Ok will see what I can do next time. Thanks for the feedback.

Yea I agree Amazon and eBay say they care about the consumer and condemn counterfeit sellers, but the reality is they do nothing to stop.

Dewalt has no problem taking counterfeit QR registration. No error occurs but it doesn't show up in your tool profile if it's supposed to.

Actually crazy, i just bought 2 batteries off ebay listed as new genuine dewalt batteries, found they were counterfeit, using recycled cells inside, the old spot welds were ground off and cell shrink wrap damaged by the grinding so it was very obvious, reported the listing to ebay with photos showing the recycled cells and an explanation, received a message saying ebay reviewed the report and found that the listing was fine, no issues here. The listing is still up and the seller is being promoted on trending with ebay plus discounts.

If it weren't for this video, I would have made the mistake of buying a pack of these 5ah, I really need it, as you say, the retail sellers cost you what the pack is worth, but it is an investment that will be worth it, thank you sincerely

@@Charlestuivasa03 Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching.

Hi there! What can you say would be a difference but with the black battery? I´m about to buy one, but IDK if the fake spots are the same for those too. Hope I get your reply soon before I decide to buy it haha :)

@@yerickoalfaro7885 If you're talking about the smaller 1.5ah black battery in the video...those are harder to tell from a visual standpoint. I personally haven't come across a fake 1.5 but I would look for words misaligned. With that said, most fake batteries are always going to be the higher ah batteries as the sellers know they can make more on them.

Exactly!

At first, I thought that was pretty bogus. I mean you get cut how from using a battery but with lithium you always have an issue with fire, using or charging but product liability is important then because with a fake you have no product liability. If you buy off amz, despite what they claim, I don't think you have prod liability either but you have some legal protection if you buy at hd. But I think dewalt does very little about it because they make more money by so many fakes on the market. By having a huge supply of cheap batteries, it doesn't hurt their tool sales and by making 'genuine' iffy people are more likely to pay more to hd for a batt they think is genuine. Not me. I won't pay 70, 80 dollars for a battery that they won't honor the 3 year warranty on, on a tool that cost maybe 90 bucks. I don't advise it but I've bought 25$ fakes on ebay and it's pretty difficult to tell the difference, for my use and never a fire or issue with any of them.

What about aliexpress dewalt batteries or flexvolts 2 pieces for 110$ free shipping?

Thank you for the kind words! I could only wish to get free tools as to date I have purchased all my tools with my hard-earned money. I agree we need to educate ourselves on this as I don't believe these online retailers like eBay truly care about counterfeit products as long as they get sales. Thanks for watching.

Glad you liked it! You're right, probably not fair for me to blame it on the IT dept as hard telling where the process broke down. Hopefully they get it resolved, as I feel like these QR codes could be used somehow in the future to easily spot genuine vs fake (just like watermarks are on legit dollar bills). Thanks for watching!

Thanks for sharing, you're correct on some of the older batteries they use the security torx. I have a XR 5ah purchased 3 years ago that has the security torx and a XR 5ah purchased a few months ago that has regular torx screws. Both were purchased at my local Lowes. Also both Powerstack batteries I have (1.7 and 5) just use the regular torx screws as well and were also purchased at Lowes.

When I read this I thought that makes sense as it's cheaper materials and manufacturing so I checked all my batteries I've bought in the past couple years. Two 5ah batteries I got on ebay are almost certainly fakes. I won't complain too much because so far they are good fakes and for my use worth the price but both DO NOT have security torx bolts, and neither have copper contacts. So then I looked at two 5ah I bought on ebay thru a third party. Both have security torx but one does not have copper contacts on + and - but does have contact copper contacts for the inner 3 slots, while the other one has copper on + and - but not the other 3 inner slots. wth I've found similar inconsistencies with the smaller 2 and 1.5 ah batteries. I just bought a couple of 5ah off amz which I'm returning though because neither one has security torx bolts or copper copper contacts and don't even look the battery images posted on their website. And, I suspect anything you buy on amz, the warranty is useless. I blame dewalt for this mess. They're only notice re genuine batteries is a joke. But they don't care because counterfeits sell their tools and doesn't cost them anything. I even looked at some 2.0 ah batteries bundled with kits I bought and they DO NOT have security torx bolts, and are inconsistent about copper contacts. If you can't trust those as genuine what can you trust. So the new batteries I got from amz don't match the image posted on their website but then I go to dewalt webpage and they do match except dewalt only shows one view of the battery; no top or bottom view. I can't find any place on their website where they clearly post what a genuine battery looks like and that's assuming that they all look alike for a particular model like 5ah. How do you know if they haven't changed the packaging design over the years. I do I know that a battery made in 2022 looks the same as in 2023, or that one since 5ah looks the same as a double pack. How do I know if they still use security torx bolts. Again, I blame dewalt. However, the batteries I got from amz don't have any copper contacts at all and no security torx bolts. The great thing about amz is that if you're in doubt you can return them but even if it is a genuine battery I'm pretty sure dewalt won't honor the warranty. And on the other hand, do you really need to spend 2 or 3 times the price for a genuine. So far I haven't had any of my batteries fail or overheat and performance wise I have no complaints. They hold a charge, last well and I have enough that I can afford more of them than a genuine. But, if I was in the trade and needed this for my job I'd be really ticked off at dewalt right now. And btw, the batteries on amz came in a blister pack but didn't have security torx or copper contacts and they didn't even look like the battery pictures on the site. Ordered these twice just to make sure but when I went to return they gave me the round around and I had to drive across down to return because I would deal with ups. When I contacted cs they didn't seem interested at all that they might be counterfeits and I bought these from amz not some 3rd party.

