Beware Counterfeits

  • Ergobaby
  • Mar 1, 2021

Beware Counterfeits

We understand that you want the best and safest products for your baby. Unfortunately, there are counterfeit and potentially dangerous copies of our Ergobaby Carriers on the market. We urge you to obtain genuine products and educate yourself and others on how to purchase authorised products and how to avoid counterfeits that could potentially cause harm.

We pride ourselves on using high quality, certified materials produced in independently inspected factories that adhere to responsible work practices. Our Ergobaby carriers have attracted a host of international product awards and health endorsements. Unfortunately, this success has also attracted unscrupulous copies.

We love the fact that the Ergobaby Carrier is a “must-have” on many registries and new baby lists. But that means that you as parents may not be purchasing the Ergobaby Carrier for yourself, and we understand that many of you receive an Ergobaby product as a gift. For that reason, we urge you to please review and share this information with friends and family members who may be purchasing the carrier and related products for you and your baby.

What is counterfeiting?

Definition: A counterfeit Ergobaby product is any imitation or fake product made with the intent to deceive you into believing it to be genuine Ergobaby product. Our goal is to help you to be aware of how to avoid purchasing counterfeit Ergobaby Carriers and products that are being sold to unsuspecting buyers as genuine Ergobaby products.

Why purchase authentic Ergobaby products?

Purchasing genuine Ergobaby products is best for you and your baby. We want all babies and toddlers to be carried safely – and for you to have the quality products you deserve.

You can purchase your authentic Ergobaby Carrier and accessory products only through our Authorised Retailers and Ergobaby directly on our website, Ergobaby.co.uk in the UK and Ergobaby.ie in Ireland. For our authentic products, we can guarantee attentive and personal Customer Support (who are all trained babywearing consultants), and stellar warranties, services and protections, as well as the security and safety that an Ergobaby Carrier provides.

We stand behind our product with a warranty, because we go above and beyond to ensure a quality product for the safety of your most precious cargo. That is why we warrant our products against defects in materials and workmanship. We stand behind all of our products and even have our ErgoPromise 10-year Guarantee on baby carriers. Proof of purchase is necessary. We require that the Ergobaby Carrier or accessory be sent to us directly so we that can confirm the defect and make a decision on how to proceed.

Ergobaby Customer Support unfortunately cannot verify, confirm, or assist your purchase through unauthorised sellers on a counterfeit site, eBay, or other online auctions or trade boards as we support purchases only through our Authorised Retailers lists. If you choose to purchase from non-authorised retailers, you are purchasing at your own risk and those products are not valid for warranty or support.

Where are authentic Ergobaby carriers made?

Authentic Ergobaby carriers and other Ergobaby products are made with precision, quality, and care in China, Vietnam, and India. To make sure you are buying an authentic Ergobaby carrier that is safe for your baby, purchase directly from our website or from one of our Authorised Retailers.

What are the dangers or risks of buying counterfeit products?

When it comes to baby carriers or any other product, especially those claiming to be baby products, counterfeits could seriously endanger your baby or your health with inferior materials and workmanship. Consumer identities are often stolen and goods that were paid for are often not delivered. Counterfeiters have been connected to gang activity and terrorism, among other crimes. It’s criminal – and buying these products fuels these indefensible practices.

Counterfeiters hurt legitimate business owners as well as the overall economy because they do not pay taxes nor do they provide fair wages or benefits to their employees. Counterfeiters are not accountable to human rights and environmental regulations. Counterfeiters don’t adhere to child labor laws, anti-sweatshop laws, or restricted substances laws, putting both workers and the environment at risk. Fundamental human rights of workers employed by counterfeiters, such as basic safety and health precautions, are often compromised or entirely ignored, creating a work environment that is safe for no one.

Protect yourself from counterfeits

The following are some guidelines to help you avoid counterfeits and help you learn how to spot a fake Ergobaby carrier or other product:

