British Consumers now twice as likely to buy a counterfeit electrical product

New research shows that double the number of British people are seeing and purchasing counterfeit electrical products since last year¹

 As organisations around the world mark World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, UK charity Electrical Safety First reveals that an estimated 2.5 million Brits have, knowingly or by accident, purchased a counterfeit electrical product in the last 12 months². This is double the number of people that reported purchasing a counterfeit the previous year³.

Electrical Safety First investigated consumer attitudes towards counterfeit electrical goods for two years running; the results show that not only are purchases of counterfeits on the rise, but that the counterfeit marketplace is shifting too. British consumers reported that they were twice as likely to see counterfeit electrical products for sale near them or online as they were one year ago.

Looking specifically at where counterfeit sales are being made, it’s clear that a new marketplace has emerged with 7% of people reporting that they have bought counterfeit electrical products through a social media advert.  Online retailers still account for the majority of counterfeit purchases; three in five⁴ of all counterfeit electrical purchases take place online.  

Perhaps unsurprisingly, cost is the most influential factor on those who consider purchasing counterfeit electrical items. One in twelve people⁵ said that they would choose to buy a suspected fake electrical product if it was cheaper than the original (compared to just 4% last year). But over half of people⁶ who had bought a fake electrical product said they had experienced a problem with the item, compared to just 39% a year ago.

Electrical Safety First has carried out tests on popular counterfeit electrical products such as e-cigarettes and blenders. The tests reveal that while many items appear sophisticated on the outside, even those with small fake internal components are at risk of exploding, leaving consumers open to serious injury or property damage.

On World Anti-Counterfeiting Awareness Day, Electrical Safety First is warning the public to ‘shop smart’; whether people are purchasing through a social media group, in store or at a market.

Emma Apter, Head of Communications at Electrical Safety First, says: 

“This research is concerning as it shows that although we’re more aware of counterfeits than before, more of us are taking the risk and buying a counterfeit electrical product. While cost is an important factor in any purchase, it’s vital for shoppers to be aware of the risks they could be taking when buying a fake product.

“Counterfeits are now more readily available than ever, from social media to the local market. Despite the fact that some fake electrical products appear to have a sophisticated and convincing design, they can contain less than half the internal components required to run safely. We’re urging people to ‘shop smart’, at best you could be swindled but at worst you could be putting your life at risk. The best way to guarantee an item’s legitimacy is to buy directly from official retailers either online or in-store.”

Paul Toner knows just how easy it is to be fooled by fake products online after buying a counterfeit NutriBullet from an online marketplace last year. Paul says:

“I’ve purchased many products online before and nothing about this item set alarm bells ringing. The price was marginally cheaper than high street retailers, so I believed I was getting a discount and trusted the seller as I thought I was buying directly from Amazon. When the Nutribullet arrived it was clearly shoddily made and there wasn’t even a warranty – looking back I was really lucky, had it been more professionally designed I might have plugged it in and been seriously injured! I’m now incredibly careful when shopping online, it was a real wakeup call for just how easy it is to be taken in.”

Electrical Safety First is warning all shoppers to know the risks that accompany counterfeit electrical products and to look out for the signs of a counterfeit. The Charity has created the Safe Shopper’s Guide for shoppers, offering tips for spotting counterfeit items and what to do if you’ve been scammed.

References:

1. Ipsos MORI, 2016 14% of UK adults had seen a counterfeit electrical product for sale online or near them. In 2015 and 7% of UK adults had seen this. 4% of UK adults had knowingly or unknowingly bought a counterfeit electrical product in 2016, versus 2% in 2015

2. Ipsos MORI, 2016, 4% of UK adults

3. Ipsos MORI, 2015, 2%  of UK adults

4. Ipsos MORI, 2016, 60% of all purchases of counterfeit electrical products took place online

5. Ipsos MORI, 2016, 8% of UK adults

6. Ipsos MORI, 2016, 56% of UK adults