The economic inspection seized a record number of counterfeit goods last year: more than 217,000 products. Almost half were perfumes and care products. Counterfeit is in demand because it is also cheaper. But how do you recognize it? And what are the dangers? And are you punishable if you buy counterfeit? HLN consumer expert Safia Yachou finds out.
As an avid perfume collector, our HLN consumer expert Safia Yachou does the test herself. She really wants Erba Pura by Xerjoff, an Italian exclusive fragrance. In the store, a 50 ml bottle easily costs 165 euros. On used.be she discovers someone who sells a similar bottle for 25 euros. The packaging also looks almost the same. “Haute qualité générique”: of high quality, almost the same as the original.” She asks the seller for a photo, but is then no longer answered. Of course it concerns counterfeiting. But in times when life is more expensive, it is tempting to buy.
In total, the economic inspection seized 217,053 counterfeit products last year, a record and 15 percent more than in 2022. The products were worth 11 million euros. It is striking that almost half were perfumes and care products. More than a quarter of the cases involved toys, games and sports equipment. Customs also often confiscate clothing and cigarettes.
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You can easily buy perfumes from popular brands such as Dior, Armani and Chanel on the street, social media or online sales platforms
FPS Economy
“Perfumes from popular brands such as Dior, Armani, Chanel and Paco Rabanne were confiscated remarkably often,” says Lien Meurisse, spokeswoman for the FPS Economy. You can easily buy them on the street, social media or online sales platforms. But that is not without danger. “Anyone who buys such a fake perfume has no certainty about the quality or composition of the product, because it has never been checked. Not only are they of poor quality, but they can contain toxins or stain your clothes and they often lose their scent.” Toys can become dangerous for children if they do not meet safety standards.
LOOK. Our consumer expert finds out how to recognize counterfeit perfume.
How do you recognize counterfeit?
If you want to check whether you are dealing with counterfeiting, you apply the three P’s: price, location and product. If the price is too low or you find the products on an unusual sales channel – think of social networks such as Facebook or perfume in an electronics or night shop – then they are often fake. “When purchasing online, check whether you can identify the seller. Is there a physical address and does it really exist? Are the payment options safe? Are legal notices available? If so, read them thoroughly,” says Meurisse.
When purchasing perfume, check the quality of the product and packaging. “For example, look at defects in seams and logos; you can often still see the glue sticking to them. It is often not perfectly packaged or there are inconspicuous spelling errors on the packaging, the image is blurry. If you look at the bottom of the bottle, you will often see that the sticker is not centered properly. Opening the bottle is also often difficult, and the smell will also be different.”
Anyone who sells counterfeits risks heavy fines of a minimum of 500 euros to a maximum of 800,000 euros. Or even a prison sentence of up to five years.
Do you buy counterfeit yourself? Then you are not punishable. But the FPS Economy advises against it. “You lose your money on poor quality products without any warranty. There is a chance that you will not receive anything at all because the products are not shipped or customs intercepts them,” says Meurisse. If you come across counterfeit goods, you can report this to the economic inspection. Last year, 744 Belgians did this, more than fifty percent more than in 2022.
Counterfeit products also cost our economy a lot of money. It creates illegal competition for shops and traders who earn their money honestly by selling quality products. It is estimated that counterfeiting costs the European economy 60 billion euros annually.
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