fake airpod pros?

micks_address

Hi folks,

I purchased a pair of airpod pros gen 2 from adverts. The serial number inside the case top checks out on

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

They report as

AirPods Pro 2

Purchase Date: July 2024

Curious though as they have a lightning connector on the box? Says they have applecare plus

AppleCare+

Expires: 27 July 2026

They are replacement ones for 2 pair my wife already lost. I guess best thing is let her try them and see how they are?

The case makes an noise when you open and close it. The packaging etc seems ok.

Cheers,
Mick

micks_address

Doing a bit more digging.. it looks like these are fake. They have the same serial number on the case, and left/right airpod. Apparently they should have unique individual serial numbers. Interesting how the serial number checks out on apples site. I havent connected them to an iphone yet as i dont have and don't want to ask my wife to verify.

The Black Oil

That's disappointing. Any come back with the seller? Or could Apple support check the verification aspect for you?

micks_address

The Black Oil

Jan 30, 2025

That's disappointing. Any come back with the seller? Or could Apple support check the verification aspect for you?

From adverts so probably no come back.. they look very convincing... actually have a brand new set from apple which I guess she be getting instead

micks_address

these airpods are confusing me… connected to an old iphone had lying around.. they have serials for left/right… all the settings seem right.. and in the settings shows apple care plus till july 2026.. they sound ok.. was only using youtube to play some music from safari but wasnt bad.. i think ill just let the wife have them and see how she goes and might return the unopened ones

turfthrower

So, I've attempted to buy second hand Airpods Max a few times before giving up. I bought one set of Max that looked amazing, and had serial numbers etc that checked out, but just didn't sound great. When I tried to update the firmware, it didn't work.

They were fake. I was lucky, and got my money back from the guy who sold them. I shamed him into it, as he'd claimed he thought they were real.

I've since bought a real pair, and the box and construction etc are obviously better, but I hadn't tried real ones when I was trying to buy them second hand, so I'd nothing to compare them too. i think that's how this works - the fakes can be really convincing unless you have a real set there to compare them to.

The reality is that there are so many fakes out there, that it's virtually impossible to find real ones. I'd say the ratio of real to fake for all airpods, Pro and Max, for sale on adverts or Facebook marketplace etc is probably 25 fake for each real set.

My opinion about buying second hand Apple stuff online is that it's not worth bothering unless you actually personally know the person selling and know for a fact they bought them from the apple website or in an Apple store, or stick to things like Macbooks and ipads etc, which are too difficult to fake.

But headphones? Not worth it.

micks_address

turfthrower

Feb 6, 2025

So, I've attempted to buy second hand Airpods Max a few times before giving up. I bought one set of Max that looked amazing, and had serial numbers etc that checked out, but just didn't sound great. When I tried to update the firmware, it didn't work.

They were fake. I was lucky, and got my money back from the guy who sold them. I shamed him into it, as he'd claimed he thought they were real.

I've since bought a real pair, and the box and construction etc are obviously better, but I hadn't tried real ones when I was trying to buy them second hand, so I'd nothing to compare them too. i think that's how this works - the fakes can be really convincing unless you have a real set there to compare them to.

The reality is that there are so many fakes out there, that it's virtually impossible to find real ones. I'd say the ratio of real to fake for all airpods, Pro and Max, for sale on adverts or Facebook marketplace etc is probably 25 fake for each real set.

My opinion about buying second hand Apple stuff online is that it's not worth bothering unless you actually personally know the person selling and know for a fact they bought them from the apple website or in an Apple store, or stick to things like Macbooks and ipads etc, which are too difficult to fake.

But headphones? Not worth it.

i'd agree with you but when you have a wife who keeps losing them it can become an expensive hobby replacing them :)

PaulT21

Just saw this online today and I think its probably not Ireland specific, (Apple USA) but might be worth noting in order to report what you believe to be fake or counterfeit Apple products.

Unfortunately it will not result in replacements for items unless they were bought via Apple or affiliated sellers, I suspect.

Apple - Legal - Counterfeit Questions