A few of days ago, Yogendra Garg, a New Delhi-based top government
official, ordered a pair of Nike Air Max shoes from Snapdeal for Rs
9,445. But when the shoes were delivered, Garg was shocked to discover
that they were knockoffs — albeit, great ones, as he later said.
"The shoes came from Surat. VAT has been charged but TIN number/CST registration number on the invoice says 'not applicable'," said Garg. "It's a good fake but carries a wrongly spelt web address. Instead of nikebetterworld.com on the tongue, it says nikebetterwold.com. And, all that Snapdeal has done is that without our request, they have initiated a return process."
A Snapdeal spokesperson said, "Snapdeal recognizes sellers who have good sales track record and takes actions against the sellers who engage in selling fake products. In case of any violations, upon being adequately notified, Snapdeal takes down such listings in accordance with the rules and polices provided on Snapdeal."
But, when asked about Garg's fake Nike shoes, she said, "Will get back to you on that." It has almost been a week now, and she hasn't.
Interestingly, Snapdeal is not the only e-tailer that has counterfeits listed on its website. As more people migrate online from the brick-and-mortar retail format in search of good deals, the counterfeit market is following suit.
For instance, Gurgaon-based Shopclues, which claims to be the one of the country's fastest growing e-commerce companies, has been taken to court for selling fakes. L'Oreal, Tommy Hilfiger, Skullcandy and RayBan have initiated legal actions against Shopclues in the Delhi high court in connection with sale of counterfeit goods and the HC has granted interim injunctions against the website, restraining it or anyone associated with it from the use, manufacture, sale, supply or display of counterfeit goods of these brands.
When contacted, a Shopclues spokesperson said: "We believe that our ability to partner with brands to protect their intellectual property rights is far more than what is available to them in the offline retail world. And, most brands recognize that. Together, we have made great progress in addressing this issue."
While the screening process of sellers by several e-tailers do not appear to be foolproof, mystery shoppers employed by brands to sniff out counterfeits said, on the condition of anonymity, that some e-tailers — including Amazon India and Flipkart — have managed to remain more resistant to fakes due to rigorous background checks of sellers. The problem of fakes also extends to some of the large multi-brand retailers in the country.
Sources : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Shopping-online-Beware-of-fakes/articleshow/45934537.cms
"The shoes came from Surat. VAT has been charged but TIN number/CST registration number on the invoice says 'not applicable'," said Garg. "It's a good fake but carries a wrongly spelt web address. Instead of nikebetterworld.com on the tongue, it says nikebetterwold.com. And, all that Snapdeal has done is that without our request, they have initiated a return process."
A Snapdeal spokesperson said, "Snapdeal recognizes sellers who have good sales track record and takes actions against the sellers who engage in selling fake products. In case of any violations, upon being adequately notified, Snapdeal takes down such listings in accordance with the rules and polices provided on Snapdeal."
But, when asked about Garg's fake Nike shoes, she said, "Will get back to you on that." It has almost been a week now, and she hasn't.
Interestingly, Snapdeal is not the only e-tailer that has counterfeits listed on its website. As more people migrate online from the brick-and-mortar retail format in search of good deals, the counterfeit market is following suit.
For instance, Gurgaon-based Shopclues, which claims to be the one of the country's fastest growing e-commerce companies, has been taken to court for selling fakes. L'Oreal, Tommy Hilfiger, Skullcandy and RayBan have initiated legal actions against Shopclues in the Delhi high court in connection with sale of counterfeit goods and the HC has granted interim injunctions against the website, restraining it or anyone associated with it from the use, manufacture, sale, supply or display of counterfeit goods of these brands.
When contacted, a Shopclues spokesperson said: "We believe that our ability to partner with brands to protect their intellectual property rights is far more than what is available to them in the offline retail world. And, most brands recognize that. Together, we have made great progress in addressing this issue."
While the screening process of sellers by several e-tailers do not appear to be foolproof, mystery shoppers employed by brands to sniff out counterfeits said, on the condition of anonymity, that some e-tailers — including Amazon India and Flipkart — have managed to remain more resistant to fakes due to rigorous background checks of sellers. The problem of fakes also extends to some of the large multi-brand retailers in the country.
Sources : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Shopping-online-Beware-of-fakes/articleshow/45934537.cms