# General Business Category > Scam Alert Forum >  Beware of lifeproof cases for apple products

## ians

If you have purchased a lifeproof case in South Africa, you need to verify that if is not a counterfeit by sending the serial number to lifeproof.com 

I purchased a lifeproof case and did all the tests to verify it was waterproof, it passed, but there where a few minor issues like people complaining  that they could not hear me when I spoke into the phone, so I did a little research.

I would never have picked up that it was a counterfeit product by the packaging or the case itself it was so well made.

Apparently there are no resellers in South Africa according to lifeproof so if you purchase in SA chances are it is a counterfeit.

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## Justloadit

Shoo another scam. Seems they are all around us.

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## HR Solutions

At they not available perhaps because SA does not yet have the proper Apple stores in our country, only the local "I" store, which is a big difference ?

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## ians

There is now a company which is a reseller, lifeproofsa.co.za, unfortunately they don't stock iphone 5 products nor ipad mini product, much good that is.

Something to be aware of if you decide to use a water proof cover for your electronic device, the water proof cover company will NOT repair or replace the device you use in the cover even if it fails after the first day, they will replace the cover but not the device, even if it is an original, just something to think about before putting a R10 000 - R15 000 device into a waterproof housing and taking a dip.

Something else to consider, the call centre will respond to you claim within 3 DAYS due to the high call rate...eeeeeish, need I say anymore.

So what do I take away from this terrible experience, if you plan on using your electronic device for extreme experiences, be prepared to waste a lot of money or use the correct device designed for the application, ie don't use an iphone 5 when you go diving or riding your bike...rather get a go pro which at least replaces the unit when they fail, which by the way seems to be common especially with the go pro hero 2, but at least they replace the units if with in the warranty period.

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## ians

Lets not even start the Apple discussion  :Frown:

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## ians

Just got an email from lifeproof.com, they have verified that my lifeproof cover purchased from http://www.microgadgets.co.za/  is a counterfeit.

If you have a lifeproof cover for an iphone 5 there are a few simple things to look out for:

You will find people cannot hear you when you speak into the phone mic,

The touch screen becomes non responsive once you dial a number,

the shape of the camera lens is slightly different, 

The serial number in the back case is not correct, 

there is no serial number in the front cover,

the inside of the black cover is not black,

The scary thing is everything else including the packaging looks identical, there are bar codes, scan code, the spelling is correct, the pics are embossed, you will not even know you have a counterfeit unless you check all these things and even the things I have listed work I would send the serial numbers to lifeproof just to verify.

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## ians

There is a very simple way to determine it your lifeproof case is for real or a counterfeit, just look at the box cover, in the top right corner where is says LIFEPROOF  there must be a R in a circle

this video points out all the things to look out for, 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqmnfZhmGZM

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## Citizen X

> Just got an email from lifeproof.com, they have verified that my lifeproof cover purchased from http://www.microgadgets.co.za/ is a counterfeit.
> 
> If you have a lifeproof cover for an iphone 5 there are a few simple things to look out for:
> 
> You will find people cannot hear you when you speak into the phone mic,
> 
> The touch screen becomes non responsive once you dial a number,
> 
> the shape of the camera lens is slightly different, 
> ...


This is disturbing! Have you contacted ‘Walter,’ for a refund? What does Walter have to say? 

"CONTACT DETAILS
e-mail: walter@microgadgets.co.za
Walter Cell: 082 223 5489
Office: (031) 765 6370
POSTAL ADDRESS:
Micro Gadgets
8a Plantation Road
Hillcrest Park
P.O. BOX 3610
KZN
South Africa"

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## ians

I have contacted Walter, and he has apologised and will give me a full refund on Monday.

I was as mad as a hatter when I realised that I had a R10 000 cell phone in a counterfeit case and was going to crucify him and his company on the internet, but I don't believe it would be fair, the reason I say this, because I have had other people look at the case, and if you don't know about the circled R next to the name and didn't actually check the serial number it is extremely difficult to determine it is a fake, none of the people who have looked at the case believe it could be a fake, Everything else about the case looks real, it even passed the 1 hour water test. The spelling on the packaging is correct, there is no fading of colours, The only thing which got me started with the research was the fact that people where complaining that I was breaking up while talking on the phone, if it wasn't  for that and the video I attached I would still believe it was an original.

The second 2 nd reason why I don't want to judge Walter unfairly is because I went to Gateway yesterday and visited a reputable company which sells and repairs Apple products and yes you guessed right, the lifeproof cases they are selling don't have the circle R next to the name in the top right cover or at the back bottom flap, so without even opening the packaging to have the serial number checked, maybe Walter is not to blame. If nobody who has purchased one of these covers for their ipad have not picked up that they a fakes, how could Walter? 

A lesson I have learnt from this, don't put a R10 000 device into a cover which might even be an original because even if the case fails due to factory defect you have no claim for the device against lifeproof, they will replace the cover at no charge but you will have to pay for the repair or a new device.