@@johnsmith-sk1ep I think Dewalt could do with a system to authenticate batteries, but I don't think it's entirely their fault. These scammers target multiple batteries across multiple manufacturers. I know that there is often a deal through Lowes that goes by DCB 248-3, were you can get a 2, 4, and 8ah for $170 which is an awesome deal I personally wouldn't buy counterfeit batteries due to safety alone.

@@aco2518Just because this affects other manufacturers doesn't mean it's not dewalt's fault. It just means that other manufacturers don't care either. I mean I've come across now I think 4 different cases for the xr 5ah batteries and dewalt doesn't even post pictures of genuine batteries you can compare against. And when I double checked, I have batteries that came in a kit that are now suspect. Don't have security torx and don't have copper contacts and the labeling is iffy but these are supposed to be genuine, right. There's a lot dewalt could do but they don't want to be bothered. e.g. a chip in the case that verifies the battery. How 'bout clear cases so you can see the construction inside without taking them apart and voiding the warranty. How 'bout a load device you could verify the battery performance and capacity. I could think of a lot of things they could do but don't and frankly I think their batteries are over hyped and over priced anyway compared to their tools and I think it's partly because there are so many counterfeits they make more money by using 'authorized' outlets exclusivity which preys on people who will pay more for what they think are genuine. They're capitalizing on the problem, not helping. And what about warranty. Amz sells these batteries claiming 3 year warranty but I've had a lot of experience with amz and that's a blatant lie and I'm sure dewalt knows they won't honor warranty or tell amz not to advert them like this. Amz, not some third party. No, I'm not paying hd prices. I bought two 5ah bats on ebay for about $50. I'm sure they're fakes but the diff in performance for what I use on the weekends, I don't care. Plus so far they hold a charge, don't overheat, no noticeable diff in performance for occasional use, and work with every dewalt device I have including usb adapter. I keep two in my truck all the time with a usb adapter I got from dewalt and they're great for emergency charge. Charging my phone or whatever, better than a usb pack, or inverter any day and well worth $25 each. I wouldn't advise anyone else to buy them but I'm not paying more money to dewalt for an issue that they're behind creating. if it's not around $10 per ah, not interested. And I've never seen those prices at hd or lowes. And, if you look closely at the pics on hd, not even those batteries look genuine imo and how do you tell anyway because the manufacturing/design by dewalt is so inconsistent and changes all the time.

I wouldn't get caught up with the security torx as that was a thing in the past. All of the genuine batteries I have purchased in the last few years from my local Lowes and HD do not have the security torx anymore (including all Powerstack batteries). Let's be honest, this security torx was a thing 20+ years ago but today it's just another bit to use to remove a screw.

Glad I was able to hep! Thanks for watching!

As long as battery was bought and shipped from Amazon or another reputable dealer you should be fine. Check some of those marks I showed in the video as they will tell for sure. Good luck.

My understanding is that brand new lithium-ion batteries have a long shelf life where they can be stored for years without any loss of capacity in the right environment. Once the charge/discharge cycle begins, most manufactures 'legally' claim their batteries will last 2-5 years and about 500-1000 cycles. I have many Milwaukee M18 batteries that are going on 5-10 years that are used regularly throughout the week and are still going strong. As long as you buy genuine batteries, I wouldn't be that concerned with the production date.

Glad I was able to help. Thanks for watching!

not true, look at them on HD website. they have the black spot too

So much money means there are plenty of different manufacturers in the fake game in China.

You're correct for some of the older batteries that were assembled in Mexico. I have a XR 5ah purchased 3 years ago that has the security torx and another XR 5ah purchased a few months ago that has the regular torx screws. Both were purchased from Lowes. Also, both of my Powerstack batteries (1.7 & 5ah) have the regular torx as well. I know years ago Dewalt assembled alot of their batteries in Korea/Mexico which had the security torx, however all the recent batteries I have saw are assembled in China and do not have the security torx.

