How to Spot a Fake Bose Headphone

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Fake brand name products are a major problem for business today. Thousands of products, from shoes to perfumes, are copycatted and sold as fakes all over the world, including high-end electronics items like Bose headphones. However, there are a few things you can learn so you will be able to tell the difference between real Bose headphones and the knockoffs.

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Identifying Fake Bose Headphones

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Step 1

Check that the headphones are in the sealed original packaging, and that the box has both a serial number and a bar code. Anytime the packaging has been opened you should be suspicious of a substitute product, and no clearly visible serial number and/or bar code on the external packaging is a sure giveaway of a fake.

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Step 2

Make sure the Bose User Manual and paper guarantee insert are included with the headphones in the box. All authentic Bose products are shipped with both items. If you have any doubts, take a minute to read over the user manual. Many knockoffs don't spend much effort on the manual, and you can sometimes notice typos or other anomalies with just a cursory read.

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Step 3

While most fake Bose headphones appear similar to the real ones, there are often noticeable differences between the two. First, the Bose logo is always embossed on real Bose products: it is not a sticker and never spray-painted on. Second, the quality of the speaker mesh on the ear buds is often lower on fake headphones; that is, the weave is not as fine and the material is a slightly different shade of gray. Third, sometimes the cords of fake Bose headphones are a few inches shorter than those on the real ones.

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