Q: Is this iPod for real?

Tech Q & AA: In so many words this was an absolutely real question we received from a customer that walked into our store the other day. I’ll explain the situation in a moment, but I am using this question to send a warning out this holiday shopping season to those who are looking to buy iPods over the Internet.

The customer came into our store asking about a new iPod Nano they had just purchased on eBay. She was suspicious that the iPod was not real. At first glance, this certainly seemed like a real iPod. But it quickly became obvious that this was not a real iPod but instead a very realistic looking counterfeit. The iPod and documentation had Apple logos all over them and the packaging looked realistic. However, the iPod did not have the fit and finish that real iPods do and the user interface was definitely not an iPod interface.

This customer was savvy enough to recognize that something was wrong. However, I’m afraid that some other poor souls have purchased counterfeit iPods and not known the difference. Or even worse, perhaps they were purchased as gifts. So please, if you are going to purchase items like iPods over the Internet, please be extremely careful. Make sure you are buying from a reputable vendor. And be very wary of prices that sound too good to be true. Apple products for certain are not allowed to be sold at a discount, so if you see Apple products that are being sold for less than the Apple standard price, you can be certain that the vendor is not an Apple-authorized dealer.

To help with your holiday technology gift buying, make sure to attend our class Tuesday, November 11th. We will go over various topics to help you make the right decisions and get the right gifts this holiday season. If you can’t make the class, feel free to contact me with your questions.