Fake Beats by Dre headphones showing up online, in stores

'Beats by Dre' headphones are one of the hot gifts for Christmas this year. How do you know if you're buying the real thing, though? They're being sold on Craigslist, eBay, out of garages and even local businesses.  Fox59 is taking action for you, catching people who are likely selling fake Beats by Dre.

Louis Hogan, manager at Best Buy on Lafayette Road in Indianapolis explained the phenomenon behind the headphones.

"You think of Dr. Dre as a very reputable sound engineer so people understand the great sound quality as well as just, it's a fad. You see a lot of professional athletes wearing them; you see a lot of entertainers wearing them," said Hogan.

However, fakes that don't necessarily have that same quality, are all over town.  We met up with some of the dozens of sellers from Craigslist.  


We met one man at "The Cell Joint" off of 38th and Georgetown.  He told us he was selling Beats by Dre Pro headphones for $300, which is about $100 less than in an authorized store.

We asked if they were real and he said yes. However, when asked if we could get video, he said: "I'm not going to compare nothing. It is real. You want it or you don't want it, it is very simple."

A picture we took shows that where a serial number should be, there wasn't one.

"It's brand new sealed in the box," he said.

When we pointed out that they actually weren't sealed, he said: "Okay, because another person like came and wanted to see them so I opened and showed it to them."

He's also not listed as an authorized dealer on the Beats by Dre website.

We met up in a parking lot with another seller, who said he had Beats by Dre Pro Detox.  His were for sale for $300. They sell in authorized stores for $500.
 
We pointed out that the real Beats by Dre Pro Detox headphones have an opening in the plastic so you can hang them up and his didn't have that. He said he didn't know that. He also said the headphones were a gift from a relative and that they were from Best Buy.

Hogan said they would never offer a $200 discount on headphones like that and aside from a few special offers, the prices are the same no matter where you go.

"Buy at a reputable retailer. Buy from a name you trust, so if you have your receipt you can work through the retailer and manufacturer and get your money back," Hogan said.

Also, you can't return fake Beats by Dre headphones to the store.

"I've had one situation like that but our staff knows what to look for," Hogan said.

You have to have a receipt to return them, Hogan said.

Be careful online too. We found a pair of red Beats by Dre Studios  that sell for $299 at Best Buy. Red beats that look the same on  ele-online.com sell for just $118. The problem is that they're shipped from China, and there is no contact phone number and the website isn't listed as an authorized dealer.

Even though the fake beats and the real beats look very similar, the quality is not.  If you have a problem with the counterfeit headphones, you could be out $300 or more with nowhere to turn. If you already have beats and want to know if they're real, you can verify the serial number on the website, which is listed below.

Beware of Counterfeit Products:
http://www.monstercable.com/counterfeit/

Safe Buying Guide:
http://www.beatsbydre.com/support/register.aspx

Verify if your beats are real:
http://www.beatsbydre.com/support/VerifyProduct.aspx