Real vs. Fake Yeti Cups: 5 Ways to Tell the Difference

1. 5 Ways to Identify Fake Yeti Cups
2. How To Avoid Purchasing Fake Yeti Cups
3. What To Do If You Buy Fake Yeti Cups
4. Frequently Asked Questions

Yeti is a well-known outdoor brand that started in 2006. It was initially known for its coolers but expanded into other outdoor gear and accessories such as drinkware and bags. One of Yeti's more popular products in recent years is the Yeti mug. Its stainless-steel design is durable enough for outdoor adventures, and its special insulation keeps drinks cold and hot for hours. They're also loved for their large sizes, making them an excellent mug for camping and other outdoor activities. Unfortunately, their recent spike in popularity has made them the target for scammers looking to sell fake Yeti cups to customers at discounted prices and regular retail prices.

5 Ways to Identify Fake Yeti Cups

Fake Yeti mugs are becoming harder to identify, and there are differences between each style and size, but here are some general identifiers to look out for, including on the:

• Mug lid
• Label
• Price
• Weight
• Bottom

Mug Lid

All Yeti travel mugs come with a standard clear lid. The fake Yeti lids have a blue tint to them. It may be hard to see, but if you compare it to an actual cover, you'll notice the bluish hue. The authentic Yeti lids also have the name printed across the top with a frosted texture behind the letters. The fakes will usually have the Yeti on the cover, but it doesn't have a frosted surface.

Label

Make sure to read everything on the label and look for any misprints or misspellings. Some fake Yeti travel mugs will have a misplaced trademark sign or misspelled words, as seen in the image below. You may also notice weird spacing between words or inconsistent font. Real Yeti mugs will have perfect labels with no grammatical errors.

Price

Real Yeti travel mugs go for about $20 to $40, depending on the size and style. They can be more expensive if you decide to customize them. If someone is trying to sell a new mug for $10 or less, it's likely a fake. If you want a discounted Yeti mug that you know is real, you can check out the clearance section of outdoor retailers like REI. They'll often have discounted products when they need to make room for new Yeti mugs. 

Weight

Real Yeti mugs are made of stainless steel and tend to weigh more than fake mugs. Testing the weight can be tricky while shopping, but if you purchase a Yeti mug, put it on a scale to see how much it weighs. The 30 oz mug should weigh about 16 oz, while the 20 oz will be about 14 oz without liquid.

Bottom

On the bottom of a real Yeti mug, you'll find the name Yeti in big letters across the entire base. Along the edge, it says "Designed in Texas. Made in China.," followed by an eight- or ten-digit serial number. Fake Yeti mugs will be blank, or if they have the logo, they might now have where it was designed or made. Fakes may also have "Made in China" but not "Designed in Texas." Real Yeti travel mugs may even say, "Designed in Austin, Texas."

How To Avoid Purchasing Fake Yeti Cups

Sometimes it's hard to pass up a good deal on a Yeti travel mug, but the best way to guarantee your Yeti mug is genuine is to purchase it directly from Yeti. You can also find real Yeti mugs at retailers such Dick's Sporting Goods and REI.

Spotting Fakes Online

If you're shopping for a Yeti mug on Amazon, look to see who the actual seller is. Different people, brands, and companies sell their products through Amazon, so it can be not easy to know if the seller is a trusted Yeti retailer. Also, be careful about purchasing Yeti mugs from boutique shops, street vendors, or flea markets, as they're often not authorized sellers of Yeti.

If you choose to purchase a Yeti mug online through a site such as eBay, look out for posts with misspellings, sentence fragments, and other grammatical errors, as these are all signs of fake Yeti cups.

Also, look out for pictures that are blurry or look like they've come straight from the Yeti website. If you're unable to get a sense of the Yeti travel mug from the picture, don't be afraid to ask the seller for different photos. You can also ask the seller questions about the cup—if they seem reluctant to answer questions or don't give thorough answers, it's likely a scammer.

If you purchased a Yeti and you're unsure if it's real or fake, you can bring it to an official Yeti store and ask them to authenticate it.

What To Do If You Buy Fake Yeti Cups

If you purchase a fake Yeti cup from a site such as Amazon or eBay, contact the website to report the scam. You will want to provide them with as much detail about the product and transaction as possible.

You can ask to return the item for a refund, which may work depending on where you bought the mug. If they cannot refund you, they may look into the seller and remove them from the platform. If the seller does not get taken down, you can leave a review on the product letting other buyers know that the item was a fake, so they don't fall for the same scam.

If you purchase a Yeti mug from a physical shop, you can attempt to return the product and ask for a refund, but that's up to the store's discrepancy. Beyond asking for a refund from the seller, there's not much you can do to get your money back from purchasing a fake Yeti mug.

Additionally, you can report the counterfeit goods to the Internet Crime Complaint Center IC3.