While doing a quick search for a product, I ran across a Product Made In China by an Alibaba Gold Supplier. So I decided on a quick TM chat with the company just to find out exactly how they went about selling this product, which I KNOW has to be officially licensed.
The product was Sports Jerseys (NBA/NFL/NHL etc). Now these products are officially licensed by those groups as well as the individual teams also having rights.
Because of illegal selling by companies like this one, you are paying the crazy prices for the official Reebok/Nike etc LICENSED jerseys...
Here is the chat with the salesperson on TradeManager.
Xaimen Super Sky: hello
Xaimen Super Sky: how are you today?
Me: good. You sell NFL/ NBA/ NHL etc Jerseys?
Xaimen Super Sky: yes
Me: These are fully licensed jerseys?
Xaimen Super Sky: we can supply so many
Xaimen Super Sky: yes
Xaimen Super Sky: all with excellent quality
Xaimen Super Sky: sell so well for coming christmas
Me: can you give me a per piece price as a rough guide.
Me: and MOQ
Xaimen Super Sky: unit price is $23 per one including shipping fee,min order is 20 pcs
Xaimen Super Sky: can mix order with different team and player
Xaimen Super Sky: with different sizes
Me: ok. We can mix NFL/NBA/NHL/etc jerseys yes?
Xaimen Super Sky: of course you can
Xaimen Super Sky: are you come from usa?
Me: ok... So the only thing I would need before I start contacting my buyers here in the US would be the licensing certificate issued by the various teams/ organisations
Me: you can email copies of your licensing agreements with the NFL/NBA/NHL etc correct?
Xaimen Super Sky: sorry
Xaimen Super Sky: you know,all here in china ,the nfl are copy
Xaimen Super Sky: but with excellent quality
Xaimen Super Sky: with original package,tags and cards too
Me: but you said at first that you have fully licensed merchandise
Xaimen Super Sky: i am sorry for making mistake
Me: so they are NOT licensed products?. which means that they are illegal in the US
Me: it is illegal for me to import them if they are not licensed....... Customs will seize and destroy the jerseys. Will you pay me back if that happens?
Xaimen Super Sky: no,so many customers order them to sell in the usa
Xaimen Super Sky: we have done so many nfl jerseys business with usa customers
Me: but they are illegal....... you do understand that correct?
Xaimen Super Sky: yes,and if the customs seize the jerseys,we will send back to you or refund
Xaimen Super Sky: pls dont worry
Xaimen Super Sky: yes
Xaimen Super Sky: but can sell so well
Me: yes..... and are you aware that as well as seizing the jerseys and destoying them. US Customs can also fine me thousands of dollars... and put me on trial and send me to prison?
Me: are you aware that by selling these you put the buyers in that danger?
Xaimen Super Sky: friend,we are the serious company
Xaimen Super Sky: and we have done so many many nfl jerseys with usa customers
Xaimen Super Sky: never have that problem
Xaimen Super Sky: so can i give you a suggestion?
Me: yes?
Xaimen Super Sky: how about order 20-40 pcs to test
Xaimen Super Sky: i promise that have no problem with customs
Me: you promise? So if I get caught by customs in the US YOU will pay the fine and also serve the time in prison if they prosecute?
Xaimen Super Sky: if you not trust us,then i think that i have no method
Xaimen Super Sky: because we all send the products as gifts,so have no problem with customs
Me: Still illegal for anyone in the US to re-sell them. a "gift" is declared as non resellable
Xaimen Super Sky: it is ok
Xaimen Super Sky: i have no method let you trust us
Xaimen Super Sky:
Me: Sorry, I will not do business where the products are illegal.
Me: Bye
As you can see, the salesperson even tells people how they get around the international laws/ import laws of a country. By saying "this is the way to do it" they acknowledge that they are well aware of the fact that their product is ILLEGAL and they have to ship the products in an illegal method.
Alos note that they use the word "COPY" for the product. This is 100% BS. There is no such thing as a COPY of a Brand Name Product! It is a FAKE or FORGERY or whichever word you want to apply. Simply put, these factories have no legal right to be producing these products.
The part they DON'T tell you about? By importing this product into the USA you are committing a number of felonies (for which YOU not the supplier) will pay the price.
1> Customs will seize the goods and destroy them. (you don't get your money back
2> They will most likely fine you. (From a few bucks to THOUSANDS)
3> They can prosecute you under a bunch of different laws, and you can end up in prison.
So START DOING YOUR RESEAERCH properly and never ever believe that an Alibaba Gold Supplier is legitimate. Alibaba know full well that this occurs, and yet choose to do nothing about it. It is dumb westerners who pay the fines/ lose their products and get put in prison. No-one from Alibaba cares....
c[ ]
Gabor Bathori wrote:As long as there are people who will buy fakes, there will be manufacturers doing it. If I am honest I cannot blame the whole thing on the counterfeit producers.
is one of chinese style
surely more pressing issues for the authorities, customs personell to deal with than petty replica,
how about busting these fraudulent uk, politicians, claiming a fortune on second homes,and scamming
the uk public bigtime, one female politician, even had the cheek to claim for her hubbys adult films,
at the taxpayers expense, ![[em12]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_surprised.gif){kind=icon}
now thats cheeky![[em2]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_laugh.gif){kind=icon}
The EU calculated that in calendar 2007 over 2 billion Euros worth of FAKES were imported from China alone. That's 2 Billion the brand name owner did not get in sales , which they then pass onto the consumer in higherprices to make up for....
So THATS why you have to pay so much for brand name products.......
Dont beleive the hype, FooW, You wouldnt by any chance be a sales rep or saler of branded
goods by any chance yourself would you,![[em11]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_sweat.gif){kind=icon}
, by the way, respect to you first and foremost, see the reason
uk, ebay is flooded with replica anyway very few can afford to pay the price, the greedy brand holder wants,
and yes once more, on the trainer side which i know, 90% who buy know there buying replica,
and whats more mostly the top branded goods are extremely hard to get hold of , Nike especially,
unless you live in the us, were there freely available, now let me see whos problem would that be,![[em28]](http://img.alibaba.com/images/eng/style/icon/emoticons_confused.gif){kind=icon}
oh yes now i know ,certain greedy brand name holders,if they want to stop whinging they need to make more
at a lower price and flood the european markets, if there to lazy, what else do they expect,