Counterfeiting is Big Business: By Rise’ Carter
A very interesting concept was recently brought to my attention while speaking with a colleague from Russia while we were both doing some work in Finland. Sounds like espionage doesn’t it?
While chatting with my Russian friend, he told me that the highest form of flattery was for something to be “copied”. He went on to tell me that throughout Russia and in other parts of the world, counterfeit nail products, hair products and cosmetics were being manufactured, packaged, labeled and sold as the “original” products. NSI happened to be one of the products being counterfeited!
I truly was outraged at the idea of a products being counterfeited that are potentially ingested, inhaled or absorbed into our bodies.
It made me think of different time with only handbags and jewelry were the targets of counterfeiting.
When my older sister graduated college in 1973, my parents gave her the choice of a brand new car or a Rolex watch. I said “what the heck is a Rolex watch? Take the CAR!” She told me that the car would only last her a few years and that she would have the watch for a lifetime. For a college graduate, I didn’t think she was too bright.
When my turn came, I was given the same choice. I TOOK THE CAR! DUH!
Many years later, I purchased a “fake” Rolex watch and a Coach handbag, and I felt somewhat excited about my purchases. It is not difficult for anyone to stroll Canal St in NYC or the night market in Hong Kong and pick up fake Gucci, Tiffany, Rolex, Chanel, Louis, Coach, Fendi, Prada, or Mont Blanc for a fraction of the cost of the original.
Counterfeiting is a HUGE business, and with the growth of internet sales, the methods of passing illegal goods to consumers are easier than ever. Mark Monitor, a provider of online brand protection, projects that Internet counterfeit and piracy sales will soar to $119 billion this year. Fakes products come with all kinds of faces, DVD’s, CD’s, clothing, shoes, software, appliances, hair care products, electronics, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, just to name a few.
No harm, no foul, right? Wrong!
Counterfeiting is not only damaging to brand names, it can be DANGEROUS! How? In order for a “fake” product to be made, and to keep the cost to a nano of the “real” ones, the so called “manufactures” can use ingredients, fillers, plasticizers, and colorants that are not reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board. In a nutshell, they could be harmful to your health – even CARCINOGENIC. Don’t believe me? Dangerous ingredients are already being found in pet food, baby formula and toys; all for the sake of making products cheaper and more profitable.
As a client, I would be livid if my nail tech had been using a high quality system that worked great and suddenly switched everything on me without my consent or permission. What if I had a serious reaction to this “fake” product? What kind of recourse would there be for me and for the nail tech? How would any kind of tracking be done on behalf of the manufacturer? Would there be an MSDS or EU compliance label on the product?
LOOK OUT!
You get what you pay for…These counterfeit products might be filtered down through distribution that is here today and gone tomorrow. Always use a reputable distributor that is loyal to a particular brand and that has strong educational programs and great customer service. Here is what to look out for when trying to spot a counterfeit product:
• You are buying your favorite item that is suddenly selling for a quarter of the usual price
• There are no MSDS available
• There are no tracking or batching numbers on the containers
• No EU compliance information
• Labels that are only printed in English
Remember, the packaging might be identical, but the product could be something totally different inside.
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
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