As individuals, we are all vulnerable to being conned through the purchase of forged goods.
This can be a particular issue when we are away on holiday and here’s why :
- When you are relaxed and intent on having a good time, your guard can drop.
- Some overseas countries have little or no effective consumer protection operation. This means that the retailers of counterfeit goods can operate with impunity.
- Many of us like to believe when we are on holiday that we will be able to find a real ‘local’ bargain – once again, that is particularly the case when travelling abroad.
- Tourist spots both domestic and foreign can be congested at peak times in the year and that means that the vendors of fakes can operate harder pressure selling tactics than might normally be the case. They’re also likely to be harder for the police and other enforcement agencies to spot for the same reason.
Now there is nothing wrong in the idea of looking for a bargain on holiday. In some countries, the lower tax regimes and virtually zero social benefits mean that prices may well be substantially lower, even for legitimate goods, than you can see back home.
Even so, remember that a low-cost fake is still likely to be worth a lot less than you are paying for it. So, before you decide to part with any cash, make sure you do some research on the item concerned through the manufacturer’s own site and look for any guidelines they issue with respect to any anti-counterfeiting technologies they might use on their products.
That might help you to examine the item you are considering more carefully and if it doesn’t meet the manufacturer’s criteria, just walk away and go elsewhere.