We’ve touched on this topic before – counterfeit products hurt everyone. The maker of the real product loses sales and the consumer gets a cheap copy. With sporting goods there is a greater risk to the consumer, as the products can fail!
Our friends at BikeRadar recently noted that local shops in the U.K. are actually blending bike equipment with genuine parts to deceive the consumer. This isn’t a widespread problem, but it does show that things could get much worse very quickly.
By selling fake gear a retailer can make a short term profit, but it could hurt the industry in the long run as it costs tens of millions of dollars each year. Where it gets murkier is when shows that many small shops are also getting caught up in the fraud – and these shops aren’t out to deceive anyone. Instead they are buying from dubious third parties. In the end it could hurt the mom & pop retailers that don’t have deals with the big brands.
This will be a story to watch as it develops.
[Via BikeRadar: Local bike shops blend real and fake bike kit to mislead consumers]