When you say you got bad batteries from HD what do mean? As long as the package was sealed it should have been genuine. I know some people think HD and Lowes are selling fake batteries because the security torx isn't there anymore...that's not accurate anymore as of a few years go as Dewalt uses regular torx as well depending on where the battery was produced. Also, all Powerstacks have regular torx.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the info.

You are 100% correct used tools and 'other' tools have been showing up in boxes at your local stores for the last few years. Check out this video here, I talk about this exact problem at HD and Lowes and the importance of not buying anything returned/taped up. With that said, Bosch has the best way to identify and I talk about that in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/prmTZbyEzbTNpqM.html

Out of curiosity what are you scanning the battery with? When I use my phone to scan a QR code on a Dewalt tool it pulls up info online for the tool (warranty, register, etc). When I do the same thing with any of the batteries in the same kit it tells me the QR code/battery doesn't exist. I even tried on the new powerstack batteries in their own package and Dewalt's site gives the same error (scanned product not found).

I'm sure there are other ah counterfeit batteries as well, however the majority of them appear to be the 5ah. If you buy on ebay take a look at the open box ones that were most likely taken out of legit kits. The fake ones 99% of the time are sealed in factory looking package.

Noticing 8ah double packs for 120$ directly from China now.

I agree it's used during manufacturing, however doesn't explain why all the Dewalt tool QR codes work and direct you to the Dewalt site to view more info/register and the batteries dont work. I use to think my XR batteries where just too old, however at the time of this video even the brand new powerstack batteries didn't work.

​@@TeamDIYNowI feel like DeWalt is just tracking the fakes by accepting the numbers.

Thats a good question. I may have to do follow up video as now I'm curious as well.

The security torx was only used in some of the older batteries. I have a XR 5ah battery around 3 years old that has the tamper proof screw and also have a XR 5ah that was purchased a few months ago and it has the regular torx screws. Both were purchased at a local Lowes. Also, the Powerstack batteries I have (1.7 & 5) don't have the security torx either. The QR code on the other hand, I'm not sure what to make of that as I thought they all had them printed (even tho they don't work on the consumer side like the tools do). With that said if Dewalt replaced not sure if they did it to be nice or some dont have the QR code. In my opinion the best way to tell from the exterior is some of the visual things I talked about in the video (the AH not centered, buttons, misspelled words, etc).

I don't remember on this specific package as I returned these to the seller shortly after receiving since they were knock off batteries.

Thanks for sharing!

The one I just opened up has copper plating instead of fully copper. It can't possibly be a genuine DeWalt because the cells are the wrong kind and the circuitry is missing. Fakers are using lots of tricks. It had the proper security screws to prevent the average person from popping it open to look at the cells. But if you just looked in the slot you would see copper.

I didn't test the performance on these specific ones as I bought them thinking they were genuine (as the seller claimed) only to find out they were knockoffs. I ended up doing this video to help others spot a fake and then sent back to seller without opening. With that said, I have watched other videos where people claimed the knockoffs get alot hotter than genuine and some claimed they only last a few months. In my opinion I wouldn't mess with them....alot of the fake 2 packs of XR 5.0 packaged in counterfeit Dewalt packaging on ebay are around $75. You can find genuine 2 packs (open box pulled from kit) on ebay for roughly $100. The counterfeit sellers are smart thinking put in the Dewalt packaging and people will think they are real.

@@TeamDIYNow thank you for the video, very honest and thoughtful for sharing

@@stygs6 Thank you for the kind words. Glad I was able to help!

This is why I always tell people the importance of shipped and sold by Amz as those are the only items that are actually sold by Amz. All the other items that are still prime but sold by a 3rd party are a wildcard unless you recognize the name (Grainger, etc). In the legal disclaimer they talk about when the ownership is Amz (sold by Amz) and when its the 3rd party seller who takes responsibility. Amazon prime just means they take ownership of the delivery. This isn't just a tool thing either, there are so many counterfeit items out there in every single industry its getting ridiculous.

I initially thought the same thing maybe its not a QR code. However recent kit I bought the tools scan with your phone and it pulls up the tool, but the batteries in the same kit say item not found. I did find a post a year ago where someone mentioned it's a problem with the new website. Wouldn't think it would take a whole year to fix, but it appears it's still a problem. Didn't know that about the spacing for the China export thanks for sharing.

@@TeamDIYNow Yeah, it probably is a QR code and they just broke it on the other end (page no longer exists). LOL! Why bother? The fake CE mark is another sure tell but you might need a reference. The real CE mark spaces the semi-circular letters such that when you complete the circles they share an edge. The fake CE mark tucks the E in closer so their completed circles would intersect twice with an overlap… like a Venn diagram.

