A new survey shows that 75 percent of Canadians say they plan to spend less over the holidays due to economic conditions and are turning to online sites in search of the best deals.
The survey, commissioned by Microsoft Canada Inc, also revealed that 68 per cent of Canadians believe deal-seekers may not get what they bargained for because of the abundance of counterfeit goods on the Web.
According to Microsoft, searching for the lowest price increases the likelihood of counterfeiters successfully fooling online shoppers with fake products such as toys, clothing, video games, and software, many of which look genuine and are hard for the average consumer to detect.
“Today counterfeiters have a global reach through the sale of counterfeit software or other pirated goods on online auction sites, websites, and through spam,” Lorne Lipkus, founding member of the Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network, said in a release.
“The anonymity afforded by the web allows counterfeiters to operate with little chance of being detected while the risks to consumers are extremely high,” Lipkus added.
The survey found that eight in 10 respondents can’t tell the difference between the real and the fake, which is mainly why the illegal industry continues to flourish.
“Consumers need to take extra measures when making purchases this holiday season, especially those made online,” said Chris Tortorice, Corporate Counsel, Anti-Piracy, Microsoft Canada Inc., in the news release.
He advised consumers to educate themselves on what to look for to ensure they don’t purchase illegitimate products.
Below are some steps consumers can take to protect themselves:
• Do your research. Take time to find out what you’re buying and who you’re buying it from. Listen to word of mouth, check references, and get insight from experienced and trusted retailers.
• Compare the price. Everyone loves a good deal, but quality products are sometimes worth the extra cost. The trick when bargain shopping is making sure the sale is reasonable and not unusually low, which could be a potential red flag.
• Look for the flaws. Counterfeiters might be good at producing replicas, but there are usually subtle differences in the packaging of the goods, such as spelling mistakes and other obvious errors. Pay close attention before making the purchase.
• Use available resources. If questioning the legitimacy of a Microsoft product, visit www.howtotell.com. If you encounter suspicious Microsoft software, call the piracy hotline at 1-800-RU-LEGIT.
Additional Survey Findings:
• Fifty-six per cent of those aged 18-34 are considering making online purchases during the holiday season.
• Middle-aged Canadians are most likely to comparison shop online (70 percent).
• Seventy-eight percent of those aged 35-54 are likely to adopt a “spend less on everyone” strategy this year, more so than youth (71 percent) or senior shoppers (76 percent).
• Men (25 percent) are more likely than women (18 percent) to claim they know how to spot a fake.
• Quebec shoppers are least likely to think they have purchased a fake good (68 percent) when the deal seems too good to be true, compared to 84 percent of Ontario shoppers who are sceptical.
The online poll of 1,025 Canadians was conducted in November by Ipsos Reid. The results are considered accurate to within +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