  1. Purchase Only From Authorised Retailers, whether online or in-store and if buying secondhand be cautious when purchasing from online sites such as Facebook Marketplace and Ebay, and from street vendors, flea markets, and unauthorised retail locations. To ensure you purchase only genuine Ergobaby products, please remember that we maintain an official distribution network of Authorised Retailers as unfortunately, Ergobaby Customer Support cannot verify, confirm, or assist your purchase elsewhere. If you choose to purchase from non-authorised retailers, you are purchasing at your own risk, and those products are not valid for warranty or support.
  2. Beware of products that seem flimsy or are obviously poorly made. We take great pride in providing the highest quality Ergobaby products. Quality control is often absent in counterfeiting operations, so you may be able to spot a counterfeit simply based on its workmanship.
  3. Inspect the packaging carefully. Ergobaby takes great care in packaging our products. Counterfeiters often don’t want to spend the time to reproduce every detail, so they’ll likely leave some of this detail off. Beware of flimsy packaging, packaging with substandard printing or running colors, or packages that appear to have been opened. In addition, take a moment to actually read the package. Spelling or grammatical errors are common on the packaging for counterfeit goods. Ergobaby product labels and boxes have significant information printed on them, including bar codes, trademark and patent information and recycling symbols.
  4. Match the packaging to the product. Does the packaging exactly match the product? Some careless counterfeiters will not provide the proper product aligned with the box. It may not be this obvious, so also check model numbers on the packaging against the model number of the Ergobaby Carrier.
  5. Be vigilant when buying abroad. While many international businesses offer unique products that may seem similar to legitimate Ergobaby products, in certain foreign markets counterfeit and pirated products are even more prevalent than in the United Kingdom. Also, when shopping on international websites, look for trusted vendors that use identifiable privacy and security safeguards and have legitimate addresses.
  6. Trust your instincts. As always, beware of a purchase that is ‘too good to be true.’ If you are uncomfortable with the circumstances of your purchase- such as price, venue, lack of a sales receipt or warranty information, or, most importantly, a vendor’s unwillingness to answer simple questions about the source of the products for sale- use your common sense and walk away.
  7. Be cautious of purchasing what are advertised as Ergobaby products, either new or second-hand, on eBay, and other auction websites. Authorised Ergobaby retailers are not permitted to sell products on eBay or other online auctions or trade boards, therefore Ergobaby products on auction sites are often counterfeit.
  8. Be wary of websites advertising Ergobaby products. (other than from the Authorised Retailers list). Remember that these sites may be able to obtain product images, and even copy the whole official Ergobaby site, to advertise their counterfeit merchandise.
  9. Be cautious of websites that appear on Google, Bing or other search engines for ‘Ergobaby’ or similar keywords or search terms with the words ‘sale,’ ‘discount,’ ‘wholesale price,’ ‘factory direct,’ etc. Again, only the official Ergobaby website and its Authorised Online Retailers websites are trusted online sources for purchasing genuine Ergobaby products. Search engines (such as Google) do not pre-screen websites that appear in their search results
  10. Insist on secure transactions. Operations dealing in counterfeit products are likely to disregard the need to transmit and store customer data in a secure fashion or may use your purchase to capture your credit card information for fraud purposes. Avoid making a purchase if you are uncomfortable with the security of the transaction. When doing business online, make sure your payments are submitted via websites beginning with https:// (the ‘s’ stands for secure) and look for a lock symbol at the top/bottom of your browser. All Ergobaby Authorised Retailers, the Ergobaby official website, and Authorised Retailers websites, require a SSL transaction.
  11. Be wary of websites that contain Ergobaby anywhere in the domain name (other than the Authorized Retailers list). If you are viewing Ergobaby products online anywhere other than Ergobaby.co.uk or Ergobaby.ie an Authorised Retailer in the UK or globally, and the domain name includes “ERGO” or any variation/repetition of this word, the site could be selling counterfeits.

Ergobaby UK | Omni 360 Cool Air Mesh Baby Carrier in Blue Tweed

What is Ergobaby doing to protect you from counterfeit products?

  • We are working hard every day to identify and de-list sites that sell counterfeit products.To date, we have delisted over 2,300 sites. We use a service to help us source sites that are not legitimate, but we also rely on you to help us.
  • We work in partnership with UK Police Forces to identify unauthorised sellers and stop them from selling counterfeits.
  • We continue to explore and implement new technological developments to deter counterfeiting. Ergobaby uses special packaging and printing techniques that make counterfeiting both more difficult to accomplish and easier to spot.
  • Additionally, we have put in place business practices that are designed to 1) protect our customers, 2) increase cooperation with law enforcement agencies to successfully prosecute counterfeiters, and 3) promote proactive public policies that will help to reduce counterfeiting.
  • We guarantee attentive and personal Customer Support,  and stellar warranties, services and protections.

What can you do to help?

  • Ask questions and express your concerns about Ergobaby product counterfeiting, poorly packaged products, or any other issues regarding your purchased product that you do not feel confident in.
  • Consult Ergobaby Customer Support and seek advice from them on how Ergobaby products can be determined to be authentic by their appearance.
  • If you run across a suspect site, or you feel you have been the victim of a counterfeit site, please report it to us at [email protected].
  • Again, we urge you to purchase your Ergobaby Carrier and accessory products only through our Authorised Retailers and Ergobaby directly on our websites: Ergobaby.co.uk in the UK or Ergobaby.ie in Ireland.

 

No matter what, please do remember – If a deal seems too good to be true, question it – it usually is.

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