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Manufacturers world over have continued to struggle with huge amount of losses in business revenue as a result of grey market activities and having to deal with original products being faked and sold for cheaper prices in the market. Like with other industries, the hardware technology industry is being hit hard by increased counterfeiting which has signs of abating.
Using a case study of HP Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the company which has identified the huge problem acutely felt by printer manufacturers worldwide, says the high demand for print supplies, including ink and toner has caused a marked increase in the number of counterfeit print products appearing on the market, and the growth of online retail has only made it easier for counterfeiters to operate.
According to the company, “counterfeiting is big business and a big problem. It not only affects businesses and global trade through lost revenue, reputation damage and falling consumer confidence, but it can also have a wider impact on society, damaging employment and helping to fund international, often organised, crime.”
Unfortunately, the market for counterfeit goods shows no sign of abating. Europol has warned that the production and distribution of counterfeit goods is an increasingly attractive route for organised criminals wanting to “diversify their product range”. More recently, it launched a campaign highlighting the rising threat of counterfeit goods sold online.
The sad truth is that some consumers, choosing to buy original ink and toner made by the manufacturer of their printer, end up as the victims of this crime – often unwittingly until problems arise. Some are mis-sold cheaper – but legal – alternative products, and, at worst, some are supplied completely faked branded goods. Attractive deals advertising greatly reduced prices online may save some money now, but the consumer or business usually ends up paying over the odds further down the line.
It is important to note that using non-OEM supplies can cause performance and reliability issues. Testing done by Buyers Lab has shown that Original HP ink cartridges surpass non-HP alternatives by producing on average 50 per cent more pages. The same test revealed that more than 40 per cent of non-HP ink cartridges failed either being dead on arrival or expiring prematurely. Should your printer break as a result of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, you could also have issues with your manufacturer’s warranty becoming not applicable. The short-term gains simply aren’t worth the potential long-term problems.
Counterfeiting can have a wider impact on society, reaching far beyond the end user. For example, approximately 2.5 million jobs across the G20 regions have been lost due to the growth of counterfeiting and piracy, according to BASCAP estimates. On top of that, The Imaging Supplies Coalition estimates that counterfeiting has a global impact of $3 billion on the printing supplies industry alone, each year.
Those behind the sale of counterfeit printer products often build their businesses exclusively on counterfeiting. In other cases, they mix illegitimate and original products, and sell them together at the same time, making it more difficult to spot fakes.
These sophisticated techniques mean it is getting harder to catch the culprits behind the sale of these illegal products. This is why printer manufacturers like HP are actively involved in anti-counterfeit measures. It not only helps channel partners and customers ensure that they are selling the correct quality and legitimate products, but also supports our society in trying to eradicate this slice of the counterfeiting industry.
HP says it works with local law authorities across the globe to investigate and seize counterfeit products, to help keep customers safe from being sold poor quality and unlawful goods.
From May – October 2016, HP worked with law enforcement agencies across EMEA to seize 1.9 million counterfeit products.
With counterfeiting of goods, especially printing products growing at an alarming rate, both businesses and consumers need to be extra vigilant about the ink and toner they are buying. Customers can identify counterfeit goods in three easy ways:
1. Scan the box
Use your smartphone to scan the QR code on an HP cartridge’s security seal – you’ll automatically be taken to our validation screen.
2. Check the labels
HP cartridges are supplied with both a holographic security label to validate authenticity, and a tamper-evident label with clear instructions to identify whether the product has been inferred with.
3. Online: You can also validate serial numbers from our security labels online at hp.com
Buy print products from reputable retailers. Customers shouldn’t have any issues if they are buying printer cartridges and toner ink from established and reputable retail outlets and commercial resellers. Fake print products are a real problem – stay alert and stay ahead of the criminals, by following these simple steps to spot, report and avoid counterfeits.
Jumoke Akiyode
