Don’t let your purchases power organised crime

09 June 2010

With many household budgets tight due to the prevailing economic climate, domestic repairs and construction may increasingly be undertaken through DIY rather than by a professional contractor. Buying counterfeit or inferior quality products for these projects - particularly over the internet - might be a cheaper initial outlay but can result in serious injury and even death to users while bringing huge profits to global organised crime groups.

Criminal traders will often attempt to pass imitation goods off as well-known brands, or sell tools which look like well known brands but have a slightly different name or appearance. A recent example involved the name of leading chainsaw manufacturer being altered slightly to sound the same when spoken. Standard vendor tactics are to claim that items are samples from trade shows or end-of-the-line pieces available for unusually low prices.

These methods are deliberately designed to deceive customers unfamiliar with the types of product concerned. Often, products are listed on auction websites, or even entirely fake websites, and the fact that a site ending ‘.co.uk’ does not necessarily mean the trader is based in the UK can bring further confusion. Vendors based abroad may be almost untraceable, and buyers are therefore advised to stick to trusted retailers. 

Counterfeit and inferior quality products are almost certain not to have been adequately tested for safety, nor approved by an appropriate trade body or regulator. They will also not be covered to any extent by a manufacturer’s warranty, meaning even minor faults will necessitate significant expenditure on a replacement.

Paul Evans, SOCA Executive Director of Intervention, said:
“The golden rule is that if a deal looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.  You might think you are buying a bargain, but that bargain is unlikely to perform to the standard you were expecting and may even be so dangerous that it could cost you your life.

“It pays to do your research before making any significant purchase, and particularly when it’s an item like a power tool for which safety is paramount. Consider why a supposedly high value, high quality item is being sold cheaply on an online auction site, from a car boot, door-to-door or on a market stall. Spending a bit more on an authentic product from a reputable vendor can prevent misery further on, and doesn’t put families’ hard-earned cash into the pockets of serious organised criminals.”

Other indicators of counterfeit or inferior goods can include:

• Lack of serial or approval number on the label
• Product is substantially different from what is displayed on the packaging
• Absence, or poor quality, of instructions
• Lack of CE label      
• Vendor insisting on receiving payment in cash

Who to speak to:

Advice on your rights can be obtained from Consumer Direct, a government-backed telephone and online consumer advice service which works in partnership with local authority trading standards services, at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or 08454 04 05 06

If you think you have any information on Intellectual Property crime you can contact your local police force, or get in touch anonymously with independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.