Counterfeit warning ahead of car boot sale season
Trading standards officers at Staffordshire County Council are reminding people that counterfeit items could be offered to them at local markets and car boot sales over the coming bank holiday period.
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Counterfeit goods help to fund criminal gangs and are usually poor quality imitations. They can even be harmful to people’s health, or can be a significant fire hazard, putting lives at risk.
Over the last 12 months, the team have seized thousands of illegal and counterfeit goods from across the county in a bid to keep communities safe. Legitimate traders also suffer as a result of counterfeit sales, harming the local economy in the process.
Tony Shore, Trading Standards Manager at Staffordshire County Council, said: “We’re seeing a huge increase in the availability of counterfeit goods, which we’re working hard to tackle.
“While the majority of items are being sold online and through second hand market platforms, we still get reports of goods popping up at car boot sales and markets. These can certainly be a great place to pick up a bargain but you need to be careful you don’t get caught out.
“Fakes are increasingly hard to detect just to look at, so when something is being sold at a knock-down price, people should be extremely wary.”
Through the proceeds of crime law, the service is now able to seize assets and money from those successfully prosecuted. This can then be reinvested in future operations and in protecting local communities.
People can report counterfeit goods sales online at staffordshire.gov.uk/Business/Tradingstandards/Trading-Standards-Report-It.aspx or call the confidential helpline on 01785 330356.
