Published:
17 March 2015
Category:
Technical Articles
A report by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) indicates that electrical products have grown to be the second most counterfeited type of product in the world, now only behind pharmaceuticals.
The strong warning is that counterfeit electrical products can result in property loss, serious injury or death and in many cases the installer and supplier can carry full liability. According to the Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau, illegal counterfeit products account for approximately 5-7% of global trade worth an estimated USD $600 billion per year2. Another alarming statistic, according to the ICCWBO (International Chamber of Commerce), is that 80% of consumers in the developed and developing world purchase counterfeit products with little awareness, remorse or fear of consequences.
The Does It Comply? campaign works hard to create awareness of this issue to reduce the prevalence of counterfeit and non-compliant electrical products.
The enormity of the problem has ballooned to the point where no one type of product is safe and the appearance of packaging for counterfeit product has evolved to look and feel very authentic. Counterfeiting cannot be perceived as a trivial or harmless matter for any player in the supply chain especially manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, specifiers and installers. One fake component in any product or installation can have huge ramifications and greatly increase the risk of harm to contractors, end users and the public.
What can you do to help stamp out counterfeit products?
- Sign-up and take the Does It Comply pledge by undertaking the Online Training, here.
- Look for compliance marks (RCM) and check with the manufacturer or distributor if unsure, they are able to provide test certificates to prove compliance (information available here).
- Check the Price – if the price looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- Check the Packaging – beware if the product is sold without packaging or the packaging is of low quality or includes errors such as typos, grammatical errors, blurry images and logos that don’t quit look right.
- Place of Purchase – is the type of product normally sold here? Deal only with legitimate and established providers. Check the Partners page here.
- Buying Online – counterfeiters often steal images to make their online presence look legitimate. Don’t be fooled by professional looking websites, always check items like products descriptions, FAQs and contact details. Chances are if there are many spelling errors, grammatical errors and incomplete information, the site is not legitimate.
EYE Lighting is a reputable supplier of lighting products and accessories in Australian and New Zealand, we take great care to ensure all products and components meet or exceed operating and safety standards. For this reason we are a proud partner and supporter of the Does It Comply? campaign and encourage everyone in the industry to participate.