I have decided to purchase a griffin survivor case for my iphone 5 instead, if I plan on taking it for a swim I will use one of the cases designed to go 60 metres under the water, but rather just use my go pro camera which is designed for underwater filming.

Just something else I have been thinking about, when I contacted lifelproof they indicated that they where aware of the problem with the lifeproof cases and had since redesigned the case and there is a new generation cover, what happened to all the generation 1 lifeproof cases and do they have the circled R...mmm just something to think about. They have a 3 day response time due to high call volumes, also makes you think, another reason I have decided to go with the griffin survivor case.

Lifeproof have a reseller in SA ( http://www.lifeproofsa.co.za/) but they don't stock iphone 5 cases nor the ipad mini case, just too many things about lifeproof which make me nervous to buy any of their products.

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## ians

This is the response I received from lifeproof

Thank you for taking the time to contact LifeProof Customer Support. I am very sorry for the delay and inconvenience that you have been experiencing regarding your case. We regret to inform you that the serial numbers you have provided have been flagged in our system as fraudulent.

Due to the high volume of counterfeit cases that are circulating Amazon, ebay, Kiosks and other 3rd party internet websites, we are unable to provide warranty claims for products that were not purchased from Lifeproof.com or a retail store.


Your best option at this point is to return your original case and purchase one from an authorized reseller of us. Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns, or visit www.lifeproof.com/en/fake-lifeproof-case for more information.

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## ians

I had to laugh, I just received an email from Griffin indicating that they will respond to my email in the next 3 days. I sent them an email requesting information on how to verify if their cases are originals and not fakes, they did however attach a link to drop test done on their covers, the part which makes me laugh is they send the link but it has a warning before you watch it " DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" ever, the reason I want to buy their case is because just like the drop tests indicated in the videos is exactly what my phone will experience once in goes onto site, I work on construction sites...duh. It like buying a  bullet proof jacket, but there is a sticker on the front which says don't get shot while wearing this bullet proof jacket, it might not stop the bullet.

Maybe lifeproof should also take note, if you design a cover to be waterproof to 6 ft don't warn people that if you go 2 foot under the water the device in the case is not covered for water damage., because their product might fail.

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## Citizen X

> I have contacted Walter, and he has apologised and will give me a full refund on Monday.
> 
> I was as mad as a hatter when I realised that I had a R10 000 cell phone in a counterfeit case and was going to crucify him and his company on the internet, but I don't believe it would be fair, the reason I say this, because I have had other people look at the case, and if you don't know about the circled R next to the name and didn't actually check the serial number it is extremely difficult to determine it is a fake, none of the people who have looked at the case believe it could be a fake, Everything else about the case looks real, it even passed the 1 hour water test. The spelling on the packaging is correct, there is no fading of colours, The only thing which got me started with the research was the fact that people where complaining that I was breaking up while talking on the phone, if it wasn't for that and the video I attached I would still believe it was an original.
> 
> The second 2 nd reason why I don't want to judge Walter unfairly is because I went to Gateway yesterday and visited a reputable company which sells and repairs Apple products and yes you guessed right, the lifeproof cases they are selling don't have the circle R next to the name in the top right cover or at the back bottom flap, so without even opening the packaging to have the serial number checked, maybe Walter is not to blame. If nobody who has purchased one of these covers for their ipad have not picked up that they a fakes, how could Walter? 
> 
> A lesson I have learnt from this, don't put a R10 000 device into a cover which might even be an original because even if the case fails due to factory defect you have no claim for the device against lifeproof, they will replace the cover at no charge but you will have to pay for the repair or a new device.
> 
> I have decided to purchase a griffin survivor case for my iphone 5 instead, if I plan on taking it for a swim I will use one of the cases designed to go 60 metres under the water, but rather just use my go pro camera which is designed for underwater filming.
> ...


Please keep us posted i.e. if the refund is indeed given..

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## ians

Trust me the refund will be collected  :Wink:  one of the reasons I don't buy online.

I don't think you realise how pissed off I am at this point with Telkom, Apple, fake cases, etc. I have had enough.

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## HR Solutions

So I presume u still have that "faulty" I phone ?

You had a problem with the I phone and now the cover! Why don't you just stay clear of them ?

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## HR Solutions

I just take out R 65 insurance a month and get a new phone if it damaged . No phone cover nothing !

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## irneb

> ... what my phone will experience once in goes onto site, I work on construction sites...duh.


In which case I'd advise you get some phone which is meant for rough-n-tumble. I aslo have such issues as I'm also constantly on a construction site. 

