Watch Out for Counterfeit Products

Counterfeit consumer electronics affect customers and the industry

Using counterfeit batteries, chargers, or other camera accessories is dangerous as there is a real risk of injury or damage to your camera. Lithium batteries must include marks to show they are in compliance with their country's safety and environmental standards. It may be illegal to sell batteries that are not in compliance.

Problems when Using Counterfeit Batteries

Not only is there a risk of counterfeit batteries unexpectedly overheating or catching fire when being charged, damage to the camera may also occur.

Compared with genuine batteries, counterfeit batteries have significantly less charge capacities. Counterfeit batteries may also deteriorate quickly after frequent use, inaccurately show battery power levels, expand and become stuck into the camera slot, cause sudden power loss, or damage camera data.

In addition, even genuine batteries can deteriorate quickly and lose charge capacity when charged with counterfeit chargers.

Sony cannot guarantee against accidents, battery or camera damage, data destruction or other problems caused by counterfeit batteries or chargers. Further, Sony cannot repair counterfeit batteries or chargers.

This information is to help ensure the safety of our customers and prevent unexpected problems while using your Sony products.

Is one of your accessories counterfeit?

Below is a list of the most commonly found counterfeited Sony accessories. Please note that in addition to batteries and chargers, battery grips and other power accessories are also counterfeited frequently.

If you have already purchased any of the products listed here, please carefully check whether it is counterfeited or not.

The most frequently counterfeited Sony batteries and chargers:

Batteries NP-BN1 NP-BX1 NP-FG1 NP-FW50 NP-FV50 NP-FV70 NP-FV100 NP-FZ100

Chargers BC-TRN BC-TRV BC-TRX BC-TRW BC-VW1

Helpful Tips for Avoiding Counterfeit Accessories

 Only purchase items directly from Sony or from authorized dealers 

 Be careful when purchasing from overseas sites 

 Watch out for prices that appear unreasonably cheap 

 Check the quality of the packaging 

 Beware of suspicious offers or messages 

 Check that your batteries fit your devices properly 

 Beware of overheating 

 Make sure your accessories perform as well as they should 

 Check the logos 

How do I tell the difference between counterfeit and genuine products?

Sony batteries are marked with the Sony logo and anti-counterfeiting holograms. The hologram may be found either on the packaging or the battery. Again, purchasing directly from Sony or from an authorized dealer is the best way to ensure that you get genuine Sony accessories.