Short answer: buy from the brand or an authorised stockist, insist on an invoice and warranty, and be wary of “designer” prices that look too good. Check the hinges, finish and UV labelling. For SPINEL, enter the code from your warranty card, invoice or serial label at spinelglobal.com/verify.
Why it matters
Fake sunglasses are not only a style problem. Many have no reliable UV filter, and a dark lens without UV protection can let more UV into your eyes than no sunglasses at all, because your pupils open wider behind the tint.
Warning signs
- The price: a well-known brand at a fraction of its usual price is almost always a copy.
- The seller: no business name, no address, no invoice, cash only.
- Hinges and finish: loose or gritty hinges, rough edges around the lens, arms that don’t close evenly.
- Logos and printing: misspelt, crooked or easily scratched off.
- No UV label, or vague claims like “anti-UV” without UV400 or 100% UVA/UVB.
- “Polarized” that isn’t: look at a phone screen and tilt the glasses about 90 degrees. Real polarized lenses darken the screen at one angle.
Ask for a UV check
If you’re unsure about a pair you already own, many opticians can test how much UV the lenses let through.
How to verify a SPINEL product
- Find the number on your warranty card (SPW-), job sticker (SPJ-), invoice (SP-R- or SP-W-) or the serial label on the product or box (SPU-).
- Enter it at spinelglobal.com/verify. Upper or lower case, with or without the dash.
- Green means a genuine SPINEL product, with its purchase date and warranty status. Red means the number wasn’t found: check it, then contact us.
You can also register your details against the code so warranty claims are faster later. Shop genuine SPINEL sunglasses →