Is my Aspire Nautilus Mini FAKE!!!????

[Karl Hammond]

UPDATE: CONFIRMED - FAKE!!!! (had genuine security code!!!)


HI everyone, I am a new vaper (4 week S.F. now. Yay!)
I bought the Apollo Extreme kit from Apollo and it has been great for me. Heaps of vapor and just seems to perform great but like most people starting something new I've been browsing anything to do with vaping for the last month and with all the hype decided I would skip all the normal ego/evod phases people progress through and jump straight to a MVP 2.0 with a N.Mini on top.
So with my 1st order for more supplies from Apollo I added the Mini which was $34.95. Not the cheapest and I had nothing to power it but they were having a labor day sale with 30% off total order so ended up good value. I have A MVP 2.0 on the way.
Well I received my order today (once again in record time! I live in NZ) and everything was sweet except I couldn't try the Mini out as the package beat the MVP to my door. So as you can imagine I pulled it all apart and put iot back together a number of times and generally just sat there and played with it for about an hour. All seemed good to me. There is a slight play on the air ring. After it 'clicks' into each position it can still jiggle with about a 1-2mm play.That was the only thing about it that made me think that doesn't seem quite right. It seems to be that well engineered that I would of expected that ring to click and sorta lock tight with no loose 'play'. But as I say I am new and this is the first tank I have ever seen in person, so I put it down to just being normal.
Then I remembered there was supposed to be a scratch code on these bad boys so I got the box scratched the code went to the aspire site and checked code........
Genuine!!!! Happy days!!!
So anyway I was just browsing round the Aspire site when I stumbled upon their counterfeit page and after reading it became slightly concerned. Something aint adding up. My mini passes the security code check but fails the packaging checks!!!!!!!! How the hell can this be?????
The thing looks like the real deal to a novice like me but after a bit more searching my packaging seems to have a number of flaws and also the jiggle in the airflow ring seems to me that this is not normal after all.
My packaging defects are -
Front - Pic almost looks as if it is a sticker (I even tried to peel it off!) as it has a thin black border round the pic of the mini like someone cut a pic out with scissors.
Back - A few barely detectable imperfections in Fonts. Things like the capital 'N' in nautilus at the very top is very thin compared to the rest of the letters in that word. My box has the gold circle looking hologram, the word 'produced' is misspelled 'prodiced' on the 2nd last line, 1st paragraph,
Like I said it had an UNUSED, verified as GENUINE scratch code.
Inside - Plastic tray with a sort of felt like surface, no "Aspire" embossed.

So, does anyone know what the deal is with these. I appear to have a fake Nautilus Mini with genuine security codes purchased from a reputable online store!!
I have emailed both Apollo and Aspire to try and get some answers and will post back here with any explanations they can give me.
I would love to hear anyone else in the same boat. I know there are some people with the same issues as me but it astounds me how off track these threads seems to get. I keep reading through threads talking about this stuff but they all get off on other tangents before the info I am after is posted.

Sorry for being a bit long winded but its a bit complicated!! Anyway thanks in advance for any help

Cheers
Karl

PS. Just remembered I also increase the airflow by rotating the RING to the left (clockwise) I read someone post that it should turn to the right?

 

[VannyPak]

I don't know about the packaging not matching up. I would assume since the scratch code is Genuine your Nautilus would be genuine as well. I got my Nautilus through Aspire and still checked the scratch code just in case. As far as the give goes....welcome to one of the cons of the Nautilus. It doesn't lock in place, I completely agree that it should, but it doesn't.

 

[Karl Hammond]

Good to know thats normal. Some of my packaging anomalies come straight from Aspire who state that if your contents are in a plastic tray not a paperboard one you basically have a fake. Some other things have come from other peoples posts like the spelling mistake. Also there are people claiming that Aspires security codes are compromised and fake items are passing the security check.
Like I mentioned alot of these threads seem to get off track real fast and I can't seem to find the definitive answers I want on other peoples threads so I thought I would just start my own and see it through to the end!
In any case I have a mini that passes the security check but fails miserably in its packaging which Aspire themselves say verify it as a fake. Yet their code says its genuine.
Talk about confused!! lol

 

[K31Scout]

Check the coil; is it the BVC? I think fastech has some mini clones that come with the BDC which ain't as good. The BVC coil will have a stainless steel screen down the barrel over the wick whereas the BDC coil will not.

