Step 1: Too Good to Be True?
Not all fakes sell for cheaper than the real thing. If someone is selling something that could sell easily for $200 and they are selling it for $50 be careful that could be a red flag.
Step 2: Low Quality?
Sometimes you can spot a counterfeit item by the quality. Poorly or cheaply made items are sometimes counterfeit products. Of course, if it's poorly made you probably don't want it anyway.
Step 3: Pay Attention to Detail
Spelling or grammatical errors are common on the packaging for counterfeit goods. Look out for plain boxes. Most product labels and boxes have a whole bunch of information printed on them, like bar codes, trademarks, patent information and recycling symbols. Counterfeiters often don't spend the time to add every detail, so they will leave this stuff off.
Step 4: Look For Contact Information
Most reputable companies will provide a phone number or an address at which consumers can contact them.
Step 5: Make Sure Everything That Should Be There Is There
Counterfeit products usually don't include materials like an owner's manual or a product registration card. Sometimes they don't even include all the parts that should come with the product, and some parts might be from a different manufacturer.
While these steps can help you spot most fakes, some counterfeiters pay a lot of attention to detail, and no set of guidelines can absolutely ensure that you won't purchase a counterfeit product. The quality of counterfeit products varies. Some people, however, enjoy shopping for bargains on high-quality counterfeits. Keep in mind that purchasing some counterfeits may be illegal.
Top 10 Counterfeited Items to Look Out For:
- Footwear
- Consumer Electronics
- Handbags/Wallets
- Apparel
- Computers/Hardware
- Watches
- Media
- Pharmaceuticals
- Jewelry
- Electronic Games