The Shocking Reality of Counterfeit Electricals
While most prevalent around the height of retail seasons like Black Friday and Christmas, thousands of counterfeit electrical items, such as TVs, headphones, phones, chargers, hairdryers, laptops and so on are rife, infiltrating legitimate markets and supply chains every single day. A Border Force investigation conducted at the end of 2023 in the run-up to Christmas recently discovered that “an estimated 98% of counterfeit electrical goods fail product safety tests, meaning they can damage other possessions, pose a fire safety risk, as well as cause injury to the consumer and their family.”
Often indistinguishable from the product they are imitating, counterfeit electricals are so commonplace that, according to Electrical Safety First, one in three UK residents have accidentally purchased a counterfeit electrical item online, equating to approximately 18 million people in the UK alone. As a result, counterfeit electrical goods are impacting brand reputations and consumer health on a detrimental scale. Read on to learn more about the dangers associated with fake electrical items, and what can be done to tackle this illicit trade.
The Impact of Counterfeit Electrical Items
Alongside numerous industries which suffer from counterfeiters cloning and faking products, such as the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, alcohol and tobacco sectors, fake electricals pose an alarming threat to consumer health and safety. Regulatory safety checks and quality standards which legitimate brands pass, are wrongfully ignored by counterfeiters, unlawfully selling and distributing counterfeit items directly to consumers both through online marketplaces and in person.
Consequently, unregulated electrical goods are prone to overheating, often being the cause of electrical fires, shocks and electrocutions due to their lack of insulation and protective measures. Not only does this place the consumer in immediate danger, but also their surrounding property. Pricing of these counterfeit goods is one of the most attractive reasons for consumer purchase, as consumers believe they’re getting the best deal, yet genuine brands are suffering economic losses as a result. Therefore, consumers falling victim to black marketeers, but legitimate brands are also being persistently undermined in the process.
How Can We Tackle Counterfeit Electricals?
Right now, many electrical goods manufacturers rely on current anti-counterfeiting solutions such as holograms to deter the production of counterfeits in their name. However, such solutions are still at risk of being cloned, copied or faked and are infiltrating supply chains at a rapid rate. In order to protect both your brand, and your consumers, the anti-counterfeiting solution for electrical goods needs to be 100% impenetrable.
Here at Quantum Base, we have the solution.
Our patented Q-ID® Optical tags offer product security at an atomic level, exploiting the inherent randomness of quantum materials to empower brands and consumers across the globe. Known as the Quantum Signature, our unbreakable anti-counterfeiting solution can be swiftly integrated into your existing manufacturing processes, and can be made bespoke to your industry requirements either with, or without a QR code. Simply read by a smartphone camera via the Quantum Base app, product authentication will be at the fingertips of brands, suppliers and consumers, offering real-time insights and transparency when reviewing supply chains processes.
Our Q-ID® Optical solution could revolutionise the future of electrical goods, protecting both brands and consumers from the dangerous risks of counterfeiting criminals. To learn more about how your brand could benefit from our 100% unbreakable quantum solution, get in touch with our team today.
