Secure Destruction of Counterfeit Olympic Merchandise
Fakes flooding Olympic markets
With just over 600 days to go until the starter gun fires for the start of the London 2012 Olympics the black market has seen an upsurge in fake souvenirs.
The 2012 Olympics will see athletes from around the world competing in 26 sports as diverse as badminton, canoeing and horse jumping from 20 July – 19 August.
Recently, Trading Standards officers confiscated 1,300 fake t-shirts and baseball caps with the 2012 logo and the Olympic rings printed on. Olympic organisers say that sales of official merchandise contribute to the £2bn cost of staging the event.
As technology evolves the increase in forged goods means spotting a fake is harder. Experts say counterfeit items must be shredded securely to stop them getting onto the black market, which contributes to wider criminal activity and presents consumers with poor quality items.
Jim Watson, managing director of Shred Easy, the UK’s leading counterfeit confidential destruction company, said:
“Sports fans should know how to spot fakes online and in the street. Look out for faded Olympic logos, cheap material, badly stitched labels, the age of the item and where it was made.
“These items must be securely shredded by accredited shredding companies, like Shred Easy, to protect the official Olympic trade mark.
“If you have bought a fake item under the impression it’s an original, you have legal rights against the seller and should contact Trading Standards immediately. Your statutory rights may allow you to claim for false advertising.”