Chartered Trading Standards Institute investigators have issued a warning to consumers who look to save money by purchasing non-official Apple chargers, with the information that 99% of counterfeit Apple chargers fail the most basic of safety tests, putting those who choose to use them as well as other people and properties nearby at risk.
Furthermore, when warning against the use of these counterfeit and electrical chargers, the agency said that these type of products were entirely an “unknown entity”, alluding to the fact that consumers literally have no idea if the manufacturers have tested the product thoroughly, or if the electrical item conforms to any kind of safety protocols.
The investigation into the many different types of counterfeit chargers being sold has come hot on the heels of Apple warning against the influx of fake charging accessories being sold at online retailers for charging iOS and Mac devices.
In fact, earlier in the year, Apple actually took the opportunity to update its own support website to try and educate consumers on how to spot fake charging accessory vs the real one in the hope of ensuring that iPhone and iPad owners weren’t inadvertently duped into purchasing potentially dangerous charging equipment that they believed to be official Apple wares.
Worryingly, the Trading Standards investigation has found that out of 400 of these chargers tested, only three were found to actually be produced with enough insulation that would actually protect the user against any electrical shocks. Specialist testing engineers purchased a number of these chargers from different countries including US, China and Australia, and then applied a high voltage to the equipment in order to test for sufficient insulation, with the conclusion being that a high percentage of those purchased were simply dangerous.
The conclusion being here that official goods from Apple and other manufacturers may cost a little more, with counterfeit items offering a price appeal, but in the long run the later could cause physical damage to person or property.
If you have recently purchased a charger that you think is fake or counterfeit, or are thinking about grabbing a new one, you can take a quick look over our previous guide on how to actually spot a fake Lightning cable over one of Apple’s official options. It may not seem important right now, but when you generally have an iPhone or iPad plugged in during the night to charge while asleep, it’s vitally important to ensure and have the trust that the hardware you are using is fit for purpose and won’t cause harm to you or your device.
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