It would not be an exaggeration if we say that the spread of covid-19 created an opportunity for counterfeiters to manufacture and sell more replicas. The worst part is, in most cases, they lie about the origin of the products and label them as authentic, which results in defrauding people without a blink of an eye. Fortunately, there are ways counterfeit products can be identified but only professionals can do it with 100% certainty. Good for you, we have already found the expert team that can help you even in the most extreme counterfeiting cases: LegitGrails.com will assist you 24/7 and get you an authenticity certificate that will help you in the future if you ever decide to resell the item. The good part is, if you want to do authentication on your own, you can always check out their authentication guides and follow each method step-by-step for a successful legit check process.
How Fake Stuff Get in Stores
Counterfeit products are being sold everywhere from walk-in stores to online websites. The thing is, while the person can check the product thoroughly in the actual store, the same can not be done on online websites, as the pictures can be edited or even copied from the official online store, that is why counterfeiters try to sell their products online instead of focusing on walk-in-stores.
The zero-tolerance policy makes it hard for counterfeiters to sell fake products in regular shops, as the store and the owner can get fined or even sent to jail because of copyright infringement, this is why the products are mostly sold on the black market, where regulations are non-existent.
Selling online is much easier as it only takes counterfeiters to build a decent-looking website and attract customers. The issue of copyright infringement is as big in this case, but it is a fact that criminals still manage to make it work.
How to Spot a Fake
We are going to teach you some helpful ways to avoid buying counterfeiters:
Learn about the seller – The very first thing we recommend doing is researching the seller. Sometimes, the website of the online store is so delicately done that nobody will suspect anything without double-checking the details. Of course, not every third-party vendor is selling counterfeit products, as authorized sellers exist too, but questioning the website before placing an order will not hurt anybody. Check the seller, check the contact information, and try to reach out. Most of the time, counterfeiters will not offer customer service or contact information, so it might give you some signs.
Look out for the discounts – Who does not like a good deal? We certainly do, but when it comes to branded items discounts can be a red flag. Luxurious brands almost never go on sale and even a small discount might be a warning sign. We recommend checking the retail price of the item before buying it off an unknown website. The price is the main way counterfeiters manage to sell their products as people tend to search for lower prices in order to save money when in reality they lose a lot more by paying thousands of dollars for poor quality products.
Check the customer reviews – This is the method that has saved thousands of customers from buying poor-quality counterfeit products that were labeled as authentic. Go to the product page and check the reviews; if they are wildly different from one another they might show that the brand has quality control problems which automatically can be taken as a red flag as the luxurious brands would never make such mistakes.
Learn your product well – If you decide to buy branded items from the unofficial website, we recommend you get familiar with the product’s features. Compare logos, colors, stitches, and letterings to the official pictures, try to observe as many details as possible. If you find even minor differences, then we hate to break it to you but the item is fake.
Analyze the packaging – Luxurious brands use as high-quality packaging as the materials themselves, that is why if the branded item comes in anonymous, sloppy packaging you should take it as a warning sign and search for further differences. If the design is off, there are misspellings or different logos on the box, then the item is fake and we advise you to apply for a refund as soon as possible.
Restitution for Fake Goods
If you purchased a fake product from a counterfeit website you should ask for a refund as soon as possible. It is important that you describe the issue clearly if possible attach the pictures too. If the seller ignores your complaint, then you should start a dispute and sue in small claims. Of course, it also depends on the size of the order and the amount for small claims varies from state to state, so we advise you to check the policies in your area before starting the dispute.
Conclusion
As you can see, counterfeiters find many ways to put their products on the market, the most important thing is we do not become victims of the fraud. Fake products can be found everywhere from black markets to online stores. The most important thing is we know how to distinguish counterfeit brands from authentic ones. When buying from unofficial online websites, try to learn more about the seller and find out whether the vendor is authorized or not. Try to reach out via customer service, ask questions, read reviews and do everything you can to make sure you are buying legit products instead of fake ones. Counterfeiters have been around for years, and they will remain, no matter how strict the brands will become through their policies, our duty is to do everything to avoid supporting them and instead try to learn more so defrauding us will not be as easy in the future.
