Weeding out the fakes from your printed T Shirts and merchandise
The clothing industry is awash with Fugazi items, so prospective buyers need to be especially vigilant. It should be obvious that falling prey to the perils of fake goods is way more of a hazard on the internet that it is at a real-life clothes market. In person, if you have any doubts about the authenticity of the garment or product in question, you should scrutinise and analyse every aspect of the product.
In the case of a personalised t shirt, check for correct labels, spelling mistakes and instances of shoddy manufacturing; all of these can provide immediate red flags. Remember, you’re buying a high-end product so the finish and stitch work should be immaculate.
If you’re having doubts about a particular product online, then you should ply the owner with questions and requests for extra images of important features. More likely than not, he will come clean if the garment is fake or acquiesce if his goods are legitimate.
There are a couple of other practices that you should consider adopting to be absolutely certain about the origin of your product, only purchase from verified and trustworthy T shirt printing providers.
- If you’re ordering from a website, which you discover after a quick Google search has had a slew of dissatisfied customers write scathing reviews about it, then you should pivot to another site that is less sketchy. While you should be wary about blindly following public consensus, it can be a useful compass for navigating the online consumer market swamp.
- Secondly, check that the website you are on has the secure green padlock next to the website URL. This symbol guarantees that the traffic funneling through the website is encrypted, and while not an absolute sign that the website is secure, it nonetheless bodes well. Mostly, this step just involves you doing your due diligence on the seller or company from which you will be buying. In particular, check the copy of the item page. It may reiterate that the item is ‘authentic’, ‘real’ or ‘legitimate’. This is classic misdirection. You honestly think that if the product was bona-fide, they would feel the need to repeat this fact like a broken record?
At Garment Printing, we have the experience and the expertise to help you find the perfect personalised clothing garment for you. If you want to get in touch, call us today and speak directly with an Accounts Manager, or fill out the contact form.
However, what if you do fall victim to a counterfeit product? Do you even have any rights? If you do happen to inadvertently buy a knock-off Michael Kors bag or a fake product, then you should get in contact with the Citizen Rights Bureau on 03454 040506 or your local Trading Standards office. The main issue is that sellers of counterfeit goods can be notoriously difficult to track down and then held to account. By rights, if the seller marketed their product as being the genuine article then you are fully within your rights to claim a refund and the vendor should be forthcoming. So trying to get in contact with the seller should absolutely be your first port of call, just don’t hold your breath about them being cooperative with your demands.
Additionally, you should never actively search for and purchase counterfeit goods, as the industry is indelibly linked with other areas of organised crime. Genuine manufacturers aren’t able to compete with the prices of rogue traders, and the profits of these companies in inevitably undercut. This can have a knock-on effect on the salaries and livelihoods of their employees.