Counterfeit Sports Merchandise and Memorabilia

Fans across Wisconsin are looking forward to the start of the fall sports season. But when they shop for their favorite team’s merchandise or memorabilia, they might encounter counterfeits, knockoffs, and scam products. Consumers who buy these products may be disappointed, lose their money, or expose their payment information to scammers.

Some products consumers find are real, but unsanctioned by the team. For example, unlicensed jerseys might look nearly identical to the real thing on a webpage or hanging up in a store – it could have the league’s tags for that sport or a well-known manufacturer’s logo. But consumers might notice poor quality when closely examining it, or it might be easily damaged when wearing it for any length of time. Even if a fan is comfortable buying unofficial products, some items – especially apparel – can contain unsafe materials that fail U.S. safety standards (such as by containing too much lead, formaldehyde, or other chemicals). Indicators of an unofficial product are especially hard to notice when buying a product online because it cannot be physically inspected until after being purchased.

To spot fake merchandise:

· Know the seller. If they are a well-known or officially authorized retailer, the product is probably real (but should still be double checked). Little-known sellers, especially when they sell merchandise at much lower prices than usual or offer limited-time, too-good-to-be-true deals, may not be as trustworthy. Consumers should also check a seller’s return policy and read third-party reviews before making a purchase.

· Examine the product quality. Fake merchandise is made cheaply, so it could contain visual defects, poor stitching, loose threads, or designs that easily peel off. It may feel like low-quality material, be itchy to wear, or smell unpleasant.

· Inspect the tags and labels. Are they high quality, legible, and sturdy? Or poorly printed and loosely attached? Do they contain manufacturer information, and if so, does it match official sources? If there is a holographic tag, it may be fake if it looks dull, peels off, or is low quality.

Consumers should also be wary of imposter websites that are designed by scammers to look identical to the real, trustworthy seller they are imitating. These imposters “sell” products at steep discounts, but they never ship anything and are simply stealing consumers’ personal and payment information. In the past, scammers have created imposter websites that looked exactly like the official online stores of some of Wisconsin’s most popular teams to scam fans, leading to frustration for consumers, reputation harm for the legitimate seller, and a breakdown in trust. Instead of clicking promotional links or ads, consumers should check a team’s or league’s verified website and social media profiles for a link to their official store. Before entering any personal or payment information, consumers should double check that the website’s address exactly matches the one in official sources.

The most reliable way to know that a product is real is by buying it directly from the official brand store or another authorized retailer.