New battery counterfeit or have DJI started cheaping out? (pics)

I mean the front (like the first photo below) and the back.

View attachment 98115

Just FYI, I have two batteries that look exactly like the ones pictured here. One came with the P3P and the other was a DJI genuine battery from B&H Photo.

There was an update to the battery printed text sometime back. I found this thread which references the change: What is the difference between the new Phantom 3 Battery and the old?

So, my bet is that while the text is different on the battery, both are likely genuine.

Hope that helps,

John.
 
Sorry John I can't agree. The battery I have is also identical, but DJI's software tells me it's not genuine and it definitely doesn't work in a couple of Phantoms belonging to friends. I was hoping I'd have one ready when my Phantom arrives from Canada, sadly it won't. Perhaps if you are correct then some Chinese company has copied it exactly. I've tried all the tricks, cleaning contacts and pins, but it simply doesn't work. A lovely waste of money I can't afford to lose.
 
Well, I was replying to the OP and not you specifically (and talking about a P3 battery as per the OP). The fact for me is that I have two batteries with different text on the batteries as the OP has - and they are both genuine. It's also a fact that DJI changed the batteries at some point (packaging and language but no functional difference).

For you if the DJI sw detects it as fake then it's absolutely fake.

John.
 
Well, excuse me. I thought this was an open forum, obviously I was wrong. I assumed the fact I was on topic and I mentioned you name it was OK to comment. It doesn't appear the OP has answered you, so is it that big a deal to make a point of it? My apologies, I'll make sure I steer well clear of you in future. I'd hate to wreck your entire day again. And by the way, you're wrong the software did indeed say it was fake, but it wasn't. DJI's software was at at fault as was the battery. I'll allow you to sort that out, I'd hate to take up any more of your time.
 
Well, excuse me. I thought this was an open forum, obviously I was wrong. I assumed the fact I was on topic and I mentioned you name it was OK to comment. It doesn't appear the OP has answered you, so is it that big a deal to make a point of it? My apologies, I'll make sure I steer well clear of you in future. I'd hate to wreck your entire day again. And by the way, you're wrong the software did indeed say it was fake, but it wasn't. DJI's software was at at fault as was the battery. I'll allow you to sort that out, I'd hate to take up any more of your time.
Wow
 
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Well, I was replying to the OP and not you specifically (and talking about a P3 battery as per the OP). The fact for me is that I have two batteries with different text on the batteries as the OP has - and they are both genuine. It's also a fact that DJI changed the batteries at some point (packaging and language but no functional difference).

For you if the DJI sw detects it as fake then it's absolutely fake.

John.
There might be a little confusion here. The OP appears to have identical text. The post with the pictures of different text was made by msinger as an illustration only AFAIU and NOT the pics of the OP batteries.

Edit: added NOT
 
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There might be a little confusion here. The OP appears to have identical text. The post with the pictures of different text was made by msinger as an illustration only AFAIU and the pics of the OP batteries.

Good catch.... my bad for not spotting that the pics immediately after were of good batteries. Looking at the batteries posted up by the OP, neither look like anything I've seen before as genuine batteries.

John
 
Not sure what RedDog7 is trying say, but regards to battery tech, having been involved in RC car racing for a number of years, batteries make a difference, especially when racing, a matched set lasts and gives maximum power output, cells are tested and matched to each other to discharge at the same rate and using matched cells comes at a price and the quality of batteries differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, I am not saying that a fake battery will fail just as much as a DJI original may fail, but by buying original it gives me more confidence in the battery. Having flown 220,665m, 23hrs 11min total flight time. I have never had a problem with my Phantom falling out of the sky. I only have 4 batteries and record and monitor each battery to foresee any problems that may occur.
 
The seller swore and abused me when I politely mentioned the fact that he stated it was a "Genuine Phantom Battery" and threatened to ride his motorbike to my home and destroy the Phantom in front of me. Being disabled I definitely didn't wish to have him anywhere near my home.

You called the police, right??? I don't know where you are, but wherever you are, certainty there are laws against making threats to destroy property.
 
Actually, the battery was 100% genuine and wasn't at fault, the quadcopter was. The bright spark who sold me the P2 included a P3 battery. DUH. Luckily I had a copy of the invoice and it clearly stated it was a P3 battery. No wonder the software flagged it as faulty. As clever as the software is, it can't tell you it's the wrong battery, just that it's faulty. Being my first DJI purchase I wouldn't have known a P2 battery from a P4. So even though it will boot the P2 it definitely won't pass muster.

As for calling the police, for that one I didn't, but I definitely did when a GoPro part seller from Ebay decided to send me almost 50 emails after I asked politely if he wouldn't mind sending me the other half of my order. He decided to threaten my wife and myself with extreme physical violence, what made it worse was he thought I was a schoolboy. After the police had been contacted he suddenly became someone who loved me and told me he was suffering from PTSD. 16 years of on-line auctions with no problems until the past 2 weeks. I'm not looking forward to number 3.

Even though I had every email he sent, the police officer explained there was nothing he could do about it. Ebay told me they were alarmed at what he said, but within 3 hours they removed the negative feedback I'd left. It seems Ebay is more worried about losing revenue than having some some lunatic seller threatening to "smash" me. My wife is 73 and she took it all rather badly. For the first time in her life she bolted the back door and insisted I arm the alarm system and check the MediAlert. I'm in the Australian Bush Just Mark.
 
Actually, the battery was 100% genuine and wasn't at fault, the quadcopter was. The bright spark who sold me the P2 included a P3 battery. DUH. Luckily I had a copy of the invoice and it clearly stated it was a P3 battery. No wonder the software flagged it as faulty. As clever as the software is, it can't tell you it's the wrong battery, just that it's faulty. Being my first DJI purchase I wouldn't have known a P2 battery from a P4. So even though it will boot the P2 it definitely won't pass muster.

