Festive shoppers need to beware these signs of fake goods

Shoppers using the last few days before Christmas to finish off gift-buying for family and friends are being warned to watch out for crucial signs of fake goods.

Devon’s trading standards team urged consumers to ask themselves whether sought-after items being sold for irresistible prices in the final days before Christmas were legitimate.
With buyers trying to navigate the cost-of-living crisis, it can be hard to resist a knock-down bargain, but purchasing such items could mean supporting those selling either unsafe or illegal products.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch at this time of year as wages don’t seem to be keeping pace with inflation, so everyone is looking for a bargain,” said Rob Huskisson, group manager at the Heart of the South West trading standards team that covers Devon and other counties.
“But the key thing is, if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.”
Speaking exclusively to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Huskisson said items being sold well below usual prices could be fake, cheap for a reason, or even stolen.
“People should think about where they are buying things from, and consider if there is a problem with an item they’re purchasing, whether they will be able to return it,” he said.
“If taking it back is going to be difficult, then maybe you need to think about where you’re buying from, and you should always ask for a receipt – either a physical one or one via email.”
A major spike in the summer related to Labubu dolls, a craze which Mr Huskisson described as a “big thing”.
“The genuine product was fine, but the counterfeit ones would have the hands and feet come off easily, hair come loose as well, meaning the fake ones were not safe products,” he said.
“But the difference was obvious,” he added. “When you put a real one next to a counterfeit one, it was obvious they were different.”
Watch our for cheap eats
Beyond products, Mr Huskisson urged consumers to beware of food labelling, both in terms of provenance and allergens.
He said in the past year his team had worked with local butchers and found a “worrying number of butchers making local claims that are not substantiated”.
“We do encourage people to purchase locally if possible, but then what we have been finding is some butchers are saying products are locally supplied but then the product comes from somewhere other than a local place.
“There is a concern over the provenance of some beef, lamb and pork. Meat is expensive, and good quality product especially so, meaning people will look to cut corners.”
However, he said of greater concern was poor allergen labelling.
“A large number of people have some form of food allergy and so rely on accurate labelling of food products to ensure their safety,” he said.
“There have been a number of national cases where products have been purchased and seriously hurt people, or ultimately led to them passing away.”
Mr Huskisson noted that a particular issue related to producers combining bought ingredients to make something, and that if labelling was poor on those ingredients or not checked, then it could lead to issues later on.
Not just market stalls
 
Mr Huskisson said the stereotype of illicit items only coming from market stalls was not his experience, and that “lots of market traders are very honest”.
That being said, a trading standards operation yielded a major haul of counterfeit goods from Cheddar market earlier this year, including 337 bottles of perfume from various brands including Gucci, Versace, Dior, Chanel and Hugo Boss, plus 331 items of clothing from brands including North Face, Adidas, Nike and Lacoste.
“We have issues with some but we also have issues with bricks and mortar shops too; criminality occurs across multiple channels, whether that’s shops, markets or online.”
So far this year, around 250,000 fake toys have been seized at the border nationally this year, equivalent, Mr Huskisson said, with a large proportion being Labubu dolls.
Many of the toys tested by the Border Force fail checks due to safety reasons, including because they contain bad chemicals or loose parts present a choking hazard.
Tested toys for the UK market should either carry a CE or UKCA mark, and clearly state the age range the toy is intended for.
While such marks can be forged, Mr Huskisson noted other key issues that tended to accompany fake or illegal goods.
Among the other signs are the quality of the packaging, and whether writing is clear or blurred, and whether there are obvious spelling mistakes.
With plush or furry toys, buyers are urged to check the seems to see if they easily come apart, or whether hair easily comes off the toy.
And if it has come from abroad, the contact details of a UK importer or manufacturer are important.
Worryingly, the trading standards service recently had some children’s flip-flops tested and those came in as possessing high levels of phthalates.
“The soles of people’s feet are quite susceptible to those, as you are standing on a piece of plastic and it is rubbing against the underside of the foot,” he said.
“Potentially dangerous chemicals can migrate, and phthalates can be cancer causing, so there are strict requirements upon plastics that come into contact with the feet.”
For anyone who realises a toy they have purchased is fake, then they can return it with their proof of purchase. The timeframe for returns can vary, but tends to be between 14-28 days.
Shoppers can also leave reviews of products on the website of the seller they bought it from, and if necessary, make a report to Citizens Advice.
The Heart of the South West trading standards team gleans its intelligence from all these sources and others, including Action Fraud.
“We use a police intelligence operating model to direct our resources,” Mr Huskisson said.
“If we get reports of imminent risk of harm, then we will take action as soon as we are able. Where there is significant economic harm to consumers and legitimate businesses, we will act to try and tackle it.”
Taking action
Mr Huskisson acknowledged his team received “more reports that we can deal with as we are a service that has had some significant cuts” but stressed action was taken against the most egregious offenders.
He added offenders tended to fall into two categories: those who unwittingly purchase products from sources outside the UK that then end up being counterfeit, poorly constructed or that fail to meet safety standards, and then serious organised criminals.
With the first group, Mr Huskisson said his service tries to support those people and direct them towards ways of dealing with nefarious product sellers, while the more persistent criminals can receive custodial sentences, albeit those are for the courts to decide.