iPods - how to tell they are real ones? Trust the small stores in Trinoma?

[Bruce Hall]

I am in the market for a new iPod, an iPod classic, and noticed that some of the smaller electronics stores are selling new iPod Classics for closer to the American price, for 12,500p (vs. the 14,900p wanted by Power Mac Center and others). This sparks two questions:

1) Do I trust these small stores to sell me good, real products and not some Chinese-made rip-off?

2) Is there some way for me to tell if what they are selling are original? Is there someway to check the serial number online while in the store?

I have gotten great service from Ynzal and so was thinking of buying for them but they are out of stock.

[kalirayacs]

i think they sell the original ones, coz theres no fake classic yet. it is just they have lower cost cguro on importing

[zagu]

you woudl know fake ones from the original ones if you have old ipods hehe just by looking at it you would know and the interface of the player

[barre05]

Well, for starters, Power Mac Centers really charge exorbitant prices for most if not all of their Apple products. They may be authorized resellers, but by no means are they the only ones re-selling officially. Try out other big authorized re-sellers like Digital Walker/Hub (through Sir Charlie) or other smaller scale (but authorized, too) re-sellers like Liteware. These shops sell iPods and Macs are much lower prices, especially for cash buyers.

Secondly, even original iPods are made from China (it says so at the back of the units: "Designed by Apple in California; Assembled in China"). The difference between them and the fake ones lies in the build quality of the packaging and the unit, first and foremost. If you can't spot the fake using the externals, the "operating system" or the interface, as zagu mentioned above, should help you better distinguish between the two.

Good luck, and happy hunting, mate!

[macbro]

You could actually verify it thru the apple website. If the serial number isn't visible, you could always ask the store for the serial number in their invoices. +1 also on the build of the origs, the fakes can easily be spotted.

[NeilJohn]

Just like what barre had said, try contacting charlie here thru PM, you'll be surprised at how competitive his prices are.

CHeers.

[pochiman]

You could actually verify it thru the apple website. If the serial number isn't visible, you could always ask the store for the serial number in their invoices. +1 also on the build of the origs, the fakes can easily be spotted.

and here's the link:
https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

[Mocha.Frap]

Get the iPod smash it, and if Apple won't give you warranty, its fake

[jaijin]

+1 on "the packaging says it all".

[pochiman]

Get the iPod smash it, and if Apple won't give you warranty, its fake

ouch! won't it be obvious that you smashed it?