As for calling the police, for that one I didn't, but I definitely did when a GoPro part seller from Ebay decided to send me almost 50 emails after I asked politely if he wouldn't mind sending me the other half of my order. He decided to threaten my wife and myself with extreme physical violence, what made it worse was he thought I was a schoolboy. After the police had been contacted he suddenly became someone who loved me and told me he was suffering from PTSD. 16 years of on-line auctions with no problems until the past 2 weeks. I'm not looking forward to number 3.

Even though I had every email he sent, the police officer explained there was nothing he could do about it. Ebay told me they were alarmed at what he said, but within 3 hours they removed the negative feedback I'd left. It seems Ebay is more worried about losing revenue than having some some lunatic seller threatening to "smash" me. My wife is 73 and she took it all rather badly. For the first time in her life she bolted the back door and insisted I arm the alarm system and check the MediAlert. I'm in the Australian Bush Just Mark.
Here in the U.S. most states would definitely consider that aggravated harassment with that threat of physical violence. I’m surprised it’s not considered something the police can do anything about where you are.

I’m a little confused. I thought you originally said that the battery was being reported as non-genuine but are now saying that’s not what it said; that it reported it as faulty? Or is that the same just with different wording on your part?
 
You're right, it was reported on the DJI software as Non-Standard, I forget the actual term it used, I'd have to set it up again, but it could have been exactly that "Non Standard" and it did get it right, it wasn't standard, just a version too early. I've tried it in a P3 and it works perfectly. The marking were identical to the one posted by the OP. It's now marked as P3 Only.

As for the harassment charges, The state of Victoria has a new law regarding on-line bullying etc. I'm not certain if NSW has done anything similar, I was rather surprised when I was told there was nothing they could do. The police officer I rang first up told me they would be contacting Ebay for particulars, but when the trio of officers turned up it was suddenly go to the local courthouse and get an Apprehended Violence Order. Basically a piece of paper which states the guy couldn't approach me or my home for 12 months. They hand them out to anyone who threatens someone else. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to stop many from committing further assaults. It's not much of a deterrent.

I'm just happy he was more than 1,000km away. Although to read his emails that wasn't a problem as he also had "friends" living not far away which were going to pay us a visit to teach me a lesson. Exactly what that lesson was I still don't know. All I did was ask him if he would send me the items he forgot to pack. All 3 police officers read my email and said it couldn't be misinterpreted. During the whole ordeal it seemed he was reading someone else's emails, but sending his replies to me. I've been around for 70 years and I'm not worried about saying he scared the hell out me, especially as he included my wife, which he assumed was my mother. Oh yes, he also rang me. He knew my address, my name and my phone number. All I knew was he lived in Victoria and his first name.

My luck changed this afternoon though. A local guy advertised a Phantom 3 in excellent condition with all the extras. He was having financial problems and needed the money ASAP. Shall we say I came close to stealing it. The amount he asked for was ridiculously low, but he was happy when I handed over the cash, around $120 USD. Similar P3's sell for $500 to $700 AUD on Aussie Ebay. All I have to do now is get fit enough to go flying :)
 
I'd like to finally add a last post to follow up on my OP.

After a long and protracted effort via Paypal I got my money back incl. return postage. The seller was in fact a shifty Chinese drop-shipper (but had advertised themselves as local) and they were hard to get a refund from. Even when I filed a Paypal claim, their return address was an a bogus address, as instead of having Victoria Australia at the end, they put Beijing China. The return name was also a Chinese character. In the end I got it fixed up but it was a pain and took over a month.

In better news, I bought a replacement off an ebay seller with 100% feedback. I got it today and the colour actually matches the drone and it fits well. Finally :) !
 
I'm fed up with these sellers who claim to be in Australia, but are actually in China, Taiwan or Singapore. You can message them and ask if they're really where they claim and they will argue all day it's true, but go to their feedback page and you'll see exactly where they are. There's a guy supposedly in Darwin and he uses that address to explain why whatever you buy takes two weeks to reach you. He's actually in China and yet at certain times he's been in both Taiwan and Singapore. I might add he has more than a dozen ID's, also operates the same way in the US and his feedback is atrocious and yet Ebay class him as a top seller.

I've complained to Ebay on three separate occasions and given them as many IDs as I could find and they reply with "It's against Ebay policy and we will definitely act to stop this. Plus they can only act when buyers inform them of these naughty boys. I've checked back a month later and he's still operating, plus he's added more IDs. He appears to do this when his negative feedbacks get too many.

I've lost track of how often I've searched for something available from Australia and given up in disgust when every seller supposedly in Australia has ended up being elsewhere. In some cases they could be dropshippers, but the worst offenders are China based. They are killing any chances of any legitimate sellers, they're beaten on cost every time. Why won't Ebay act against them? because they make money in fees no matter where the seller is. It's wrong, but like so many things, money is the deciding factor.
 
Because I got a refund (and it has apparently been too long since purchase) I couldn't leave negative feedback. Anyone who has less than 99.5% positive feedback shouldn't be given any air. And I recommend that people also read "neutral" and even "positive" feedback as it can give insights to the type of person you are dealing with. Feedback can be positive but still say things like "slow shipping" or "not the best quality"
 
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An easy way to tell is by pressing the battery's power button and seeing if it's a full bright green or a dull yellow-green - though there might be some really nice fakes that have good indicator lights.
 
Þhe batt on the right is a knock off. DJI batts list the name a nd city of the maufactoring plant
 

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