How to spot fake branded wire: 10 checks before you pay
Counterfeit coils dressed up as top brands circulate in the same channels as cheap grey stock. Fake wire usually means thinner copper, fewer strands or recycled conductor, which means overheating and fire risk inside walls. Here’s how to check.
The single biggest warning sign is price. If a “top brand” coil is offered far below dealer price with no bill, assume it is fake or unaccounted for until proven otherwise.
The 10 checks
- Buy with a bill. A GST invoice from a traceable seller is the first filter. Fakes almost never come with one.
- Scan the authentication code. Leading brands put a scannable code or hologram on the pack and offer an app or website to verify it. Use it.
- Read the printed legend. Genuine insulation is printed at regular intervals with brand, size, voltage grade, standard and often a metre count. Smudged, uneven or missing print is a red flag.
- Check the ISI mark and licence number. House wire must carry the ISI mark with a licence number. You can look the licence up on the BIS website.
- Measure the length. Short coils sold as full length are common. A metre-count print on the insulation makes this easy.
- Count the strands. Strip a sample. Strand count and diameter should match the declared size; fakes cut corners here.
- Look at the copper. Bright, uniform copper colour. Dull, patchy or yellowish conductor suggests recycled or impure metal.
- Weigh it. Use the copper calculator: a coil that’s much lighter than its declared size should be is short on copper.
- Feel the insulation. Genuine FR insulation is even and firm. Thin, brittle or sticky insulation is a warning.
- Check the packaging. Spelling mistakes, poor printing, mismatched colours or missing batch details all point to a fake.
Why it matters more than the price
Wiring sits inside walls for decades. A conductor that’s undersized by even a fraction runs hotter under load, degrades insulation faster and raises the risk of a short circuit. The few hundred rupees saved on a fake coil is tiny next to the cost of rewiring, or a fire.
How we check verified surplus
Every coil we resell goes through these checks, and is bought from the builder or contractor who owns it, against their original invoice. See verified surplus.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if wire is fake?
Buy with a GST bill, scan the brand’s authentication code, check the printed legend and ISI licence number, measure the length, and check strand count and copper colour on a stripped sample.
Is cheap wire from the market always fake?
Not always, but wire offered far below dealer price without a bill is either fake, unbilled, or of unclear origin. Each of these carries risk for the buyer.
Can I verify a wire’s ISI licence?
Yes. The licence number printed with the ISI mark can be looked up on the Bureau of Indian Standards website.
What happens if fake wire is used in a building?
Undersized or impure conductors overheat under load, which damages insulation and raises the risk of short circuits and fire.
Explore the Wire Market Hub
Brand names such as Polycab, KEI, RR Kabel, Finolex and Havells belong to their owners. National Recycling Co. is not an authorised dealer or distributor of any wire brand and is not affiliated with them. We buy surplus only from its documented owner. Figures on this page are indicative and for information only; nothing here is legal or tax advice.