Electronics Production |
How to see the difference between a fake and a real UL mark
Many electronics products made by unknown manufacturers have often not gone through quality evaluations or safety testing. A lot of these products are wearing fake UL symbols, according to Reliableplant which refers to CableOrganizer.
CableOrganizer has released guidelines of how you can see the different between a fake and real UL mark. Four major elements are key to see if the UL mark is real.
- UL letters need to bee diagonally (appearing from left to right) in a circle together with a small ® symbol under the letter “U”
- Word “listed” needs to be in capital, below or beside the circle
- A control number needs to be displayed, either a 4-character alphanumeric control number, or a 4 to 6-digit issue number.
- Needs to have a product identity phrase (name of what the product is)
There are also some other a genuine UL Marks that are good to keep in mind such as:
- A UL file number (the UL file number has usually the letter “E” as a prefix)
- The logo or company name of the producer of the product
- Applicable electrical ratings
- Also the information about the products Catalog, Model, or Type designation
Below is some indication how to see that the UL mark is fake are the following:
- If the product is missing the *UL Marks and the main four elements above. But keep an eye of the following elements below as well if you are not sure about the product:*
- Products which refers to UL but is free from a company name, trademark, trade name, or other UL-authorized designations
- Products that the letters “UL” is printed side by side instead of diagonally and inside a circle
- If the words such as /approved/ or /pending /in place of /classified/ or /listed/.
- “UL marked” product which contains a lot of spelling and grammatical errors
- The lack of appropriate product documentation, including how to use the product, safety, and proper care and maintenance
- Products which packaging does not include customer service number, company address, or other corporate information