Impulse buying can land you in hot water

During the sales season these days, buyers are bombarded with attractive discounts and mouth-watering prices, increasing the likelihood of falling victim to fake products.
While we can all agree that sales seasons provide opportunities to own brands that would otherwise be out of reach for many customers, there are definitely risks associated with slashed prices and deep discounts. For one thing, you may end up purchasing counterfeit goods, as many people did when they purchased a counterfeit iPhone 13 on Flipkart during the Diwali Sale at a heavily discounted price. Experts advise customers to avoid impulsive purchases and to focus on the value they receive from a specific offer. It is also critical to verify that the sales are genuine and that the products on offer are from reputable brands.

Ayush Jhawar, Co-Founder, Genefied shares a list of things customers can do to avoid falling victim to fake products during sales:

QR Codes: When scanned, the QR code provides every detail about the information, including the date of manufacture, list of ingredients used, warranty period, and expiry date. You can also access the company’s information and visit its official website to learn more about the product. In fact, QR codes help companies build and strengthen brand loyalty among target audiences by giving consumers the option to gamify.

Unnaturally Low Prices: While sales discounts are common, an abnormally low-price tag is a reliable indicator that the product in question is a knockoff of the original. A little bit of research and analysis here can save you the trouble of using fake products, which can be dangerous in many cases.

Inferior Quality: Reputable brands invest heavily in quality in order to build a strong base of loyal customers who will stick with them in the long run. Fake products, on the other hand, exist to defraud consumers and frequently use low-quality ingredients such as faux leather, used accessories, and inferior materials. If you come across a product that does not appear and feel genuine, chances are it is a first-copy product.

Questionable Payment Methods: Sellers of counterfeit goods prefer cash transactions and refuse to accept payments via net banking, UPI, or mobile wallets.These are also hesitant to accept debit or credit cards because they are concerned with leaving no tangible proof of transactions that may cause them trouble in the future. When making an online purchase, make sure you’re using a trusted website that begins with https://; this indicates a secure website with an SSL certificate.

Bad Packaging: Branded products have superior packaging that reflects their market status and reputation.One of the simplest ways to identify fake products is to carefully examine their packaging. If you receive a branded product in ill-fitting and flimsy packaging, it is possible that the product is a forgery.Other signs of fake products include faulty branding, misspelt names, and faded colours, among others.Likewise, products with broken safety seals, missing expiry dates, and scratched manufacturing months/years should be discarded rather than used.

9th photos.zipSales and discounts are a great way to maximise your purchasing power, and there’s no harm in taking advantage of these deals on a wide range of items.To summarise, proper planning and a well-thought-out strategy can help you avoid fake products and enjoy your shopping with zeal and glee.