Counterfeit Policy
Counterfeiting is the manufacture, sale, import, and export of products that use a trademark, logo or design identical to another company’s trademark, logo or design (also known as a brand) without the brand owner’s consent. Counterfeit products are often referred to as “fakes” or “knockoffs.”
In simple terms, counterfeit products are imitations of genuine products. Just about every industry falls victim to counterfeiting, including clothing, footwear, pharmaceuticals, home care products, baby formula, toys, electronic equipment, beauty products, and even airplane and car parts. Counterfeiters con consumers into purchasing what a consumer assumes is an authentic, discounted product. In reality, the counterfeit goods are poorly constructed and use low quality or even dangerous materials. In some cases, counterfeiters display deceptive images of the product and consumers receive a product that looks nothing like what they thought they were purchasing.
Counterfeit products can be found everywhere–from flea markets and garage sales, to sponsored social media posts and content and online websites dedicated to selling knockoff products. Counterfeiters have moved to the internet as more people turn to online shopping. The Internet has made it very easy for counterfeiters to sell fake goods and counterfeiters can easily target customers who are looking for a good deal. In fact, statistics show that 30% of online shoppers have been tricked into buying fake goods.
How to Avoid Counterfeit Products
Counterfeiters often provide contact information that is hard to trace. For example, instead of a company email, a counterfeiter may use a Gmail or Yahoo account. Another useful strategy to determine if a website is operated by counterfeiters is to review the URL window, or directory pane. On most browsers, if the website is secure and operated by a company selling genuine products, the URL will begin with “https,” and a padlock icon will appear at the front of the website address during the checkout process. This means that the site has been verified by a trusted third-party authority and provides a valid certificate for the URL that you are visiting. The padlock icon means that the connection to this URL is secure.
Counterfeiters often offer consumers a number of options to pay for purchased goods, including wire transfers via Western Union and MoneyGram. Why? International wire transfers, such as Western Union and MoneyGram, cannot be cancelled or reversed and it is not possible to track the entity or person receiving the money. Another sign you are possibly purchasing counterfeit goods is the ability to pay using PayPal. RockRooster’s authorized online retail partners only use traditional methods for payment, such MasterCard, Visa or AmericanExpress.
One more tip: marketplace sites, such as eBay.com, Walmart.com, Overstock.com, Aliexpress.com, Wish.com, Alibaba.com, MercadoLibre.com, Taobao.com, and even Amazon.com, are common platforms used by counterfeiters to sell fake products. Always investigate a seller thoroughly before purchasing a product.
Product Difference
- If you compare the counterfeit product to the images of footwear products on RockRoosterfootwear.com, the fake shoes may appear distorted, “off” or altered.
- The RockRooster logo may be altered, missing, or replaced with other imagery.
- Colors and hues may differ from authentic products, and footwear outsoles may be thin, stiff or uncomfortable.
Social Media
Counterfeiters use RockRooster trademarks, copyrights and intellectual property to manufacture cheap goods and pass them off as authentic RockRooster products. They have also taken to the social media world to advertise on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Watch out for ads that promote branded products to be much cheaper than they typically are. The ads appear as sponsored content and look authentic. Also, be aware that counterfeiter promote fake ads and unsafe links;
Actions
If you find a website, online store or social media advertisement that you suspect is selling or promoting counterfeit RockRooster products send us an email at jason@rockrooster.com.au and include the web address and a description of how you found the site.
Unfortunately, if you have purchased a counterfeit product, RockRooster is not able to reimburse you or exchange the fake goods for authentic RockRooster products. But, you do have recourse. Report the purchase to your bank or credit card provider and let them know you are a victim of counterfeit fraud.
Thank you for your help and support.