Counterfeit Name Brand Product? How to Tell

Shopping online can be an great experience. Many time people want to be rid of old items that they have barely used. Online retailers often buy in huge quantities and have little overhead so they can pass the savings on to you. You can get deals at amazing prices. But how do you know if your great Armani watch you found at that amazing price is not some kind of third party look-alike counterfeit? Keep reading to find out.

Surprising, one of the best ways to identify unscrupulous sellers is to examine their reputation on third party rating sites. One of the best ones is Reseller-ratings. On this site you will find unbiased opinions regarding the business habits of online stores. By simply typing in the stores name you will be able to determine if they sell counterfeit goods, pull bait and switches, or typically perform any number of other unsavory practices. However, be careful. Some other third party rating sites are actually front websites which require each business to purchase an account then they get rated accordingly. If you stick to Reseller-ratings you will be in good shape.

Another good way is to examine the packaging. If you find broken seals, missing warranty cards, or even the item just thrown into a box the odds are that you have purchased a counterfeit item. Authentic item will usually have labeled packaging, warranty information, instruction manuals, etc...included. Oftentimes, examining the packaging this means you have already purchased the product so it might not be the best way as getting returns from unscrupulous retailers if often difficult.

A sure sign that you are getting non-authentic items is that the retailer tries to sell you each part of a normally whole package individually. For example, you go and buy a designer Nikon camera -- the D3 -- at the amazing prices of $2499. Normally this item retails for around $4500 at reputable dealers. When you order the item online, you get an email back saying that you need to buy a battery and that battery will be $799. You say OK, then they want to charge you more for a charger for the battery, then an auto focus button, an LCD screen, etc....When it is all said and done you are up to $5500 for things that are normally included. Odds are that your Nikon, if all the parts arrive, is actually the overseas "gray market" model and does not even include a USA warranty (they counterfeit dealer will probably try to sell you the "house" warranty too). Keep in mind this tip especially when dealing with electronic items.

One way to keep the costs down when buying online is to buy from out of state retailers. Out of state retailers count on this as most people do not realize that they are legally bound to report their own sales tax to their state when the retailers does not collect it (keep in mind that this varies from state to state -- check your own state for specifics). A good way to determine if your retailer might be selling counterfeit goods is that they collect no sales tax in any state. Usually, a retailer is bound to collect sales tax in the state of their physical location.

Lastly, trust your instincts. Common sense will tell you if a price is too good to be true. A good rule of thumb for designer labels and brands is that you are unlikely to find a deal online for less than 20% of what you would pay at a brick and mortar store and many times it will be less than 10% difference. If it looks too good to be true, it is.

If you are a victim of being sold unauthentic goods, most of the time the best you can do is to report your story on a third party rating site so that other people do not fall victim to the same retailer. You can also report them to the Better Business Bureau. Sometimes you can get your money back from the vendor -- but do not count on it. The very best way is to ensure that you always purchase online with a trusted credit card company which you have a very long term relationship. I always use my Chase VISA which I have had since 1992 so I am a long time customer in good standing. If you are scammed, you can use your credit card protection so that the vendor does not receive the money which you paid. Make sure to keep all your documentation for the credit card company and be ready to sign an affidavit.