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Fake Butterfly case?

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    Posted: 11/18/2017 at 2:40pm
Hello everyone,

Some time ago the foam from my Butterfly Aluminum case unglued and I saw that the cover is made not from aluminum, but from the cardboard. So when I peeled the foam away it looks like this:



So the question that is bothering me for some time is if this a genuine case or is it fake. Did someone had a similar accident with Butterflyaluminum case and find a cardboard under the foam?

 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Purett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/18/2017 at 3:55pm
what did you expect ?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tiehwen Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/18/2017 at 4:07pm
i consider that aluminum racket case an overkill item for your Stiga OC FL..yrs ago I had that case for my last MJ Special ST...


Edited by tiehwen - 11/18/2017 at 4:09pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/19/2017 at 2:48pm
Well, maybe that's my unique lucky racket :)

I think the main criteria whether the case is overkill or not should be not the price of the racket, but how do you carry it. If have have a hand made blade by some master artisan from one off Kiso Hinoki but keep it between two pillows imho you don't need a case at all. Protective sheets will do the job. But if you have a normal blade and keep it in the same bag with your dumbbels, not sure if the allu case (with the cardboard instead of allu :) ) will be sufficient.

I go to my sports club in the evening right after the work. So for my daily commute I take my backpack with all the stuff for the whole day. Computer with cables and mouse, usually 3 food containers, protein shaker, my thermo coffee mug, sports clothes, shower stuff, sport shoes, 2 sports bottles, 1 or 2 rackets, balls and so on... So I want a case which I could put at the bottom of my backpack, put all my stuff on top of it (because I will use my racket late in the evening only), then add some more stuff and don't worry that I can damage the rackets in any way- brake the blades by some bending forces, penetrate the rubbers with some sharp object and so on...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/19/2017 at 2:58pm
Originally posted by Purett Purett wrote:

what did you expect ?

I expect that if I buy aluminum case with a foam insert, it should be aluminum case with a foam insert. Now it seems the corners are made from plastic, sides from alu, top and bottom from some cardboard. Especially if its made by a more premium brand with a very premium price (https://shop.butterflyonline.com/alu-case) . I didn't plan on buying Butterfly, but it was on sale and costed around 30 eur, so about the same other aluminum cases do. 

So now I am on a mission to find if the case is fake or if Butterfly is on a mission to make some extra $ in not the most honest way...

If the case is fake, I think I will report the seller to the authorities. But I must be 100% sure for that.


Edited by Simas - 11/19/2017 at 3:00pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 10:38am
It seems nobody found cardboard inside Butterfly aluminum case. Maybe someone found a cardboard in some other brand aluminum case?


By the way, forgot to mention that I wrote an email to Butterfly with a photo of the case asking if the case is original. They did not reply...


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote proSpin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 12:24pm
Hi Simas, 

What were you expecting when you bought the aluminium table tennis case? 
Were you expecting the case to be fully made of aluminium? 
So you now you see wood after peeling off the foam, you think the case is made of wood and is a fake product?

Imagine butterfly have to reply hundreds of email relevant to your case. 

omg...


Edited by proSpin - 11/24/2017 at 12:28pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote taczkid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 12:30pm
fako or not fake it does the same job, maybe even better than actual butterfly !
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clannewton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 3:09pm
is it possible that you do have an aluminum case, it might have a thin sheet of aluminum as the skin and the cardboard/wood under the skin to provide form and added strength? you obviously can't see the skin thru the wood/cardboard?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 4:03pm
Yes, the main point of my thread is to identify if the case is genuine or not. 

On Butterfly website https://shop.butterflyonline.com/alu-case it says "rigid aluminium outer with inner foam" and it has a very solid price of 50usd (luckily it was on discount, so paid 30eur. Same price as other aluminum cases of less expensive brands). So if I find a much cheaper material which is not mentioned in the description on the official site, I have enough reasons to question the qenuinity of the product. So that's why I wrote to the forum and wrote the email to Butterfly. If I could identify that it is a fake case, I would report the shop to the authorities, but for that I must be 110% sure.  '

So if someone found an all aluminum top and bottom it would be obvious that my case is fake.

If the case is genuine there is another problem. I don't think it is OK to say what it is said and make sides from aluminum, corners from a very cheap shiny plastic, the top and bottom from cardboard and as Clannewton mentioned hide them with some aluminum foil or a very thin sheet for appearances. From what I can tell the the top and bottom "covers" do feel somewhat like aluminum, but the feeling is not the same as the sides. So not sure about the top and bottom covers, would have to remove the cardboards and destroy the case.

P.S. yes, the case protects the racket really well, but that's not the point of this topic imho
P.S.2 Butterfly customer care isn't that great, as I think my question is legit and for the price premium we are paying and Butterfly being a premium brand we should expect at least to get some answer after all. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote *_strataras_* Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 5:29pm
It is not fake, this is the under-coat of the case. Can't be the whole case from aluminium.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 5:31pm
I am no materials engineer, but maybe foam does not interact well with aluminum whether they are glued on or not.  Could be foam goes better with cardboard which goes reasonably well with aluminum.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote haggisv Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/24/2017 at 5:38pm
Originally posted by Simas Simas wrote:

and it has a very solid price of 50usd (luckily it was on discount, so paid 30eur. Same price as other aluminum cases of less expensive brands). So if I find a much cheaper material which is not mentioned in the description on the official site, I have enough reasons to question the qenuinity of the product.
You always pay a premium for Butterfly equipment, even for identical products. I suspect all the alu cases from all the different brands are basically the same and made in the same factory, they just re-badge it for different brands.
You actually have zero evidence that the case is fake, all you have is that some parts are made of materials that you did not expect. No manufacturer is going to list every materials that's in their equipment, that's of no interest or benefit to 99% of their customers.

Fair enough that you ask here on the forum if anyone else has seen this, but I doubt you'll get a response from Butterfly Japan.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clannewton Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/25/2017 at 10:13am
I have a couple of Andro aluminum cases and I just checked, they are built the exact same way with the cardboard/wood piece that fortifies the aluminum skin on top.  So I doubt that you have a fake, it seems this is the industry standard for aluminum cases.  Hope this eases your frustration.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Egghead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/25/2017 at 2:01pm
Originally posted by clannewton clannewton wrote:

I have a couple of Andro aluminum cases and I just checked, they are built the exact same way with the cardboard/wood piece that fortifies the aluminum skin on top.  So I doubt that you have a fake, it seems this is the industry standard for aluminum cases.  Hope this eases your frustration.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Simas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11/25/2017 at 2:45pm
Thank you Clannewton, you've been very helpful! and it eases my frustration as I would be quite furious if they sold me a fake case. Now I can rest in peace :) :)

Yes, all aluminum cases are nearly identical made in some factory in China. Same dimensions, foams and so on. Just different logos and colors. That is very obvious when you have them side by side. When I was buying my butterfly the seller laid in front of me a couple of them. They differed only in logos and prices :) As butterfly was on sale, I took it.

So if Clannewton found cardboard under his also, it really seems like some sort of "industry standard".

P.S. I wrote to Butterfly EU headquarters in Germany 


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