Operation: Combat Counterfeiting— Purchasing Tips for the New Year
Usher in the New Year by helping to put an end to the electrical counterfeit battle

The electrical manufacturing industry is at battle with an enemy out there—one so sneaky that it’s often hard to identify who really is friend or foe. With the New Year upon us, we encourage fellow facility owners and contractors to lay siege to our dangerous counterfeit adversaries and help win the fight against electrical counterfeiting.

If you don’t think counterfeit electrical products are a big deal – think again. They now occupy second place after pharmaceuticals in the number of Intellectual Property Rights seizures. Although they appear to be attractive because of lower pricing, they are unsafe copies that can result in product malfunctions or failures and cause serious bodily injury including electric shock, electrocution, and even death.

Tom Grace, brand protection manager at Eaton’s Electrical Sector is an expert on combatting the counterfeiting industry – and he shared these tips to help us do our part to prevent unsafe products from entering your facilities and causing harm to people and property:

1. Demand Authenticity. From now on, consider this a no brainer. Purchase products from the manufacturer’s authorized distributors or resellers. There is a higher risk of counterfeits if one cannot trace the path of commerce to the original manufacturer.

2. Double-Check, and then check again. There are tools provided by original manufacturers or certification organizations right at your fingertips that can be used to ensure electrical products are authentic. For instance, Eaton’s new Circuit Breaker Authentication (CBA) tool is designed to allow customers to detect if Eaton molded circuit breakers (MCCBs), up to 400 amperes, are counterfeit. For more on the nifty CBA tool, visit www.eaton.com/counterfeit.

3. Scrutinize. Embrace the investigative reporter within and get to the real nitty-gritty. When purchasing an electronic product, check for certification marks from organizations that certify the quality and performance of electrical products. Avoid products that lack any identifying branding label or affiliation.

4. Avoid “Bargains.” More often than not, deals that seem too good to be true typically are just that. Compare the price of the product you’re eyeing to a similar product at a different retailer.

5. Quality Control. A little QC is often lacking in counterfeiting operations, so you might just be able to spot a counterfeit based on its poor workmanship. If it’s a product that is purchased habitually, compare the quality and the price of that product at a different retailer.

6. Account for everything. This is where counterfeit aficionados often drop the ball. Do you have all supplementary materials that should come with your product? An owner’s manual or product registration card, perhaps? If not, consider that a red flag.

7. Report suspected counterfeits. So you’ve come across a suspicious product. Now what? It’s your responsibility to contact the brand owner if you come across a product suspected to be counterfeit. This will allow authentication of the suspect product and ensure that the potentially unsafe product is removed from the market place.

Stopping the sale of counterfeit products is everyone’s responsibility – manufacturers, distributors, resellers and customers alike. The counterfeiting industry is overwhelming, but that’s no reason to give up and let it continue. Working together, we can take sneaky counterfeit products off the streets, and out of facilities. 

Mike’s Comment: As brand protection manager for Eaton’s Electrical Sector, Tom Grace oversees counterfeit awareness, training and prevention. This involves building awareness of the risks that counterfeit electrical products present to personal safety and the economy with end-customers, contractors, inspectors and electrical resellers. To learn more about Eaton’s commitment to stopping counterfeiting of electrical products worldwide, please visit www.eaton.com/counterfeit or email Tom Grace at tomagrace@eaton.com.