Did you know that there are most likely millions of vaping devices on store shelves around the world today that are entirely fake? In 2021 and 2022, EB Create – the maker of the Elf Bar and Lost Mary disposable vape brands – ran an operation in cooperation with law enforcement officials that resulted in the seizure of over two million fake vapes. If that many vapes were found in a single year-long operation, just think about how many counterfeit devices are probably on store shelves waiting to be sold right now. Hundreds of factories in China are producing fake vapes as quickly as they can, and there’s no way to catch them all.
Why should you be concerned that fake vapes are out there? We’ll explain everything in this article, but one of the biggest reasons is because the makers of fake vapes always target the most popular brands. That should make you stop and think if you’re a Lost Mary user because Lost Mary is easily one of the most famous disposable vape brands on the market today.
Fake Lost Mary vapes are potentially dangerous, and you definitely won’t have a good experience if you’re unfortunate enough to buy one. We’ll begin by explaining why that’s the case, and then we’ll finish the article by telling you how you can protect yourself. Let’s jump right in.
Why Are Fake Lost Mary Vapes Such an Important Issue?
So, why is it such a big deal if you happen to buy a Lost Mary device that turns out to be fake? It’s bad for you because you’re likely to have a bad experience – and not necessarily in the way you might expect. Here’s why.
- Fake vapes hurt the legitimate companies behind the brands that are being counterfeited. They damage those companies’ reputations, and they also rob those companies of revenue that could be used to create more products that you’d love. Fake Lost Mary vapes are a particularly large problem because EB Create – the official manufacturer of Lost Mary – has changed its name a few times. That has helped to create confusion among consumers.
- The workers who make fake vapes are probably underpaid. That’s worse for the workers than it is for you, but it still hurts you if you want to contribute to a thriving and fair global economy.
- Fake vapes are likely to include low-quality components. This is particularly dangerous with battery-powered devices because a battery that isn’t good enough to be used in an official device may be more likely to overheat and cause a fire.
- Fake vapes have little to no quality control. A fake Lost Mary vape definitely won’t have the same flavor quality as an official device. It could be underfilled, and it may not even have the right nicotine strength.
- Fake vapes have a higher risk of dangerous microbial contaminations. News websites have published pictures and videos showing the shocking conditions at some of the factories producing fake vapes. The facilities are often filthy. Videos have shown workers actually puffing on the devices to test them. Would you like to buy a vape that someone else has used?
Where Are Fake Lost Mary Vapes Sold?
We’re going to finish this article by talking in detail about how to spot and avoid fake Lost Mary vapes. Before we do that, though, we’ll share the easiest tip of them all: You can avoid fake vapes by being careful about how you shop because the vast majority of counterfeit devices end up in stores that don’t normally specialize in vaping products. You’re much more likely to get a fake device if you buy from a place like a convenience store or gas station.
If you buy a Lost Mary vape from a reliable vape shop, on the other hand, you should have nothing to worry about because a good vape shop will always source its products from the original manufacturers or from licensed distributors that work with those manufacturers.
How to Avoid Fake Lost Mary Vapes
We’ve already discussed the most important thing that you can do if you want to avoid fake Lost Mary vapes: You can buy your devices from a good vape shop and avoid getting vapes from corner stores and gas stations. Even so, you should always remain vigilant. Here are the three things that you should do every time you buy a Lost Mary vape.
- Check the authenticity code on the package. Every Lost Mary vape has a unique authenticity code on the box. You can go to the Lost Mary website and enter the code to confirm that a device is real. You should do this with every vape that you buy. If the code passes the authenticity check, you can be very confident that you have a legitimate device. One important thing to remember, though, is that you should never scan the QR code with your phone when you want to confirm that a Lost Mary vape is authentic. The makers of fake vapes often set up illegitimate websites, and the QR codes on the boxes will go to those sites rather than the real Lost Mary website.
- Examine the appearance of the package. It’s common for fake vapes to be packaged in boxes that have obvious quality issues like blurry printing, washed-out colors or cardstock that’s mushy rather than firm. Top-quality disposable vapes are packaged in boxes that are designed to stand out on store shelves, and the manufacturers of legitimate devices spare no expense on developing great packaging.
- Examine the quality of the device. Producing a modern disposable vape is a fairly intensive process that may involve steps like complex plastic molding for the device’s components and silk screening for the logo and other text. The makers of fake vapes will often take shortcuts, either to save money or because they don’t have the proper equipment. A fake Lost Mary vape may have issues like visible seams, parts that don’t fit together correctly or text that you can scrape off with your fingernail.
