“Fraudsters are making great headway in developing counterfeit products that look almost identical to their branded counterparts and selling these as ‘legitimate’ branded goods within similar price brackets,” says George Ferreira, COO of Samsung Electronics SA. “The problem here is that consumers buying these goods are being exposed to inferior products, and are not offered the crucial back-end support and customer service associated with genuine products.”

 

Samsung's concern about grey products on the market lead to the development of a new sticker which will indicate that products are destined for South Africa and come with a genuine Samsung warranty. “We would like to encourage all shoppers over the festive season to question the legitimacy of their purchases and be sure that all Samsung products carry the Samsung Genuine Seal,” Ferreira continued.

 

“The crux of this issue is disclosure. Grey goods are legal, and in many cases cheaper than their non-grey counterparts, but consumers have the right to know that they aren’t imported via the authorised channels, and that any warranty offered isn’t backed by the official repair agents,” stated Ferreira.

 

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