Wednesday 02 / July / 2025
Muscat: To help consumers get a better idea of counterfeit goods while shopping, the Consumer Protection Authority has provided a list of guidelines to which they can refer.
The guidelines were issued as part of efforts by the CPA to educate people on how to spot counterfeit goods.
Customers need to make sure the goods they buy have original logos that distinguish them from other brands, as opposed to fraudulent goods that use fake logos, feature text that has errors and is in a colour scheme that is not the same as the original.
Original products also contain serial numbers and barcodes that are engraved on the package.
On fake goods, however, these may be simply stuck on to the packaging with adhesive tape.
Similarly, people looking to buy a particular product must make sure that the country of origin on the packaging is the same as the one listed inside.
Original goods come in packaging that is made of good quality and thick material, engraved with the company logo, a serial number and data relevant to the product.
In some cases, these goods may be wrapped in a soft and light covering that does not show proof of adhesives used such as glue or tape.
Another way to identify a fake product is the price tag: Fake goods are often less expensive than their original versions.
When it comes to leather goods, original versions have a soft, rich texture, as opposed to the rough feel of fake goods.
Similarly, aromatics such as perfumes can be recognised as counterfeit when they have a dark pigment in them that leaves behind colour, as opposed to original products.
When going out to shop, customers need to make sure they buy from trusted stores, as fraudulent goods are not often sold at these places.
Always also ask for a guarantee or warranty certificate to make sure your goods come with a period during which they can be repaired or replaced.
Very often fake goods do not come with such forms of after-sales service.
People who sell counterfeit goods are chasing profit and committing fraud in doing so, say officials from Oman’s Consumer Protection Authority (CPA).
Keen to spread awareness among people on how to identify fake or poor quality goods, Mohammed Al Kasbi, the head of the Contracts and Agreements Department at CPA, said people committing commercial fraud purposely make imitation products or alter existing goods so that they lose some of their value.
“The Consumer Protection Law is clear: There is no tolerance if the law is violated, and the law also covers the use of imitation products,” he said. “We have seen many forms of commercial fraud and to make sure we are able to stop such practices, we jointly operate with other authorities to stop the sale of fraudulent goods.
“Most of the complaints during the last two years, are to do with vendors who have provided customers improper service by exceeding the agreed-upon time period,” added Al Kasbi.
Salem Al Abri, the director of the Consumer Protection Department in South Al Batinah, said that all reports submitted by consumers are confidential in nature.
“The consumer is the first line of awareness when it comes to checking the quality of goods,” he said.
“We rely on them to submit reports, should they come across fake items. Our awareness programmes are not just limited to consumers, but merchants and suppliers as well. In case we do find goods that are the result of commercial fraud, we will not hesitate to seize them.”
The CPA officials were speaking about consumer awareness to Al Shabiba FM, the radio arm of Al Shabiba, which is the Arabic publication of the Times of Oman.
