Black Friday and Cyber Monday – two of the busiest shopping days in the United States – are approaching quickly.
This time of year, counterfeit goods are sold in volume as vendors take advantage of people looking to save as much money as possible.
A new survey by OnBuy.com indicates that 70% of those surveyed have been sold counterfeit products, with electronics and toys being the most commonly counterfeited products at 74%.
Respondents said that they first realized their purchase was a mistake after finding incorrect or inconsistent branding on the product. Other inconsistencies include faulty or dangerous products or lack of communication from the seller.
Other counterfeited products consumers frequently bought by mistake included shoes at 67%, clothes at 63%, accessories at 60% and cosmetics at 41%, according to the survey.
OnBuy gave a number of different tips to avoid buying a counterfeited product this holiday season, including:
- If something looks too good to be true, it is. So double check the impressive deals or prices every time.
- Use company or brand keywords when searching to weed out fake sellers.
- Check reviews or seller information. Reviews can help track when others have been scammed or bought counterfeit products and passed along the information.
- Cross check whenever possible to help validate a product or seller by comparing it with the official website.
- Check the official address of a business and CE market as well as untampered seals and packaging.
- Report fake sellers to online marketplaces to report a seller that may be fraudulent and help others avoid getting scammed.
Find out more about the OnBuy survey by visiting its website.