 

[TXBiker]

By the packaging it's a copy had all of the tells mine did. I bought 2 off of fleabay knowing they were copies $19.50 shipped isn't genuine. Authentic bvc's fit just fine. It doesn't leak anywhere fit and finish is good. At the end of the day it's the bvc that does all of the work. My airflow ring is a little sloppy too but works just fine and when locked in stays. The authentic has a litttle bit less slop. Compared with my genuine mini: they function equally well visually I can't tell any difference. BTW the airflow ring can rotate any direction it's not directional.

 

[dirtybirdy]

Hopefully it is not a clone. I know you paid for the real thing and you expected to get the real thing, I know I would. If it happens to turn out to be a fake it should work just the same as the real thing. I would still be mad because you paid the price for an authentic one not a fake one. Trying contacting Aspire and see if they can help you figure out if its real or not.

I would also think if you scratched the code off and it said it was genuine then it is. I would also make sure the coil is a BVC, you should have one 1.8 ohm and one 1.6 ohm coil.

 

[Mrdaputer]

Here you go

Aspire - IMPORTANT NEWS – Verifying your Aspire Kits and/or the Nautilus Mini

 

[djsvapour]

I can't really help. All I want to say is that in the UK, the prices that Apollo charge (and the quality of their products) make them very unpopular.

In fact, when they paid for advertising on a UK forum, they were torn to pieces.

t.b.h. I do not trust them one bit.

 

[TXBiker]

I found one of our B&M's had the copies like the one I bought. They offered those who bought them a full refund or store credit. Their price was $34.50 cheapest in town. I know of authentics going anywhere from $25 to $27 online plus shipping. The numbers on my copies were identical between the two and I didn't think I'd ever get the strip scratched off to read it and definately not a hologram label.

 

[Karl Hammond]

Check the coil; is it the BVC? I think fastech has some mini clones that come with the BDC which ain't as good. The BVC coil will have a stainless steel screen down the barrel over the wick whereas the BDC coil will not.

Definitely a BVC

 

[Karl Hammond]

BTW the airflow ring can rotate any direction it's not directional.

Yeah mine turns both ways I just meant you have to turn mine to the left to increase flow and to the right to decrease it. It would seem the genuine stuff is opposite to this

 

[Karl Hammond]

I can't really help. All I want to say is that in the UK, the prices that Apollo charge (and the quality of their products) make them very unpopular.

In fact, when they paid for advertising on a UK forum, they were torn to pieces.

t.b.h. I do not trust them one bit.

Hey there djsvapour and everyone else who has posted here. Many thanks everyone.

I must say I did about 1 week of hard out research before I chose to go with Apollo. They are ranked highly on MANY review sites, the price was awesome and I couldn't really find many complaints about them so I just did it. Thus far they have been excellent with thier sevice and I have not had ANYTHING arrive from the US quicker than they have delivered! Like I said although I am new to this I am finding their products to be top notch. I seem to get massive clouds of vapor off my little ciggalike and it lasts all day and the quality to me seems way above average.
Anyhow I heard back from Apollo today this is the email they sent me -

Hi Karl,

Thank you for contacting Apollo! We do sincerely apologize about this. We've just been recently informed about this as we purchased the Nautilus Mini through an Aspire reseller who we've purchased through in that past and have up til now been able to trust as a reliable source of authentic products. I've gone ahead and refunded you for the value of the Nautilus Mini on your order and we will not require you to send that one back to us. You may use or dispose of it at your leisure. We will have authentic Nautilus Mini's in stock in the near future as we are awaiting our order directly from Aspire currently. Please let us know if you have any further questions and we do again apologize about the inconvenience. Take care.

