Thursday, 6 March 2014

Watch Out For Bogus Olympics Merchandise In London

By Cornelius Nunev


There is nothing new about counterfeit sporting merchandise. It is a criminal industry that takes billions a year from legitimate, authorized vendors. With the world's eyes on London this summer, United Kingdom regulators are urging tourists to avoid sustaining criminal conduct by purchasing knock-off items. Already, hundreds have been arrested for pushing phony goods.

Stealing money

The sale of counterfeit merchandise is just as bad as bootlegging movies and music. It is still considered theft because it is taking advantage of somebody to take their cash.

Gilbert Trill is an assistant special agent in charge of a Homeland Security Investigations unit in Kansas City. Recently, he and his team cracked down on a bogus Major League Baseball retailing ring in KS City. He said:

"Selling counterfeit goods is stealing. Counterfeit goods steal U.S. jobs, create inferior and sometimes dangerous products, and support criminal organizations."

Olympics an excellent opportunity

There are a lot of scams around with the Olympics too. On Jun 8, experts seized 500 cigarette lighters, 400 vests and 7,000 phony Olympic tote bags at the Port of London where thousands of pounds of phony merchandise were found.

Bill Bilan is the chairman of the Trading Standards Institute's Olympic strategy group. In an interview with ABC News, he said:

"We're really busy and getting busier."

Kids used to make fake stuff

Bogus merchandise is generally of inferior quality, and may or may not cost less than the better-made legitimate items. But even more importantly, according to Interpol, kid labor is often employed in the making of the shoddy knock-off merchandise. And the profits made from bogus merchandise may support criminal and terrorist organizations.

Spotting phonies

In recent years, with improved technologies, it has become more and more difficult to detect the real merchandise from the phony. However, any legitimate Olympics souvenir will have a holographic tag that rotates. Also, outside of Olympic Park, there is only one place where legitimate mementos are sold. That is at a temporary structure on Rotten Row in London's Hyde Park.

Daily Finances offered some tips to avoid ending up getting counterfeit merchandise that may well be seized by custom on your way home anyway. According to the personal finance site, search for shoddy craftsmanship, poor stitching, uneven colors and misspelled names. Also, never purchase merchandise sold anywhere but at the legitimate venues mentioned above.

It is always bogus if the price seems too good to be real.




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