How To Know If An LG TV Is Fake or Real

We live in a world full of very good electronic products from years of Research and Development (RnD) from successful companies and those that want a ride using a brand name to make millions.

In Kenya fake TVs are sold at every corner. How they entered the country only the Kenya Ports authority can tell us. If fake TVs can enter Kenya and be sold openly in shops then think of the all the illegal drugs you don’t see.

The easiest way to know if a TV is fake is to take a look at the box. Many times the packaging will not have the LG logo because it raises eyebrows. The only logos you will see is the removable sticker on the TV itself.

The other obvious sign is the remote control. This how LG TV remote controls from 2013 models to now look like. Notice that it has an LG logo at the bottom? Most fakes don’t have that logo, that’s the easiest way of recognizing a fake. Also note that Hotpoint Kenya and LG are not the same thing.

Real LG TVs with a warranty.

Now there are two other types of original LG TVs, the ones with a Kenyan warranty and others without a warranty. LG Televisions with a 2 year warranty will have the following features

• Warranty card with Kenya listed as one of the countries.
• Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) sticker.
• AFK Product code

Now its easy for a trader selling non warranty original products to give you a warranty card and stick a KEBs logo on his/her TVs but will never change the product code. Most of the times if you a buy a non warranty TV you will not be given a warranty card. Why? Because most of the times it lists countries other than those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Such countries include India, Philippines, UAE, Nigeria, Ghana and other west African countries.

This is the list of countries you expect on a genuine warranty card

• Kenya
• Zambia
• Tanzania
• Sudan
• South Sudan
• Seychelles
• Rwanda
• Ethiopia
• Uganda
• Djibouti

What’s the difference between these two TVs? Absolutely Nothing, everything from the LCD screen to Speakers and Remote control is exactly the same for most models. But some models are totally different from what is sold in Kenya and so even finding spare parts is impossible. 

Product Code

Not many buyers and consumers know what the product code is so here we go. The product code is what says which TV will be sold where. For example LG televisions sold in UK, Mexico, Kenya and Korea are totally different. Thats why some imported TVs will show black and white pictures while others will have no sound.

Here is how Kenyan TV product codes should look like. Note that the serial number and product code of the TV itself should be exactly the same as the packaging. (First image is packaging and second photo is backside of TV. If pictures are not clear just click to enlarge).

In the photos above the product code comes after the model number. For example 24LB450D-TA.AFKQLP

The model number is 24LB450D which means its a 24 inch LED TV manufactured in 2014.

The product code starts from AFK, actually that’s the most important part that means the TV is meant for the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Don’t mind what comes after AFK.

Now for the other LG TVs without a warranty

The product code is not AFK but AMU (sometimes AMA). These TVs do not have a warranty in Kenya but can you risk it? After all LG gives a 2 year warranty on their products, which means they are confident about what they sell.

Next time you go shopping for an LG TV, remember this post.

Finally, here is a trick you can manipulate your LG TV with.