Everyone loves a bargain and a quick internet search will show you the cheapest place to buy your favourite products. But no one wants to get sold a dud or a dupe.
Counterfeit products and dupes are on the rise and that’s bad news from the dedicated salon stylist to the economy at large. A report by the UK government shows that the annual loss to the economy through counterfeiting and piracy is £9 billion, plus 80,500 job losses each year!
Almost every reputable brand will ensure that there are key marks of authenticity with their products that might include moulding, labelling, packaging, and materials. Fake branded goods or duplicates that look identical online can be a real problem for brands that have spent many years building a reputation for quality and efficacy.
Group Marketing Manager for Denman, Frances Courtney, says: “Our tools are sold globally through a network of retailers and distributors, as well as directly through our website and Amazon. Despite that wide availability through genuine channels, it’s inevitable and sad that we do see duplicate and counterfeit product reaching our customers. The customer believes the product to be genuine and we become aware when they are understandably upset at the low quality. It’s such a disservice to us and most importantly to all the hair professionals that we have worked so hard to serve.”
As ever, it’s buyer beware, so when you shop, take care to watch out for any red flags such as missing or damaged packaging and gen up on how to spot authenticity marks for your favourite brands. Denman brushes all have a Denman logo embossed into the handle of the brush and at the top of every Original Styler is a ‘D’ with the crown emblem. All Denman combs carry the Denman name too. Denman no longer uses single use plastics in their packaging, plus all packaging will carry a QR code which takes the customer straight to the Denman website for recycling information.
If you spot or inadvertently purchase any counterfeit product, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
