A few weeks ago, I had the idea to mod my iPod with a Bluetooth module. The project would allow me to listen to my iPod with wireless headphones. Since then I've acquired some hardware pieces in order to complete this project. I bought an iPod (of course), a Bluetooth module, a soldering iron, and some wire to make the appropriate connections. The final piece of the puzzle was a Bluetooth stereo headset, so that I could listen to the fruits of my labor. Most BT headsets are kinda pricey so I was searching for the best deal possible. I ended up searching on Craigslist, which is where I go when I'm searching for project cars:)

Anyways, I considered it my lucky day when I found someone selling a Motorola s9 on Craigslist for $45 brand new. Considering how it usually runs for $80 retail, this was quite a find. I contacted the guy and made plans to meet him in the parking lot of the Luby's on Mopac and Steck in the middle of the afternoon. When he pulled into the parking lot, he walks over to the trunk of his car and pops the trunk. Inside were piles of electronics and other accessories. All of which were being sold for around 50% off the retail price. I only wanted the Motorola headset so that's all I got. It did strike me as odd seeing how he had all these electronics in the trunk of his car. Oh well, I got what I wanted, paid him cash, and then left.

At this point, you're probably thinking that the items were stolen, or that they had "fallen off the back of a delivery truck". Read on.

Not surprisingly, the box contained everything that was supposed to be in the package: the headset, manuals, registration cards, charger. However, when I began to use it, I noticed that the sound was not as clear as I expected it to be. The reviews had said that it was a top rated Bluetooth headset. Not only that, when paired with a cell phone, the clarity was supposed to be undistinguishable from talking without a headset. But when I called Carolyn she mentioned that it sounded like I was standing 30 feet away from the phone and talking.

Later that night I found out what had happened. I had been sold a fake. A replica of the real thing made in China, India, Korea, or whatever countries do this. How did I know? I visited the Motorola website to troubleshoot the device and came across a page that compared the fake replicas to the real thing. The fake I got actually passed 8/10 tests. That is, only 2 things about the headset itself were able to tip me off to the truth of the matter. One of them was a missing hologram sticker present on all Motorola devices.

My sister had a bluetooth headset that was a little more obvious. A closer look at her headset read the name of the manufacturer as "SAMSING Electronics".

A call to the guy on Craigslist garnered no responses. An email got me a response but no real offer to meet up and get my money back.

I decided though that I liked the headset, but I wanted the real thing. So I ordered it online from a reputable dealer. The real headset sounds awesome. The clarity is just like it states in the online reviews. If only I had known to buy the real one in the first place. The lesson learned here is "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is".

Check out the pictures of the real vs. fake headsets and see if you can figure out which one is which.