Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Fake Vibrams hitting the market and how to spot them.
There have been a rise in the number of fake sites, the number of reports from dealers being approached to buy fakes, the number of reports from consumers having their credit cards scammed, having retailers call about consumers asking to exchange or warranty fakes, etc.
1) Dealers being asked to buy counterfeits at reduced pricing: we cannot control what a dealer chooses to buy, or who to buy from, we hope you will exercise caution to avoid taking in the fakes. You might be entering a legal quagmire if you do. We understand fully that the less-than-ideal inventory levels might give you pause to consider getting involved with these criminals (and be assured these are crimes they are committing) – but you could be getting yourself into a situation that will become uncomfortable – the great news is the dealers we have heard form are really rallying behind the true Vibram products, and that makes us feel pretty good about our partners at retail. We appreciate your support!
2) Consumers going into stores asking to exchange or replace or warranty a fake. The good news is most of the stores that told us that someone came in with a fake recognized it as such very quickly. What they do is their choice, but Vibram will not warranty or replace or issue a credit for fakes from dealers.
3) Vibram has been called by consumers seeking warranty advice for goods purchased from a fake site. They will not honor a fake good for warranty or exchange. Consumers must go back to their credit card companies and file a dispute (which puts added legal eyes on the criminals – this is good).
There is a really good blog post on how to spot fakes. Follow this link to lean more.