Trading Standards has issued an early festive warning to dodgy traders and potential buyers to “not risk ruining Christmas” after seizing more than £250,000 of counterfeit and illegal goods.
During April to September, Trading Standards officers seized and removed from market:
- 179,530 illegal cigarettes
- 6511 illegal vapes
- 81kg illegal hand rolling tobacco
- 24 packs illegal shisha
- 578 non-compliant toys and cosmetics
In the first part of the year, £3,500 of fake football shirts were seized. Teams were also able to prevent the supply of £40,000 worth of kitchen chairs which were non-compliant with safety regulations.
Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability advised: “Our Trading Standards team works hard day in, day out to protect the consumer.
“It’s alarming to see the level of products that are either completely unsafe or outright fakes getting into the hands of unassuming consumers.
“In the run up to Christmas we want to reinforce the message to buyers and sellers alike to not risk ruining Christmas by buying or selling illegal goods.”
Here are some handy tips to make sure consumers aren’t fooled by fakes and Christmas doesn’t end with an unwanted surprise:
Think about what you buy and where you buy it
- Price - If the price seems to good to be true, it probably is. Check the price from a range of suppliers.
- On the web - be sure where you are buying the product from. Be wary of online and social media market places. Make sure you have the full details of the seller and you have checked them out before agreeing to buy. Check the shipping address, 80% of fakes come from China or Hong Kong so take extra care.
- On foot - go to a reputable store, be wary of car boots or sales from the back of a van.
- Spotted a cheap deal for your favourite perfume? Make sure it’s not a fake and you know what’s inside.
- Don’t fall foul of counterfeit cosmetics, buy real and protect yourself from harmful chemicals.
- Be warned - fake toys for children will not have been quality tested and could be dangerous to your family.
Why you shouldn’t buy fake products
- Your Safety - production is unregulated and important safety checks are not carried out. The seller has no regard for your health and safety and the products make cause harm
- Poor Quality - even if the goods are not harmful, they often don’t work properly and won’t last.
- Harms Genuine Traders – Honest traders lose money to the rogues. Those dealing in fakes can often be linked to linked to criminal gangs and organised crime, don’t fund their criminal activity.
To report the sale of fake or unsafe goods in the city, call the Trading Standards hotline on 01782 238444 or visit www.stoke.gov.uk/tradingstandards
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