@@emmettturner9452 Thanks for the info!

The QR Code is the Serial number of the Battery. For Example, a 5AH battery will have date code 2019 05-49 5-2 and on the opposite side, it will have N552470 which references to the model number DCB205. Next to N552470, some batteries ALSO have a Serial Number that follows a similar pattern L07U3VW (7 digit serial number) and this Serial number is what the QR code is for. I noticed that for some of my batteries, the QR code has no results and others it pulls up the serial number and battery details. Dewalt should FIX this so only genuine batteries would return a genuine confirmation, and fakes would have a possible counterfeit warning.

@@JustMe-gx4xt I couldn't agree more! It appears to be an easy solution to identify a genuine product vs fake via legit QR code, unfortunately Dewalt has been dealing with this problem for 2+ years now. Not sure what the problem is to get a simple QR code to work!

Please see side by side pics I show at 3:47 and 3:55 showing fake vs genuine batteries. All 4 batteries I checked from ebay had the AH moved over to the side and the middle battery indicator smaller. For me personally, a 2 pack of knock off 5ah batteries for $50 isnt worth it considering they may only last year of light use vs genuine lasting 5+ years. I don't mess with any batteries that aren't genuine as the tools cost too much to wildcard with some counterfeit battery for a few dollars less. Buy kits or look for sales offering free batteries with tool purchase and you can get genuine tools/batteries for practically the same cost.

Unfortunately, the only way to verify the serial number is legit is to call Dewalt. It should be as easy as scanning the QR code and the legit battery comes up and the fake battery doesn't. However, the QR codes flat out don't work for most Dewalt batteries so there really isn't any other way but call them directly.

I called Dewalt and they were absolutely no help. I should have just asked my cat.@@TeamDIYNow

I'm not familiar with desartcart, however a quick search online it looks like another online marketplace. I would be very cautious unless they have some way to verify sellers.

I personally have not run across any yet, however in time I'm sure they will show up. Currently the XR 5.0 is the #1 counterfeit battery I see all the time.

@@TeamDIYNow Thanks!

I think it really depends on which one you get. I'm sure some of them may put out similar power but some of the examples I looked at the genuine made the tool feel a lot more powerful.

In my experience no, not only do they not work as well they tend to fail prematurely

Just saw a post where someone's fake actually does have Samsung batteries unless the batteries have been rewrapped. But the rest is obviously fake. Still no control circuitry.

I'm not a fan of the Dewalt tables either. The tables I have here are the Toughbuilt version which I bought for $70. These are far better than others on the market for the price.

@@TeamDIYNow gotcha. I got my dewalt table for $10 when home depot couldn't sell them after Christmas. It's barely worth $10

Correct there are some legit 3rd party sellers as I stated in the video, but there are also a lot with random names that I wouldn't trust. Look up the address of some of those 3rd party sellers shipping via prime and you will find they are random residential houses or PO boxes. Probably good chance those are the same counterfeit batteries sold on ebay. If the 3rd party seller isn't someone like Grainger (other know companies as well) or shipped and sold by Amazon I dont mess with. In regard to the part numbers, yes that could be a potential thing they copy at some point, but a lot of the fakes in circulation are not valid serial numbers (Dewalts own customer service will tell you this as well). Some of Dewalts literature out there even suggest when in doubt call them and they will verify. The 2 I had in this video; Dewalt customer service told me the serial number/date code doesn't exist so it's not genuine. When I reached out to the ebay seller saying they were fake, they quietly refunded and stopped communication without denying what I told them.

Yea I agree, I only buy genuine batteries as the cost is very similar. Not to mention the deals that are regularly out there where you can get free genuine batteries with tool purchases.

Thanks for sharing!

Technically they could but the few I looked at weren't real serial numbers.

Notice pictures I show at 3:47 and 3:55 for close up pictures. Those are the only visual differences as I stated in the video.

Please tell me how I can do better? I showed pictures at 3:47 and 3:55 showing how a lot of ebay 2 packs of fake 5ah batteries look vs genuine (probably half of the listings of these 2 packs look like this on ebay). In addition, I show a document Dewalt released a few years ago showing different markings, etc to identify counterfeit batteries. I didn't talk about security torx vs standard and other things we saw 15 years ago as they dont exist anymore as all Dewalts new Powerstacks are standard torx.

Sounds like someone repackaged counterfeit batteries and tried to pass them off as genuine. Hopefully you didn't pay a lot for them.

@@TeamDIYNow yeah that sucks I paid 80 bucks for them, I didn’t even know this was a thing,good video might save some people some $$

@@Maneras03 Yea these counterfeit batteries are everywhere, and sellers are getting clever on how they package. Thanks for watching!