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When you picture a counterfeit product, the first thing that probably comes to mind is money. Criminals try to pass off counterfeit bills for the real thing so they can purchase products and disappear without a trace. But did you know electrical products can be counterfeit as well? In fact, consumer electronics comprise the single largest category of counterfeit commodities seized by US customs, making up 22 percent of all items seized each year.

What makes an electrical product counterfeit, and how can you spot it? Use these tips any time you shop for electronics to protect your home and family from counterfeits.

What are Counterfeit Electrical Products?

When shopping for electronics, you may stumble across a product with a price far below what competitors are selling their products for. If this happens, you have probably spotted a counterfeit electrical product. Don’t be tempted to purchase the item just because it costs less. After all, while many types of products can be impersonated, counterfeit electrical products are particularly dangerous because:

• They have not undergone testing by an independent laboratory.
• They likely don’t comply with industry safety standards.
• They can cause electrocution or start a fire.
• Since product origins are often unknown, the manufacturer can’t be held liable if products cause property damage or physical harm.

How to Avoid Counterfeit Products

The potential dangers you face from purchasing counterfeit electrical products are clearly not worth the lower price you might be asked to pay. To ensure you don’t face any unnecessary dangers when purchasing electronics, follow these tips:

• Only shop at reputable retail locations. Established vendors only purchase their goods from legitimate distributors and manufacturers.
• If you see any grammatical errors or typos on the product label, that’s a sign the product is not professionally made.
• Look for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo on the label, indicating the product has undergone proper testing.
• If the product is legitimate, you should see the name and contact information for the manufacturer on the label.
• Avoid purchasing unknown brands or products that display no brand affiliation of any kind.

How to Report a Counterfeit Product

The prevalence of counterfeit products has risen over 10,000% in the past 20 years. During this time, counterfeits have become increasingly harder to spot as unscrupulous manufacturers get better at deceiving customers via the internet and tempting low prices.

If you accidentally purchase a counterfeit product, report it to the brand owner. This alerts the brand owner to investigate the suspected product and remove it from the marketplace if it’s indeed counterfeit. If you don’t know the product’s brand, contact the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which will disseminate the information to the appropriate parties and work toward removing the product from the market.

By taking an active role in reporting counterfeit products, you help put an end to this illegal industry, the revenue from which can often be traced to organized crime and terrorism. Demand for counterfeit electrical products would decrease dramatically if everyone reported the imitation devices they accidentally purchased.

Here they share some great information this holiday season.

Shocking Home Electrical Fire Statistics:

• 79 percent of home electrical fires spread beyond their point of origin. 

• 39 percent of home electrical fires involve lighting and electrical distribution and power transfer equipment (electrical panels, circuit breakers, transfer switches, disconnects, etc.) 

• Home electrical fires result in an estimated 280 deaths annually. 

• Fire departments across the U.S. respond to an estimated 25,900 home electrical fires every year, treating over 1,000 burn-related injuries. 

• Each year, electrical fires cause over a billion dollars in property loss, which average a far greater dollar loss per fire than those that are non-electrical. 

Protect Your Home and Family with These Electrical Fire Safety Tips:

• Don’t overload outlets. 

• Never utilize extension cords as a permanent wiring solution. Have an outlet added and utilize certified surge protectors and power strips. 

• Use the correct wattage light bulb in every fixture. 

• Replace electrical wires that show signs of wear-and-tear. This includes electrical devices. 

• Use extreme caution when operating appliances near water. 

• Keep flammable items away from heat sources. 

• Ensure your dryer and all venting is lint-free.

• Have your home electrical inspected every 10 years at a minimum.

If You Have Children, Follow These Electrical Fire Safety Tips:

Note: Children are at an increased risk for electrical burns due to their ignorance and curiosity.

• Use covers on every electrical outlet. 

• Teach children never to touch electrical outlets or play with cords.

• Keep electrical cords and appliances out of reach of children. Unplug those that are. 

• Teach older children the dangers of operating electrical devices near wet areas. 

• Upgrade to child safe outlets throughout your home. 

• Install GFCIs in every outlet near a water source.

If You Have Any of the following Fire Safety Issues, Contact a Qualified Mr. Electric® Professional Immediately:

• Fuses or circuit breakers that repeatedly blow or trip. 

• Flickering lights. 

• Outlets or switches that are warm or hot to the touch. 

• Cracked or broken wall outlets. 

• Outlets that emit sparks. 

• Burning rubber type odors emanating from appliances.

Fire safety starts with you! Spread the word and get the information you need to keep your family and your home safe from electrical fire risks.

Commercial Energy Savings and Audits:

Child Proof Outlets:

 

It is important to protect children with tamperproof outlets all throughout your home, as outlets are tempting toys for unsuspecting children. Sticking fingers or foreign objects into sockets puts them at risk of being shocked or burned. 

Is my child at risk of injury?

This year over 2,400 kids will be injured by placing metal objects into electrical outlets.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that over 95% of these injuries will involve burns. These burns range in severity, but many result in serious, even fatal injuries. Even minor injuries can leave a child emotionally traumatized. It is important to note that pediatric burns are more serious than adult burns because their skin is thin and offers little resistance to electric flow or heat. For this reason infant and toddler burns leave more serious burns and scars. Alarmingly 70% of the time adult supervision is present when an injury occurs. It only takes a second for a child to find danger by sticking a metal object or their finger into an outlet.

 

Note: To protect yourself from surges that originate within the house, it is a good idea to take extra precaution and continue to use power strip/surge protectors for extra sensitive or expensive devices.