Something like a military grade phone - one of these:
Sonim: http://www.military-phone.com/Agis: http://techtoys.flyurbinomics.com/ag...e-smart-phone/


Or if you want a true "smart-phone" but not as rugged as those, go for a Motorola. Their Razr line are waterproof, dust proof and shock resistant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmW14kFJRDghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmW14kFJRDg
And if you go for the MAXX you get a smartphone with awesome battery life too! I'm just p'd off that the "new" Maxx HD (already a year old) is still not available in SA!

I've still got my old phone as backup, the one I got in 2001: a Siemens ME45. It's fallen onto concrete from 5 floors, been under water several times and even been driven over. No cracks, no issues, still works without any hickup. The worst ever to happen was that I had to unplug and re-insert the battery as it jolted loose (that was the 5 storey drop). Sorry that Siemens aren't making phones anymore, IMO they were the best quality of all - in strength of construction, reception, battery life and features (even that old phone has java apps, email and web connection). I've went through 5 other phones since, all of them either died or I got fed up with them. Now I've got a Samsung Note 2 - simply because of the battery life - I wanted a Motorola Maxx HD, but cannot find any in SA. The closest match in battery life was the Note 2, though it's still a lot less. Painfull that it's not rugged at all, so I'm constantly trying to "protect" it - to the point where you place it "carefully" on the desk. Maybe I should have gone for the 2 year old Razr Maxx instead, I just hate it when we in SA have to go for the already discontinued models! Was the same thing when I got a Moto Milestone 1.




> I just take out R 65 insurance a month and get a new phone if it damaged . No phone cover nothing !


All too true! I've very seldom found any of those "guarantees" to be worth the paper they're printed on - even if they don't contain those "escape" clauses!

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## HR Solutions

@irneb - the insurance works.  It is with Nashua Mobile themselves, not an insurance company.  I have had a phone replaced and so has my daughter.  Even if the dog chews the phone they replace !
And yes ians should get a more hardy phone !

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## ians

My work phone is Nokia 1280, no need to spend R65 a month on insurance, never had a customer complain about missed calls not being displayed on the phone, battery lasts sometimes up to a week.

The best is nobody steals it, I left it on a meter box out in the weather for a night, went back to site and there it was still where I left it, I have people bring my phone to me when I leave it on machines I work on. 

One thing I can take away form this experience, if you are looking to replace your phone, get a cheapie and a small tablet rather than a smart phone, they are just tooo small to use as a laptop and too big to carry around as a phone, but the bigger problem is you always have to be careful where put it down or if you drop it, it is not worth the hassle, use the phone for what it is designed for and a tablet to do everything else, just my 2 cents.

All I can say it was a very expensive mistake getting an iphone 5, if you work on construction site like I do it is like carrying very a expensive egg around in your pocket just waiting to break. You can only learn form your mistakes.

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## HR Solutions

> My work phone is Nokia 1280


Then why would you want an original Lifeproof case ?

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## ians

I been using the nokia1280 phone for about 3 years, thought I would upgrade to an iphone 5 because of the Telkom mix, and the nokia has a small contact memory, I need 500 contacts to be stored in my phone,  I was then going to scrap the nokia because it looks like it has been driven over, has pieces of plastic missing from it falling out my pocket while on the ladder on more than one occasion.

I kept using the Nokia while I was trying to sort out the iphone , once it was sorted I was going to change over to the iphone, but have since decided against it. I have decided to rahter invest in a 7 " tablet and I will be getting a cheapie nokia phone which can take a memory card and can load whatsapp  to communicate with staff, wholesalers, customers etc. or I think the sony experia go would be a good choice, but they are a little over priced.

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## ians

Thanks to Walter from http://www.microgadgets.co.za for sorting out my problem and he apologised for the inconvenience. I have already made another purchase from him and will be making another purchase as soon as he has stock.

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## ians

Invested in a griffin survivor case for the iphone and decided to test their support team, sent them a message, within a couple of minutes there was a person from their technical division live on chat, told him I was have all sorts of problem with the cover just to test him, got the response I was looking fo and ended the chat, thumbs up to griffin, after watching the drop tests for the griffin iphone case I only have one test I want to try because it will be the worse thing the phone has to endue and that is to throw my phone from my office over my house and see if it the case protects it, from all the drop tests I have watched, the only thing that seems to break the phone is to drive over it with an SUV, so I am sure the trip over my house should be ok, the nokia has taken the trip a few times and still works, so long as it lands on the grass and not the tar driveway, the nokia battery and back cover normally go separate ways, it helps relieve tension when you have those really irritating customers or you have to deal with the municipality or any other government department  :Wink:

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## Dave A

> it helps relieve tension when you have those really irritating customers or you have to deal with the municipality or any other government department


I *was* wondering about the relevance of this particular test - thanks for clearing that up  :Big Grin:

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## HR Solutions

> the only thing that seems to break the phone is to drive over it with an SUV


And you accept this !! Surely you can get a cover that can protect the phone from this ?

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## ians

Check out this video, the kind of punishment my phone goes through.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XJtbYaEbM

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