Recently, GCN journalist Alex Paton purchased what he initially believed to be a genuine Shimano chain from a seller on Amazon. It was only after the product arrived that he discovered he had, in fact, bought a counterfeit chain, cleverly packaged to resemble an authentic product from the Japanese brand.
In light of this incident, Alex is now investigating more deeply the extent of this problem, especially considering the growing trend of online purchases.
Identifying the Counterfeit
Some counterfeit products have distinct appearances, such as the use of similar packaging but with minor differences. The chain Alex purchased online initially appeared to be an exact replica of a genuine Shimano chain. However, a closer analysis revealed that the brand name was discrepant and only visible on the back of the packaging, while the item code featured a different letter.
Identifying these signs wouldn’t be a challenging task if we could physically inspect the product, but when making online purchases, this task can become considerably more complicated. There are even reports of counterfeit products being delivered in authentic packaging, making them even more challenging to detect.
Therefore, the most effective way to avoid purchasing counterfeit products is to choose to buy from reputable retailers that source their stocks directly from the brand or through recognized importers.
Watch the video with the revelation: