ABBONDANZA!

No matter where you look these days, counterfeit product sales is taking a big bite out of the pockets of manufacturers and in the long run, consumers. Recently while walking near Little Italy I noticed a row of stores and stalls that were all closed. They all had big neon stickers on their gates and windows identifying that the establishment was “Closed By Order of the Marshall”. Knowing that these were all independent units, I decided to get closer to see if their was anything more on the stickers. That’s when I saw it, the reason they were closed simple - they were selling counterfeit and “replica” products. A few inquiries revealed that they were selling everything from watches to handbags, and most surprising was that one or two of them were also selling counterfeit food. Unfortunately, it’s true. It appears that olive oil, cheese and a few other items were tagged and bagged before removal from the shops too.

Much to my dismay, I came to the realization that this was taking place very close to Little Italy (no more than two blocks). In addition, it was apparently going on for over two years. So was this a case of fellow Italians not actually seeing these products for sale, or was it that they were ignoring the problem?

In either case, consumers need to understand that buying a counterfeit or “replica” has a ripple effect that travels a long distance. Aside from the fact that these fake products undermine the ingenuity, beauty, and craftsmanship that goes into an authentic product made in Italy, look at these other effects:

• Counterfeit products can cause loss of jobs
• Counterfeit products benefit organized crime
• Counterfeit products dilute brands through market saturation
• Counterfeit products also have a direct bearing on a customer’s perception of quality - associated to the brand
  
• Counterfeit electronics and pharmaceuticals can lead to safety concerns, even death

It is understandable that some small mom and pop type shops can’t tell the difference between a fake and an authentic product, but with that understanding should come the logic that they probably paid too little for the product in the first place. And if you take a look at online portals like eBay, in many cases you will discover nothing but knock-offs.

Consumers have the right to sue if they were truly baited into buying a counterfeit, but very few ever do so. Consumers have the right and a moral responsibility to contact the police about a possible infraction, but they rarely do. We all really do need to do our part to bring this problem to a halt.

If you’ve purchased a product that is supposed to be Made in Italy, and you suspect it’s not, contact us and we will anonymously report the situation and you won’t even have to get involved. If you’ve purchased a product and are not sure about its authenticity, either check the site of the manufacturer (unfortunately, many are documenting telltale signs of knock-offs), or go over and check the authenticity at the Made In Italy website. According to our tests it works:

Check immediately to see if the product you purchased is authentic: insert the code you find printed on the label of your product and follow the displayed instructions. If the codes are correct, the system will inform you that the product you purchased is indeed authentic. Then you will be able to require the Personalized Authenticity Certificate guarantee by the Producer, by just filling out the form with your personal data.