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Look before you leap

Fake electronic goods flood markets

Sabrina Karim Murshed
A gush of fake electronic goods into the local markets has deceived many unsuspecting city dwellers.
Television sets, refrigerators, VCD players, stereo music systems, audio cassette players, air conditioners, washing machines, mobile phone sets and irons are falsified under intema-tionalbrands.
Of the popular brand names, Sony and Panasonic are exploited the most. Items bearing identical names are displayed at shops and showrooms attempting to lure customers into purchase.
The locally produced goods sometimes carry subtly changed name brands. Changes like 'Soni' from 'Sony' or 'Pansonic" from 'Panasonic' go unnoticed by enthusiastic custom-, ers.
"Our brand is copied most as it has earned people's trust," said Shariful Islam, assistant manager of Nicole International, Panasonic's agent. He added that the name is losing its reputation because of the high rate of forgery. "It is hampering our business."
Most fake electronic items are available at the Bangabandhu National Stadium market, Baitul Mukarram super market and Nawabpur Road market. The electronic goods sales outlets attract customers mostly from the lower income group.
On the other hand, customers feel that they get their monies worth because they buy a brand-item at a lower price than the nominated sales agents.
"A fake Sony (or Soni) 14" colour television set is around He 9,000. The genuine one costs about Tk 14,000," said a salesperson of a shop at Baitul Mukarram.
Some salespersons at Bangabandhu National Stadium market said that low quality parts are smug-
gledfromlndiaandChina. TJreyareas-sembled here and then a brand name gets added.
■fraders buy damaged or out-of-order electronic items, repair them, camouflage the old item with a new coating of paint, ensure the brand name is conspicuous and sell them off as newitems to unsuspecting customers.
The painting is generally done behind swimming pool market adjacent to the Stadium market.
No written guarantee is given to any customer. Customers are ripped off in the name of replacing damaged parts.
Sabit Khan of East Rajabazar faced such a situation having bought a refrigerator from Stadium market that went out of order within amonth.
"They did not replace or repair it," hecomolained.
Apart from household items, commercially used electronic items like close circuit cameras are also being duplicated.
"Law quality close circuit cameras are brought from China and Taiwan by people known as baggage party," said Abu Saleh Siddique, Enercon International’s sales officer. He said the baggage parties pose as tourists and each carry a few cameras without paying taxes.
Brand names are then added and $old at about Tk 10,000 while a genuine camera costs about Tk 16,000.
"This is how close circuit cameras are sold in every nook and cranny though only four to five genuine ifn-porters exist," Saleh said.
Some traders commented customers are gradually becoming aware of the fake goods and avoid going in for
popular brands fearing the forgery. They arc comfortable buying Chinese, -Korean or Taiwanese brands like Konka, TCL, Walton, Hisense, Hayes & Hayer orChanghong.
"These brands are not yet copied by fake-good makers and are cheap too," said Dipu Ahmed who owns an electronic goods store at the Stadium market.
TYaders and salespersons said most of the forgery would decrease if smuggling of electronic parts can be prevented.
"Some electronic goods traders continue their business just as an eyewash," said a salesperson. of Bangabandhu National Stadium market on condition of anonymity. "In fact their main business is smuggling Heroin, Phensydil and especially gold," he added.