The top online marketplaces with the most fake products in the Philippines have been revealed. This information is critical, especially since it is already the holiday season.
Just imagine buying Christmas presents for your family, friends, and colleagues, only to receive counterfeits although you paid for the price of original items.
If you don't want this to happen to you, here are the major details you need to know about the rising counterfeits in Lazada PH and other online marketplaces.
Top Online Marketplaces With the Most Fake Products in the Philippines
According to NewsInfo Inquirer's latest report, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) revealed that counterfeit and piracy reports drastically increased in the first half of 2023.
The agency claimed that these fake product complaints spiked by over 280%. These reports include concerns about pirated gaming software, as well as illegally sold beauty products, perfumes, and apparel.
IPOPHL warned that it received 200 piracy product reports between January and June this 2023. This is much higher compared to the 52 complaints it got from consumers during the same period in 2022.
Over 90% of counterfeit and piracy incidents are said to happen online. Here are the top online marketplaces where Filipinos usually encounter counterfeits or bootlegged items:
- Lazada (Almost 70%)
- Facebook Market (20%)
- Shopee (Around 9%)
- Instagram (Around 5%)
- Other unnamed online marketplaces (more than 5%)
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How to Spot Fake or Bootlegged Products Online
Right now, almost everything is online. Before the global pandemic began, people preferred visiting physical shops when purchasing items.
When it comes to used products, they then meet with the items' owners or re-sellers to ensure that these goods are not counterfeit.
However, consumers now prefer doing their shopping online since they already experienced the comfort offered by online marketplaces.
Well, who can blame them if shopping online is less time-consuming and requires less effort since the products will be delivered right to your doorstep?
But, online shopping comes with more risks compared to visiting physical stores. This is why it is important to know how to identify counterfeits or bootlegged goods sold on Lazada and other online marketplaces.
Business Insider provided some of the tips you can rely on to do this:
Price
If the price is too good to be true, then there's a chance that the product is fake or bootlegged. But, there are some legit products that are sold with more than 50% discounts, especially during the holiday season.
Origin of Sellers and Their Products
If your intuition tells you that the very cheap products you're looking at are authentic, then you can check the origins of those items and their sellers. You can check if they are verified if their reviews are good, and if they already sold lots of items.
Reviews
Some counterfeit sellers know that consumers will check reviews to see if products are real. This is why they rely on fake reviews to fool their victims. You can identify fake reviews by checking if their grammar is correct if they have similar statements, and if they are newly created accounts.
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