Are these calipers fake?

[hman]

I took a chance on a Mitu digital caliper I found on eBay. When I got it, I checked as best I could, and it does seem to be genuine: Lock knob shape, quality of inspection certificate & signature,SR44 battery (NOT LR44), etc. The price was OK ... somewhat of a bargain, though not super low (as is typical of counerfiets). I'm glad I got what I got.







UPDATE: I just watched the video that @sycle1 posted (#6, above)

Given the more complete evidence I now have, I can only conclude that the calipers I got are FAKE. I just hope that the higher "off state" current consumption typical of these counterfeits doesn't end up biting me on the behind.

Unfortunately, the ebay seller says he does not accept returns!

Live and learn. Thanks, @sycle1

 

[great white]

I took a chance on a Mitu digital caliper I found on eBay. When I got it, I checked as best I could, and it does seem to be genuine: Lock knob shape, quality of inspection certificate & signature, LR44 battery (NOT SR44), etc. The price was OK ... somewhat of a bargain, though not super low (as is typical of counerfiets). I'm glad I got what I got.
View attachment 425537






UPDATE: I just watched the video that @sycle1 posted (#6, above)

Given the more complete evidence I now have, I can only conclude that the calipers I got are FAKE. I just hope that the higher "off state" current consumption typical of these counterfeits doesn't end up biting me on the behind.

Unfortunately, the ebay seller says he does not accept returns!

Live and learn. Thanks, @sycle1

If the seller advertised them as mituyoto calipers and they ware not mituyoto, you can make a claim via ebay's buyer guarantee program. Also note that if an item is "not as described" (which is what happened if they are NOT real mituyoto), the seller is responsible for return shipping, regardless of what they write on the auction page. They must refund both purchase and any shipping posts you had to pay.

The seller can decide if they want to pay the return shipping or just tell you to keep it, but they can't escape the rules that they have to make a full refund if they advertised one thing (or led buyer to believe they were getting something they weren't) and shipped another. Be aware they may offer you a partial refund or a replacement. I turn those offers down as I've been burnt by them before. Get your money back, ship it back to the seller if they want to pay shipping.

It's all right in the ebay rules for buyers and sellers....

 

[Janderso]

Someone mentioned it before.
If you buy these from a reputable supplier, MSC, Graingers, Travers etc. You won't have to worry about fake tools.

 

[great white]

Ok, so it seems your original link in post #1 doesn't seen to actually be the auction you bought from. Sellers name is wrong, amongst other things. I found it by searching the item number in your purchase order pic:

Mitutoyo Japan 500-197-30 200mm/8" Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mitutoyo Japan 500-197-30 200mm/8" Absolute Digital Digimatic Vernier Caliper at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

The pictures in that auction all show what appears to be a "real" Mitutoyo vernier and this sellers feedback score is 100% over 58 transactions, which all seem to be for mitu calipers of one size or another.

Probably best to post some pictures of the actual item you received if you want an option on if it's real or not....


Edit: aha, I see what's happened here. It seems there are two different purchases being discussed in this thread. The link from post #1 seems to show "fake" or questionable mitu's, the link from post #11 (the auction listed above) appears to be selling "real" mitu's...

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I took a chance on a Mitu digital caliper I found on eBay. When I got it, I checked as best I could, and it does seem to be genuine: Lock knob shape, quality of inspection certificate & signature, LR44 battery (NOT SR44), etc. The price was OK ... somewhat of a bargain, though not super low (as is typical of counerfiets). I'm glad I got what I got.
View attachment 425537






UPDATE: I just watched the video that @sycle1 posted (#6, above)

Given the more complete evidence I now have, I can only conclude that the calipers I got are FAKE. I just hope that the higher "off state" current consumption typical of these counterfeits doesn't end up biting me on the behind.

Unfortunately, the ebay seller says he does not accept returns!

Live and learn. Thanks, @sycle1

Fraud is fraud. Inform him if he does not accept the return you will pursue him for fraud using every available means, and then follow thru

 

[RJSakowski]

how to spot a fake set and the differences on Mituytoyo calipers?

Wow! A comprehensive comparison. Much better than the one I saw a few years back by Mitutoyo. Another point to note; many sellers of name brand lookalikes use the original manufacturer's artwork for their sales.

One way to curb this counterfeiting would be to purchase the items and then return on the basis that it is not a genuine article. eBay. Amazon, and PayPal would soon grow tired of this and drop these vendors. Facebook is particularly onerous a presenting outright scams to its users. I report them as I find them with a promise from Facebook that they will investigate and report back but they never do.

 

[7milesup]

I have posted this link on here before but here we go again. I have purchased from them before with good results.

Mitutoyo 500-196-30 Digimatic Caliper, 0-6"/0-150mm Range, .0005"/0.01mm Resolution *USED/RECONDITIONED*

Item Description Range: 0-6"/0-150mm Resolution: .0005"/0.01mm Large and clear LCD readout The ZERO/ABS key allows the display to be zero-set at any slider position along the scale for incremental comparison measurements, this switch will also allow return to the absolute (ABS) coordinate and...

shop.idealprec.com

 

[Jake M]

I would say fake. The pictures in the auction aren't even the same. For example, this one from the auction looks like a genuine mituyoto:

View attachment 425528

I disagree. There's a couple of other easy to spot things that are "fixed", and there's either mulitple sources of the counterfeits available, or they're constantly "improving" The battery cover, and the last digit of the display for example are look right (from the picture), but the swoopy line on the right isn't right. That's the most consistent and easiest to spot error I've seen.

 

[pontiac428]

So far, I haven't seen any fake calipers. All of the pics posted look like real calipers to me. What, you got a too good to be true deal, received a set of functional calipers, and you're complaining?

All right, all right, stop with the spitballs. I'm only kidding. It's only funny to the guy who bought Tesa instead. I mean, why fake the $60 Mitutoyos? That's like the Ford Escort of the machinist's chest. Go Swiss and you won't have to worry about it, nobody is counterfeiting those.

 

[ARC-170]

I took a look again after watching the video and the ones I was talking about are fakes. The other ones I'm looking at, if the pictures are legit, are real. They are also reputable vendors. And, they are not a good deal; the same ones are the same or less on Amazon.

The tough part is figuring out if the photos are real. I'm always suspect of pictures that look like the ones on a mfr website and not like ones taken by sellers of the actual item.

I wonder how a seller gets any business with a rating in the 30's and why Ebay doesn't shut them down?