Counterfeit ERGO Baby Carriers in the UK

FAKE ERGObaby CARRIERS IN THE UK MARKET

Starting sometime in 2010, counterfeit (fake) ERGObaby carriers have become available in the UK. It goes without saying that ERGObaby Incorporated is doing their best to stop them. Meanwhile, if you are interested in purchasing a genuine ERGObaby carrier, you will need to be discerning with how you shop.

Why should we be concerned about buying a counterfeit ?

When you purchase a product, you expect it to do what it claims. In the case of a baby carrier, we want the materials which will be touching our baby's skin to be tested and safe, we want our babies to be safely transported inside it and we want the company to back their work in the case of any product fault.

ERGObaby website says:
"All ERGObaby products are made of 100% cotton, except the Sport Carrier, the Weather Cover and parts like buckles and nylon straps.
With products for babies and children, using harmless materials is vital. For this reason, all materials used in the ERGObaby Carrier and the accessories are tested regularly by independent testing centers. These tests always produce a very good result regarding the absence of contaminates and carcinogenic substances. Moreover, the ERGObaby Carrier has undergone a series of standardised tests. Carriers in the organic range are made from certified 100% Organic twill cotton."

A genuine ERGObaby Carrier is made observing Fair Trade labour practices and each carrier is safety tested. ERGObaby also offers a guarantee to repair / replace any fault found in their products.

None of these claims will be fulfilled concerning a counterfeit carrier, whose materials, manufacturing, and labour practices are all undisclosed. Materials used in counterfeit carriers will be untested and inexpensive. Buckles and fasteners are of lower quality. Any counterfeit carriers sent to ERGObaby will understandably not be covered by their guarantee. The counterfeit market is also notoriously linked with unfair labour practices. This could mean that the people making the product are forced workers, who could be working long hours in bad conditions for little or no money. Counterfeiting is illegal, and it is not just for the benefit of the company being beseiged, but for the good of the consumer and workers involved in production, as well.

HOW TO PURCHASE A GENUINE ERGOBABY CARRIER

CHECK UP ON THE STOCKIST
I encourage anyone wishing to purchase a GENUINE ERGO to check the ERGObaby.eu website to see their full list of stockists in the UK. First Signs in Peterborough (that is me) is one of them. Many, many ERGOs listed on Ebay are fakes. Please beware of a new crop of ERGObaby lookalike websites which claim to be selling off ERGOs in a "sale."

I would also be wary of suppliers who sell a variety of non-baby related items or have very little information about the product for sale. This tells me that they have no experience using it. I have also noticed that several of the counterfeit ebay listings are written in broken English. Again, a quick check on ERGObaby's website will verify the stockists they supply.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
When you are looking online at ERGO's, there are a few things you can look for in the item descriptions which will help you differentiate fakes from genuine carriers.

Firstly, price is an indicator. I understand that everyone wants a good deal, but ANYTHING genuine is more pricey than a counterfeit! If you are looking at a NEW ERGO for a price that seems too good to be true? There is a good chance that it is a fake.

Secondly, counterfeits often come with DVD instructions. Genuine carriers come with a printed manual (they used to come with DVD's but haven't for about 2 years now).

Thirdly, many counterfeits are described differently than on the ERGObaby.eu website. For instance, the colours may be referred to as "red" "black" "cream" rather than "Cranberry,""Black and Camel" and "Camel." Also they can be called "slings" and other unfitting descriptions. I have noticed one ebay listing stating "extra protective cap included" - I suspect this is a poor description of the sleeping hood. Any product description that does not match ERGObaby's website is suspect. ERGObaby Inc. is very finicky with their retailers about these types of descriptive errors. (ERGObaby Europe asked me to change every "Ergobaby" on my website to read "ERGObaby" - and that was just capitalization!)

Fourthly, another pointer to watch for is the colours which are available to purchase on the counterfeit market may be different from genuines. Have a look and see if the colours available marry up to the colours available on ERGObaby.eu website. For instance, many counterfeits are offered in chocolate / brown colour. This colour is only offered by ERGObaby in their more expensive Organic range. So, it is highly unlikely that you will get a genuine, organic Dark Chocolate carrier for the same price as a Cranberry, Camel, or Black/Camel, as genuine retailers have to pay more for them, too! Also, there are many fake cranberry / cream carriers out there which is not a colour currently offered by ERGObaby. Many photos of the counterfeit carriers show them to be slightly shiny in appearance. Genuine carriers are 100% cotton and are not at all shiny.

HOW TO SPOT A FAKE IN PERSON
If you happen to be holding a counterfeit ERGO carrier and it's box, you can see on the box that there are photos of old ERGO colour combinations (which are no longer available on ERGObaby.eu.) Also, the feel of the material is different and has a slightly shiny appearance. This may be hard to use as a differentiator unless you are directly comparing a genuine and a fake. Again, a DVD instruction manual will tip you off.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED A FAKE

Step 1: ASK FOR A REFUND

Contact the seller immediately to ask for a refund. If they do not reply, this is a bad sign. In this case, go immediately to Step 2.

Step 2: GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD

Hopefully you will have used a Credit Card to make your online purchase, and if you approach your credit card within a certain timeframe, they should reimburse you the full amount and take the matter up with the seller themselves.

Here is what ERGObaby have to say about fakes / counterfeits!

I hope this information was helpful.

email if you have a question... jackie@first-signs.com

ORDER ONLINE HERE

or contact:

Jackie Fewtrell
01733 221242

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