In 2019, nearly 3.3% of the world trade was in fake goods.
The worldwide loss in sales due to counterfeit goods was around 26.3% in 2020.
You can see that the problem with fake and counterfeit goods being sold is increasing every year. This not only affects consumers but also genuine sellers and brands. Consumers who are not alert enough may end up being victims of counterfeit products and being duped.
Hence, consumers need to take some precautions and detect if a product is genuine or not. Here are some pointers from us that should help you check for counterfeit products when buying online.
How do you check if the product you bought online is genuine?
• Check the price: When purchasing a product online, the price is a determining factor for a counterfeit product. If an online site is selling products with unreal discounts, i.e., too low a price, there are chances of counterfeit products.
• Check the Website: When shopping online from a new website, make sure it begins with ‘https://” not “http://” and has a padlock sign near the address bar to determine that website is not fake.
• Check the seller: When you are buying from a big eCommerce website like Amazon, Walmart, Flipkart, etc., various sellers sell a similar product. Take a look at what other consumers are saying about the seller, i.e., the ratings and reviews, to determine if they are genuine.
• Check the reviews: Before placing the order, check out the product reviews and ratings. This will let you know the experiences of the consumers before you and help you determine a genuine product or seller.
• Check the packaging: Genuine brands make efforts with their packaging. They will use quality packaging printed with their logo, brand name, etc. If you are delivered products that are not well packaged, i.e., flimsy packaging, or the packing is a misfit, or the date on the packaging and your order doesn’t match, or there is no name or logo, etc. These are signs that the product that you received may not be genuine.
• Check the brand name, logo, font, etc. Get online and study the brand name well (especially its spelling, logo, font, etc.). When you receive the product, check out the brand name, logo, font, etc. Counterfeits will have some misspellings, a different font, a bit of a of a difference in the logo, etc.
• Check the product information: Once you receive the product, check out the information printed on the product or its packaging. There will be factors like serial or model numbers, patent information, codes, trademarks, etc. If some of this information is missing, it indicates fake products. You should also cross-check all the printed numbers on the product or package with the original online product’s numbers.
• Check the product quality: If the product you receive is of cheap quality, like fake leather, poor quality clothes, old or used appliances or gadgets, cheap glass, tacky plastic, etc. The product may not be genuine if you find it to be made of such low-quality material.
• Check the product accessories: Check out all the accessories that are to be received as mentioned on the package or the website from where you ordered them. If any accessory is missing or is of inferior quality, check immediately with your online retailer. Or the chances are that the product you received is fake.
Follow these tips and check if the product you bought online is genuine.
How to check if the product you bought online is genuine?
