON in the center, while tiny prints of the word "Canon" and "Genuine" can distinctly be seen individually depending on the angle. The COUNTERFEIT version just looks more FLAT and the "Canon" and "Genuine" words do not distinctly show on its own.
If you watch my video, you'll definitely see the difference and get a better picture. It is a dead giveaway. Canon's website even has a simulated image of the genuine Hologram and it should look exactly like that.
3. There should be an instruction MANUAL (yes even for a battery) [watch my video] INCLUDED in the package. If you didn't get one, that's another sign of counterfeit.
4. Check the battery code. You can access your camera's menu and select "Battery Info" and press your info button, you should see the battery's unique code. If you see just a 7-digit code and especially the numbers "bca8a8d" then it is definitely a red flag. Each battery should have a unique ID, but since fake ones are simply cloned, you would end up with something like that. Oddly, I also bought an Energizer brand of LP-E6 battery from Staples and the ID was bca8a8d, which was also shocking to me. It should usually be 8 digits. (If it's not, check for other signs that I've written)
Some other observations:
- The date stamp font on the genuine one is smaller than on the counterfeit one
- On the back of the packaging, my counterfeit one says "3347B001[AA]", whereas my genuine version packaging says 3347B001[BA]
- Ironically, the counterfeit versions says on the back of the packaging "Canon Inc. Made in Japan" (although on the fake battery itself, it says Made in China), whereas the genuine one says "Canon INC. Made in China" on both the packaging and battery.
- On the back of the packaging for the counterfeit one, where it says "Recycle" and has the number "1.800.822.8837" the font is inconsistent where some numbers and letters are bolder than the rest.
- On the front plastic part of the packaging, it says "PET" in the middle of the bottom; it should be a thin font, but the counterfeit one looks really big and ugly.
This battery is heavily being counterfeited everywhere. Be sure you are buying from an authorized dealer. Even if you are ordering from Amazon, there are also third party Marketplace sellers, so MAKE SURE it states "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com"
Counterfeit versions are becoming more and more similar that it's going to require careful attention to spot them other than just obvious misspellings; I've seen the fake LP-E6 batteries where RECYCLE is mispelled as RECYDLE with a "D". However, other counterfeits aren't so obvious right away. I'm very critical about little details, but I would not have been 100% positive if I received a real or fake one if it wasn't for the battery code -- and then later ordering the real thing from Amazon and comparing the packaging and everything side by side. I'm sure there are hundreds of people out there receiving and using counterfeit battery and not even know it. Again, to be safe, you should always buy from a reputable company.
Any seller can still claim and sell the item to be genuine, especially with these counterfeit versions looking so similar to the real thing down to the packaging, but you're definitely taking chances.
If the price is too good to be true, it probably is; you should be extra careful.
If you have this knowledge now, you know what to look out for. Canon grips are also being counterfeited (I've had bad experience with that too!), so just always remember, you get what you pay for.
