For many of us, cash grows tighter and tighter as the months go by, in an attempt to capitalise on this, criminal gangs are flooding our towns and cities with discount rate counterfeit goods. Many of us are choosing to save our hard earned money and purchase these fake goods over the real McCoy. These goods however are no longer limited to tracksuits and trainers. The industry has dangerously moved into electrical goods, with the most popular counterfeit products being hair styler’s, children’s games and mobile phone chargers. These are widely available on the black market.
Although these products may seem like a quick bargain, the products themselves are often unsafe to use and are the root cause of electric shocks, burns and even house fires. The year 2012 witnessed the highest number of counterfeit electrical goods ever recorded, with 2013 predicted to top 2012. So what do you need to know and do to stay safe?
Always be on the lookout for any products at rock bottom prices, how can they be sold at the fraction of their normal price? Check that the items packaging looks genuine, cheap or poor quality packaging is an easy way to identify poor quality goods. If you already have the product, check the item for damage and check that the item has the proper three pin UK plug. If you think that the product is faulty or a fake copy contact your local trading standards office or Citizens advice Bureau straight away. If you have any reservations about the safety of the product, DO NOT use it.
If electric goods which can kill aren’t bad enough, counterfeiters have now added fake prescription medicines to their deadly collection for sale. These medicines can often look exactly the same as the real thing, but often contain incorrect doses of active ingredients and are filled with often dangerous ingredients.
In July of this year both America and China cooperatively embarked on an operation to crack down on counterfeit goods, together they seized almost a quarter of a million fake electronic products. Dangerous replicas of world famous brands including Samsung, Apple, Blackberry and Dr.Dre were seized. China is the main source of these counterfeit goods. Shockingly, the haul included electrical children’s toys, which were found to be unsafe for use. China has recently destroyed £21 million worth of fake goods in a publicity stunt designed to warn those operating in the black market industry.
You can rest assured when you see a Passed PAT Label on any electrical product that it is safe to use and has gone through rigorous testing to ensure the user has a safe experience. Counterfeit goods will rarely pass a PAT test.
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