Sincerely,
Arvin
-Apollo E-cigs

All in all a great result and I am very happy once again with Apollos service.

While thats all great and the fake has not ended up costing me anything, it does not explain how fake products are hitting the shelves with genuine codes!!! I would advise everyone to be extra vigilant when it comes to Aspire products as it appears their security measures have all been compromised.

BUYERS BEWARE

PS I started a new thread on Aspires own forums much the same as my OP. It had to be approved before it was posted and it seems it was not approved as the post has vanished. Guess they not to keen for everyone to know counterfeiters have compromised all their security measures

 

[hairball]

,,...............

Sent from my LGL75C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Karl Hammond]

,,...............

Sent from my LGL75C using Tapatalk 2

What does that mean hairball???

 

[Subzerohms]

My Nautilus mini rolls both ways and is legit. It's a pretty nice quality product. I'd say since it checks out on Aspires website it is legit Take it apart and compare to pics of legit ones?

 

[Karl Hammond]

My Nautilus mini rolls both ways and is legit. It's a pretty nice quality product. I'd say since it checks out on Aspires website it is legit Take it apart and compare to pics of legit ones?

Please read the full thread Subzero -
Apollo has confirmed to me they received a shipment of FAKES from their supplier and have refunded me for the mini and told me to do with it whatever I want. They have a new shipment on the way direct from Aspire.

MY NAUTILUS MINI HAD A NEVER USED GENUINE SECURITY CODE FROM ASPIRE BUT THE PRODUCT IS A DEFINITE CLONE AND NOT ORIGINAL

AGAIN FOR EVERYONE
********* BEWARE THERE ARE ASPIRE PRODUCTS ON THE SHELVES OF LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES WITH GENUINE CODES THAT ARE FAKES **********

 

[Subzerohms]

Please read the full thread Subzero -
Apollo has confirmed to me they received a shipment of FAKES from their supplier and have refunded me for the mini and told me to do with it whatever I want. They have a new shipment on the way direct from Aspire.

MY NAUTILUS MINI HAD A NEVER USED GENUINE SECURITY CODE FROM ASPIRE BUT THE PRODUCT IS A DEFINITE CLONE AND NOT ORIGINAL

AGAIN FOR EVERYONE
********* BEWARE THERE ARE ASPIRE PRODUCTS ON THE SHELVES OF LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES WITH GENUINE CODES THAT ARE FAKES **********

OK... my bad....

 

[Karl Hammond]

No worries man

 

[TXBiker]

I'd use it and not worry about it. Mine works great no issues at all. I do have genuine bvc's that were dropped off to the local B&M by the aspire rep. The 2 1.8's that came in the box work well as long as I keep my settings dialed down on the vamo and my work spinner at 3.5v. The aspire rep said I should be able to run genuine coils with good results around 10 to 11w. The clone bvc's produced burnt hits at higher settings. Sorry bout the clones glad it worked out for you. Like I've beeen saying on alot of forums they are getting better at copying originals.

 

[Karl Hammond]

I'd use it and not worry about it. Mine works great no issues at all. I do have genuine bvc's that were dropped off to the local B&M by the aspire rep. The 2 1.8's that came in the box work well as long as I keep my settings dialed down on the vamo and my work spinner at 3.5v. The aspire rep said I should be able to run genuine coils with good results around 10 to 11w. The clone bvc's produced burnt hits at higher settings. Sorry bout the clones glad it worked out for you. Like I've been saying on alot of forums they are getting better at copying originals.

Yeah they certainly seem to be TXBiker, Fakes I have received in the past were easily identified as fake, ie. poor build quality, cheaper materials etc. But this Nautilus mini looks and feels genuine. Everything lines up good, threads are all sweet, nothing looks even slightly off center or wonky. Just waiting for the MVP to show up and some genuine coils and I think I'll be all good to go!!

Still had no explanation from anyone as to how these fakes are getting genuine (single use!) codes on the box?? Industrial espionage I reckon!! Aspire might have to start screening their employees