Do AW still NOT make a Flat-Top battery?

[MORTIS e]

I realize I could have posted this in 'batteries and Chargers' but thought it might be good for new vapers to see the thread without having to search elsewhere.

Well it looks like I probably got a fake AW IMR 18350 today. As you can see, its a flat-top, and every reliable source here on ECF have said AW do not yet make a flat-top IMR battery (to their knowledge).

While in the B&M shop where I bought it, I was a little suspicious to see all the AW batteries in Joyetech boxes. I thought to myself, hmm... I don't recall hearing of AW having any association with Joyetech.
The owner seems like a decent guy but only a hired staff woman was present when I got it. Like I said, the owner seems decent but I don't really know him well; however, for what its worth, my wife and I have socialized many times with his mother.
Anyway, if it's fake, I rather doubt the owner realizes it. He's not a vaper himself and the e-cig gear he sells, much of it very good, is only a growing sideline within his computer repair shop. He's the only shop in my town that sells vape gear and he's wanting to expand the line much further.

Depending on what the vets here say, I will likely be returning it and hopefully warn him to protect the credibility of his business.

 

[AndriaD]

My own AW 18350s are flat tops -- the "AW" logo is that holographic thing.

???

Andria

 

[MORTIS e]

Ah so you have the flat-tops as well. No the AW sticker on mine is not the holographic one, so even if its legit, it still was made before Dec. 2013 which is when AW apparently started using the holographic sticker.

 

[The Ocelot]

I've never seen any, but I won't say it's impossible. The only ones I could find were on eBay. I can't see it clearly on yours, but another way to tell the fakes is that where it say "Made in China," the "C" is lower vase: china. This is different size, but you can see the china. (The seller also has 18350s)

2 PC AW IMR 18650 Li MN Battery High Drain Flat Top 3 7V 2000mAh 7 4WH Flat Top | eBay

Is the sticker gold or is it the lighting?

 

[AzPlumber]

They are most certainly fakes. If AW is selling a 18350 flat top it would be a very recent development and certainly wouldn't have the old AW sticker.

 

[The Ocelot]

I just looked at some of mine. I have 10+ AW IMR 18350s, plus 18490s, 18650s and a couple of 14500s. They all have buttons tops.

 

[eratikmind]

My AW IMR batteries were all purchased at RTD Vapor and are all button tops.

I have 8 - 18350s, 4 - 18490s, and 4 - 18650s. The newest two 18490s have the holographic oval shaped labels.

The RTD Vapor site notes that effective 12.26.13 all AW IMR batteries will now have a new hologram AW logo. All of their AW IMR batteries are button tops. However, that does not mean that the flat tops do not exist.

 

[eratikmind]

Here is a pic of the older AW label vs the newer label.

 

[Topwater Elvis]

As far as I know there is no such thing as an authentic AW 18350 flat top battery.
The only places Ive seen AW 18350 flat tops is ebay, amazon, alibaba and a few suspect/shady vape vendors.

Besides being flat top the CE in the OP picture is the wrong size font and in the wrong position on the label for an authentic AW18350.

 

[Rickajho]

As far as I know there is no such thing as an authentic AW 18350 flat top battery.
The only places Ive seen AW 18350 flat tops is ebay, amazon, alibaba and a few suspect/shady vape vendors.

AW's on eBay and Amazon are shady vendors. AW has already said they are not sold through those channels.

To the OP: AW does not make an IMR battery with a red jacket in a flat top.

 

[AndriaD]

I looked at my AW flat-tops again; the holographic logo appears completely legit. Also it says "Made in China" not "Made in china".

Andria

 

[MORTIS e]

I've never seen any, but I won't say it's impossible. The only ones I could find were on eBay. I can't see it clearly on yours, but another way to tell the fakes is that where it say "Made in China," the "C" is lower vase: china. This is different size, but you can see the china. (The seller also has 18350s)

2 PC AW IMR 18650 Li MN Battery High Drain Flat Top 3 7V 2000mAh 7 4WH Flat Top | eBay

Is the sticker gold or is it the lighting?

Thanks Ocelot: I just checked and the 'C' in China is upper case. The sticker is black and silver.

Yeah I saw that seller on the bay and he actually states "AW does not make flat tops".

They are most certainly fakes. If AW is selling a 18350 flat top it would be a very recent development and certainly wouldn't have the old AW sticker.

Yeah that's what I figure. Thanks AzPlumber.

 

[Susan~S]

AW Batteries Authorized Dealers -- Addresses the counterfeit issue.

 

[MORTIS e]

Thanks everyone. As expected, the consensus is mounting up against this batt being legit.

I looked at my AW flat-tops again; the holographic logo appears completely legit. Also it says "Made in China" not "Made in china".
Andria

So Andria, you have flat tops with the holographic logo sticker. hmm, perhaps the fakes are catching up; either that or AW have made some flats.

AW Batteries Authorized Dealers -- Addresses the counterfeit issue.

Susan: thanks for that list! Would you by chance know of any authorized Canadian sellers? We always get reamed pretty bad here with various BS fees when ordering anything from the US.

 

[Pete54]

They are fake. Get a refund and buy your batteries from an authorized AW vendor. Batteries are the most important link in the chain of safe vaping and vendors selling counterfeits could be putting people at risk as the discharge ratings of the counterfeits are most probably not the same as genuine AW's.

 

[Baditude]

AW does not make any flat top batteries. Period. (The 26500 battery is not really a button top, but not really a flat top either).

The AW IMR lineup (with the old black AW sticker).

18350 AW IMR with the new hologram AW sticker.

IMR16340 / IMR14500 / IMR18350 / IMR18490 / IMR18650 / IMR26500 *Part 2*

How to Identify Fake AW Batteries

 

[Robino1]

Link to the list of authorized AW battery dealers in the USA: AW Batteries - Authorized Dealers - USA

Link to the list of authorized AW battery dealers in the UK: AW Batteries - Authorised Dealers - UK

 

[AndriaD]

I certainly can't get a refund for batteries I've had for more than 2 wks, probably closer to a month. I'll just use them in my regulateds instead of my mech. But that leaves me only my Efests to use in my mech. I can't really afford the prices that those 'approved vendors' charge for their AWs.

Andria

 

[Baditude]

I certainly can't get a refund for batteries I've had for more than 2 wks, probably closer to a month. I'll just use them in my regulateds instead of my mech. But that leaves me only my Efests to use in my mech. I can't really afford the prices that those 'approved vendors' charge for their AWs.

Andria

No disrespect intended, Andria. But can you afford a trip to the ER after your mech explodes from using a rewrapped ICR cell harvested from an old laptop computer? That what a fake AW battery is.

Genuine AW batteries are more expensive because they are hand-picked and individually tested and found to be the best batteries from a huge selection of Japanese batteries. That extra measure of quality control to ensure that you are getting a high quality, consistant, and dependable battery is worth the extra $2 to me.

I would contact the vendor you got the fake batteries from, and tell them that you just found evidence that the batteries sold to you are counterfeit batteries. Send them the links that prove the batteries are fakes. They may not be aware that they are fakes.

 

[Robino1]

If the vendor that you bought it from is not on the list, they have committed fraud in selling you a product that you thought was the real deal. I would be seriously angry. They are taking a battery and wrapping it, not taking into consideration the safety that is involved. SMH