Is your Mercedes real? Sales of Mercedes counterfeits rising online
Buying a luxury car is a huge investment in itself and with the rising number of dupe sites online these days, if one comes to know that the model on which crores have been spent is a counterfeit of the real thing, the punch can be hard to endure. The issue is real, which is something Mercedes-Benz has been facing as the premium automaker informed about 1.86 million units of counterfeit Mercedes-Benz products were seized last year. This has been found in over 650 raids conducted in 2021. This is around a six per cent increase against 2020.
Mercedes-Benz shared that during the last two years of the pandemic, product pirates have been using online platforms and social media channels to offer counterfeit goods. “Counterfeit goods can be placed on online platforms at very short notice and sold with the support of social media," stated Mercedes-Benz. These products are not only illegal but also a danger to the safety of the user and fellow road users.
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Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Integrity & Legal Affairs Renata Jungo Brungger stated the business of counterfeiting industry has organised crime structures and often earns higher profits compared to drug trafficking. “We are working closely with authorities around the world in order to curtail these structures and combat threats to road safety," added Brungger.
Mercedes-Benz shared that it taking steps to expand its strategic and operational measures against counterfeiting in online trading. The premium automaker is following the route of detecting, attacking and preventing. “Our brand protection experts can identify counterfeiters by checking suspicious offers on online platforms and social media or trade fairs worldwide," informed Mercedes-Benz.
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It can be difficult to visually distinguish counterfeit products from genuine parts, however, the quality of counterfeit products is low and they do not meet the minimum legal requirements in terms of safety. “Our brand protection experts have quickly adapted to the counterfeiting industry’s growing business model. In 2021, more than 126,000 counterfeit products were removed from online platforms," stated Brungger.
