Fake designer items worth £200,000 have been seized from a series of shops following a major retail raid. The Trading Standards Service (TSS) retrieved counterfeit branded clothing, trainers, handbags, mobile phone covers, chargers, headphones and ear pods during the operation.
Targeted inspections took place across Northern Ireland at retail premises in Bangor, Belfast, Lisburn and Derry. The busts came after TSS received intelligence from trademark holders, who identified that local retailers were selling counterfeit goods which infringed their intellectual property.
A number of complaints were received from the UT department from customers who had purchased the goods – only to discover that the items were fake and of extremely poor quality. As reported in Belfast Live, some consumers even attempted to return the items to the stores, only to be refused a refund.
Nicholas Lane, TSS Area Inspector, said: “Counterfeiting is often seen as a victimless crime but that couldn’t be further from the truth. It is widely known that organised crime groups use the sale of these goods to fund their illegal activity such as money laundering, forced labour and drug operations, which can have a devastating impact on the wider community.”
Mr Lane continued: “Counterfeit goods are produced with little regard for the safety of consumers or the workers who make them, so consumers often end up with poor quality, potentially dangerous products.
“Traders selling fake goods also harm the local economy by undermining legitimate retail businesses and traders, who pay taxes and provide genuine jobs for people. TSS will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any trader found to be selling counterfeit goods.”
To avoid buying counterfeit goods, TSS offers the following advice:
- Be wary of bargains. Remember – if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate designer items are rarely discounted, so do not rush and be fooled into believing you are getting a good deal;
- Always buy from reputable traders;
- Check the quality of the goods. Fakes will not be as good as the real thing;
- Check labels and packaging for spelling mistakes and poorly printed logos;
- Check the spelling and grammar on websites – often the people behind these sites do not pay a lot of attention or care to this detail. Fraudsters may also try to deceive you by slightly changing the spelling of a well-known brand or shop in the website address;
- When buying online look to see where the trader is based and whether a postal address is provided – just because the web address has ‘UK’ do not assume the seller is based in the UK;
- Ask the trader if there is a returns policy or guarantee. Most rogue traders will not offer this;
- If you are not sure whether the items are genuine, do not enter your payment details – it is not worth the risk.
Anyone who has information in relation to individuals or businesses involved in the selling of counterfeit goods, or anyone who believes they have purchased such goods, should contact Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.
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