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Microcenter Selling Fake Wii Remotes

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rainless

Old Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2006
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0311265

First of all most of them were DIRTY... which doesn't make much since considering they were refurbs and they were dirty in the EXACT SAME WAY (on the d-pad... and on the d-pad *only*.)

I guess the idea was to make it look like they had actually been used at some point.

The printing on a stanard Wii Remote controller is light gray. The printing on the one I bought at first was BLACK. And the home and power buttons were a different color than the one that came with my system. AND it made a loud buzzing sound whenever the controller vibrated.

So I took it back.

All but one of the other controllers (I actually went through every single refurb controller they had... there were fort) had the light gray print on the side.

Two of the three best looking ones were broken (they rattled when you shook them.) So inspected the last one carefully... it made no sound when it shook, the printing was light gray, there was an insignificant cosmetic defect. But it SEEMED legit... it even weighed a little more than the fake controller did.

So I took it home: Same thing: BUZZZZZZZZZZ whenever it vibrated instead of the silent low rumble.

I took the sleeve off of the controller that came with my system and inspected the two carefully side-by side.

Very close to being indenticle... til you got to the BOTTOM of the controller: The characters (letters really) were cut much finer on my official controller than they were on the refurb. And the size of the "Home" button on the refurb was all wrong.

I studied Fake Controller number 2 MINUTELY while I was at the store: It was identical to all the others except for the rattling the broken ones made.

There's only one conclusion: ALL the Wii Remotes they're selling as refurbs are actually fakes.

Checked out a few guides online for spotting fake Wii Remote controllers. It all checks out.

First thing I did was contact Nintendo... so far they've been less than helpful.

I'll get in touch with a manager at Microcenter when I get this chance. This could be quite a scandal...
 
Nice detailed info. Got links to the 'spot a fake wiimote' sites?

And...the internet cyberdeals screw rainless once again! When looking at things that way I suppose it was to be expected :beer:
 
Yeah that i7 920 for $199 is too flippin' good to pass up!!!! :D

Pssst... those are really old P4 s478 CPU that had been relabeled as i7. Check the back side, if it had pins its fake. If it doesn't have pins but rather has pads, count em make sure there are 1366 pads. :cool:
 
Just took controller number 2 back. Didn't have the chance to talk to the manager. I doubt if Chicago's the only store that got screwed though. So I'll just call corporate.
 
al the site says is

"Refurbished Wii Wireless Remote"


doesnt say they are made by nintendo, does it say on any packaging Nintendo's name and copyright and things like that or?
 
al the site says is

"Refurbished Wii Wireless Remote"


doesnt say they are made by nintendo, does it say on any packaging Nintendo's name and copyright and things like that or?

Yes it says Nintendo's name on the packaging, the controller itself, the WRIST STRAPS.

These controllers aren't just designed to MIMIC the Wii Controller... they're designed to BE the Wii controller.

Down to the slightest copyright symbol... just not in the slightest detail.

Trust me: I wouldn't be making this thread if it were just advertising slight of hand... I've actually owned TWO of these... and personally thumbed through every single controller the store has.

ANYWAY...

Just got off the phone with Nintendo. This time they called ME and it was an hour long conversation. They wanted to know all the details I could give them of this fake controller.

I told them everything I knew: The bad fake controller I got, the good fake controller I got. The blatant flaws, the microscopic flaws, the difference in plastics.

Hell... I think overall the level of detail is so close you'd be getting a hell of a deal if you just had a bunch of kids that tore up everything.

For 80 bucks you could have four of them and whenever they tore one up, just take another out of your safe.

But if you've just got TWO controllers... and one is real and one is one of these fake ones... Then it's not so good.

The difference is too obvious once you have it in your hand.

They said their legal department was going to look into it. We'll see what happens.

If Nintendo wants to give me the twenty bucks, I'd be happy to buy one of these things and send it to them.

Hell... They can keep their twenty bucks and I'd gladly exchange for a real one.
 
Good to hear someone is taking notice of this issue. I don't have a Microcenter near me so I probably won't get any news butif you do hear something do keep us appraised. It's possible that Microcenter doesn't realize they got a batch of counterfeit controllers.

Their lawyers would probably got to a few random Microcenter, buy a few refurbished controllers, then disect them at HQ to compare with the real product. If they determine a large portion is fake they may send a letter to Microcenter informing them, requiring them to pull all stock, and requiring them to reveal where they got them.
 
If I weren't going out of town in the morning I'd go check it out. No way in hell am I going near that place after Thursday though. They're crowded enough as it is on a regular weekend day.
 
If I weren't going out of town in the morning I'd go check it out. No way in hell am I going near that place after Thursday though. They're crowded enough as it is on a regular weekend day.

True... dat.

I usually do alright there on Black Friday though. If you're one of those first fifty people in line at like 2am... then it's not so bad.

They hand out coupons for everything and just put it in your cart as you go in (they have it all right by the door.

Then chances are you'll be one of the first people at the registers.

I wouldn't go there after 5:30am though (half an hour after they open).

That's just SUICIDE.

The only store I feel comfortable visiting from 5am-10am is Target on Roosevelt.

The greatest Black Friday store EVER.
 
I purchased a wii remote/ nunchuk on BF while i was there, and they are both definitely bootleg as well. This is the microcenter in cincinnati, OH. Build quality is so terrible, speaker is way too loud.
 
I purchased a wii remote/ nunchuk on BF while i was there, and they are both definitely bootleg as well. This is the microcenter in cincinnati, OH. Build quality is so terrible, speaker is way too loud.

I wouldn't have noticed the speaker because the vibration motor was so loud and cheap... and crappy.
 
you ever thought it could of been just a factory making them for Nintendo? I really don't think anything is going to change if they are fake. Sorry to "rain" on your parade. That is a lot of money to make a fake that is that close.
 
you ever thought it could of been just a factory making them for Nintendo? I really don't think anything is going to change if they are fake. Sorry to "rain" on your parade. That is a lot of money to make a fake that is that close.

Apparently you've never been to the Chinatown mall in Toronto.
 
I've read that often times the same factory that produces the product for the legit company during the day, produces bootleg stuff at night. When the bootleggers are using the same machinery and expertise as the legit stuff, I'm sure you can get a very good facsimile.
 
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