Counterfeit warning as Christmas nears

A counterfeit golf club bought on an overseas online store and reported to the Counterfeit Alert Network.

Dodgy online dealers are taking advantage of the Christmas silly season to dupe consumers into buying fake sporting

goods online.

The Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA) says that it has received increased reports of consumers being ripped off by dodgy online dealers selling counterfeit products.

The ASGA, which runs the Counterfeit Alert Network, an online watchdog for fake sporting product, says that the number of reports to the site have increased in the last month, coinciding with the Christmas countdown."Consumers should only buy products from reputable online sites or they risk being sold fakes and may have trouble getting their money back," said ASGA executive director Brad Ktischke.“In the last month reports to the Counterfeit Alert Network have increased 10-fold and most relate to purchases made online. We recognise that consumers are time poor and want to get the best bargain possible, but we encourage them to shop with reputable online stores and brands so they can be certain they are getting authentic product.“We don’t want someone’s Christmas to be ruined when their new golf club cracks half way through its first round of golf and they can’t get their money back from an overseas website.

”The ASGA is encouraging anyone who thinks they have been ripped off and sold fake products to report it online. The information is then passed onto the trademark owner. ASGA says that those who manufacture and sell fakes need to be aware that brand owners are taking this seriously and will pursue them through every legal means possible.The ASGA has been taking its fight against the importation and sale of counterfeit to the Commonwealth Government, seeking tougher laws and a change to enforcement procedures. It has written an issues paper and proposal for reform, downloadable here. 

via ASGA