Simple Steps to Identify Counterfeit Products

With the introduction of lot of High-Fi gadgets, we have also seen imitations and conterfeit products of the same. Many of the popular products like iPods, Digital cameras, memory cards, mobile phones and accessories are faked. Some of the counterfeit products are made such that its very difficult to identify the correct one. It is estimated that around 10% of the high end gadgets and products sold are counterfeit. This could result in loss of revenue to the actual product manufacturer.

Fake Nokia N95- NOKLA (Chinese made)

Here are some simple steps to identify counterfeit products;

• Place of Purchase: Where to buy the product is a frequently asked question. Always purchase products from manufacturers or genuine resellers or distributors and dealers.
• Check for performance of Product: More of the counterfeit products have low performance. For example duplicate mobile phones and accessories have low performance and these can be checked to an extend by checking the product and testing its features.
• Check for Holograms and verifications: Most of the products now have holograms or online verifications available to confirm the genuineness of the product. Last time when I purchased the Kingston 1GB pen drive, there was an option to verify the product online using the code available on the product.
• Check for discounts: Check for the actual price of the product from the manufacturer and if the dealer is giving huge discounts, then chances are there that it could be a fake one. This happened to me when I went to purchase a earphone for my Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. The seller told me the price was Rs 250/- and I was surprised to hear this as the actual price is some where around 700-800. Upon closer inspection of the product, I found that it was a fake one. So beware of huge discounts offered.
• Online Shopping: Shopping online has lot of disadvantages that you may get cheated with fake products. Before you buy products from auction sites like eBay, check for the reputation of buyer.
• Insist on Warranty: Always insist on manufacturers warranty and in case of any problems service at a genuine and authorized service center.

Have you even been cheated with a fake product? Share your thoughts!