How to Spot Counterfeit Products
Look out for deals that are too good to be true., Pay attention to the products you buy., Beware products that seem flimsy or are obviously poorly made., Inspect the packaging carefully., Look for a safety certification label., Make sure everything...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Look out for deals that are too good to be true.
Not all fakes sell at lower prices than their genuine counterparts, but an unreal bargain is one of the surest signs of an unreal product.
Ask yourself how someone can sell, for example, a brand new $140 tool for $50--chances are it's because it's a fake. -
Step 2: Pay attention to the products you buy.
Odds are you purchase many of the same products or brands over and over again.
Pay at least a little attention to them and you'll be much better at spotting a counterfeit because you'll have something to compare it to.
If you're purchasing a brand that is new to you or a product that you don't frequently buy, compare it to the same product at other stores.
You can also compare brands against other brands.
For example, if you're not sure about a certain extension cord, compare it to others that are for sale in the same aisle.
All brands of extension cord will have a lot of the same information and symbols printed on them or on their packaging, so if one particular brand doesn't, it may be a fake. , Quality control is often absent in counterfeiting operations, so you may be able to spot a counterfeit simply based on its workmanship.
Of course, even if it isn't a counterfeit, do you really want a poorly-made product? , Reputable businesses typically take great care in packaging their products.
Beware flimsy packaging, packaging with substandard printing or running colors, or packages that appear to have been opened.
In addition, take a moment to actually read the package.
Spelling or grammatical errors are common on the packaging for counterfeit goods.
For example, boxes of counterfeit toothpaste that showed up in U.S. stores in June 2007 had several obvious typos, including "SOUTH AFRLCA" and "Assoxiation." Does the packaging exactly match the product? Some careless counterfeiters will try putting a fake drill, for example, in a box for a saw.
It's rarely this obvious — check model numbers on the packaging against the model number of the equipment, and carefully examine tags on clothing.
Look out for very plain boxes.
Most product labels and boxes these days have a whole host of information printed on them, from bar codes to trademark and patent information to recycling symbols.
Counterfeiters often don't want to spend the time to reproduce every detail, so they'll likely leave some of this stuff off.
Look for manufacturer contact information.
Most reputable companies will provide a phone number or at least an address at which consumers can call them. , Just about any electrical product, and many other products that could pose some sort of safety risk, will have one or more safety certifications on its label if it's made by a legitimate manufacturer.
The UL (Underwriters Laboratory) label is the most common, particularly in the U.S. (the competing ETL mark is also a major certification in the U.S.).
In Europe, the CE (the abbreviation doesn't officially stand for anything) marking is required on electrical products, and in Canada the CSA (Canadian Standards Association) mark is common.
Look for at least one of these marks on electrical products--there are often several, as well as other minor certifications.
Bear in mind, however, that counterfeiters will often include fake marks on their products, so you need to look at them closely.
Low quality products that don't claim to be brand-name may also simply use a counterfeit certification mark.
Familiarize yourself with how these marks look.
Look at products in your house and in stores.
The marks for a given certification are not always the same size, but they always carry the same font and design, and they will include a control number for the specific product.
Faked marks are usually, but not always, easy to spot.
UL requires hologram marks for most products from China and for some products regardless of country of origin; see their website for details.
If the certification mark is present only on the packaging, but not on the product itself, there's a good chance the product is fake.
Some of these organizations also have online product registries where you can look up a particular product or control number to verify the certification. , Counterfeit products often don't include supplementary materials such an owner's manual or a product registration card.
Sometimes they don't even include all the parts that should come with the product, or some parts will be from a different manufacturer. , Many large companies now have information on their websites to alert customers to possible counterfeit products and to help them detect fakes. -
Step 3: Beware products that seem flimsy or are obviously poorly made.
-
Step 4: Inspect the packaging carefully.
-
Step 5: Look for a safety certification label.
-
Step 6: Make sure everything that should be there is there.
-
Step 7: Check the manufacturer's website.
Detailed Guide
Not all fakes sell at lower prices than their genuine counterparts, but an unreal bargain is one of the surest signs of an unreal product.
Ask yourself how someone can sell, for example, a brand new $140 tool for $50--chances are it's because it's a fake.
Odds are you purchase many of the same products or brands over and over again.
Pay at least a little attention to them and you'll be much better at spotting a counterfeit because you'll have something to compare it to.
If you're purchasing a brand that is new to you or a product that you don't frequently buy, compare it to the same product at other stores.
You can also compare brands against other brands.
For example, if you're not sure about a certain extension cord, compare it to others that are for sale in the same aisle.
All brands of extension cord will have a lot of the same information and symbols printed on them or on their packaging, so if one particular brand doesn't, it may be a fake. , Quality control is often absent in counterfeiting operations, so you may be able to spot a counterfeit simply based on its workmanship.
Of course, even if it isn't a counterfeit, do you really want a poorly-made product? , Reputable businesses typically take great care in packaging their products.
Beware flimsy packaging, packaging with substandard printing or running colors, or packages that appear to have been opened.
In addition, take a moment to actually read the package.
Spelling or grammatical errors are common on the packaging for counterfeit goods.
For example, boxes of counterfeit toothpaste that showed up in U.S. stores in June 2007 had several obvious typos, including "SOUTH AFRLCA" and "Assoxiation." Does the packaging exactly match the product? Some careless counterfeiters will try putting a fake drill, for example, in a box for a saw.
It's rarely this obvious — check model numbers on the packaging against the model number of the equipment, and carefully examine tags on clothing.
Look out for very plain boxes.
Most product labels and boxes these days have a whole host of information printed on them, from bar codes to trademark and patent information to recycling symbols.
Counterfeiters often don't want to spend the time to reproduce every detail, so they'll likely leave some of this stuff off.
Look for manufacturer contact information.
Most reputable companies will provide a phone number or at least an address at which consumers can call them. , Just about any electrical product, and many other products that could pose some sort of safety risk, will have one or more safety certifications on its label if it's made by a legitimate manufacturer.
The UL (Underwriters Laboratory) label is the most common, particularly in the U.S. (the competing ETL mark is also a major certification in the U.S.).
In Europe, the CE (the abbreviation doesn't officially stand for anything) marking is required on electrical products, and in Canada the CSA (Canadian Standards Association) mark is common.
Look for at least one of these marks on electrical products--there are often several, as well as other minor certifications.
Bear in mind, however, that counterfeiters will often include fake marks on their products, so you need to look at them closely.
Low quality products that don't claim to be brand-name may also simply use a counterfeit certification mark.
Familiarize yourself with how these marks look.
Look at products in your house and in stores.
The marks for a given certification are not always the same size, but they always carry the same font and design, and they will include a control number for the specific product.
Faked marks are usually, but not always, easy to spot.
UL requires hologram marks for most products from China and for some products regardless of country of origin; see their website for details.
If the certification mark is present only on the packaging, but not on the product itself, there's a good chance the product is fake.
Some of these organizations also have online product registries where you can look up a particular product or control number to verify the certification. , Counterfeit products often don't include supplementary materials such an owner's manual or a product registration card.
Sometimes they don't even include all the parts that should come with the product, or some parts will be from a different manufacturer. , Many large companies now have information on their websites to alert customers to possible counterfeit products and to help them detect fakes.
About the Author
James Knight
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: