How To Spot Non-Compliant Vape Products

Vaping has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, with new developments entering the market all the time. As a result, it’s difficult to keep up with the industry and how to spot a fake vape product.

There are some telltale signs for spotting counterfeit vape goods so you can stay safe and give you hard-earned cash to a reputable seller and brand.

Our guide below walks you through why you should avoid fake vapes, how to spot the signs and protect yourself from harm.

Let’s dive in.

UK rules on vaping products

It’s helpful to know the rules and regulations around vaping in the UK so you can better spot the fakes.

The UK’s requires all vape products to fit the following requirements:

• Vape tanks are no larger than 2ml
• Refill containers can only have 10ml of nicotine-containing vape juice in
• E-liquids can be no stronger than 20mg/ml of nicotine
• Certain colourings, caffeine and taurine are banned
• All vapes must have the latest warning requirements clearly labelled
• Notify the MHRA body before they’re on the market

It’s a pretty simple list, which makes spotting the counterfeit products even easier for you as a consumer. One of the easiest ways to trip up is from buying imported goods from places like the US, where larger refills tanks for vape juices are allowed. The larger tanks defy the regulations set out by the UK government, so they shouldn’t be sold.

Why should I avoid counterfeit vape products?

Counterfeit vape products are often not safe for use as they use unauthorised substances without any safety checks in place. These can harm your health in the short and long term if no proper testing has taken place.

Counterfeit vape products can also harm legitimate brands if their products are being copied without permission. This can massively affect the vaping industry by undermining trust and the reputation of reputable brands on the market. Counterfeit products also cause a wider distrust of vaping in general.

Finally, fake vape products are often associated with shady businesses and even criminal activity. If you buy counterfeit products, you’re potentially supporting these activities in your local area. The risk to your health hardly justifies the reward.

Telltale signs of non-compliant vapes

There are some simple ways to spot fake vapes and protect yourself from running into harm thanks to these counterfeit goods.

No nicotine warning label

As mentioned above, the UK government requires all vaping products to carry the necessary warnings about nicotines and other harmful substances. If your newly purchased vape juice is missing its nicotine warning, chances are it’s a fake and you should immediately discontinue use of the product.

Untrustworthy retailer

If there’s something a little ‘off’ with the shop you’re purchasing from, or you’re not sure whether the website you’re buying vape products from is legitimate, then listen to your gut and cancel the purchase. Vendors who sell counterfeit products are breaking the law and should be reported at the earliest opportunity.

No expiry date

Vape juices and other products should have a use-by date on them as standard. As a rule of thumb, e-liquids have a shelf life of 1-2 years before they need to be thrown away.

If this is missing or something doesn’t look quite right about the label, it’s not worth the risk. You’re better off getting rid of the product or not purchasing in the first place.

Check the ingredients list

A vape juice should have propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavourings and nicotine as its base ingredients. If anything other than these four ingredients is listed on the label, such as caffeine or taurine, then you should immediately be suspicious of the product.

If you’re not sure about certain ingredients in a vape juice you’ve bought, you can always contact the manufacturer to see if what they say matches up with the label.

Too cheap

If a vaping product is far cheaper than normal and there isn’t some kind of deal expressly advertised, then you should assume the goods are fake. Always buy a vape product that’s roughly in line with other vape purchases you’ve made in the past.

Think saving some money in the short term is enough to justify buying an unlicensed product? Think again. These counterfeit products can be extremely dangerous, and you don’t want to risk your health to save a few pennies.

Too much nicotine

The UK government is very clear on how much nicotine should be in a vape juice. If you see anything that’s over 20mg/ml of nicotine, you can safely assume the product hasn’t been approved by the MHRA and is illegally being sold.

What to do if you have a counterfeit vape product

The first thing to do is to leave it well alone! You don’t want to risk using a product that could deal you some serious damage if you’re not careful. If you haven’t purchased the product already, go with your gut and look for a legitimate vendor to buy from.

The next step is to throw away said offensive item. Make sure to correctly dispose of the counterfeit product in case it’s leaking, which could affect any wildlife or pets nearby. You can check out our guide on how to safely throw away vape products.

The final step is to report the counterfeit vape product to the relevant authorities. In the UK, this would be reporting the seller to Trading Standards. If you’re really concerned, you can take another step by contacting the police’s Action Fraud taskforce about the fraudulent goods.

Wrapping up

The world of counterfeit vape goods is a murky one, but it’s easy to spot the signs when you know what to look for. We hope our guide helps you to understand the risks around fake vape products and how you can protect yourself from falling foul of a scam.

You can always guarantee our vape juice uk products are premium, certified and safe to consume. We work with the highest quality brands to bring you the best selection of vape juices on the market.