Eaton Corporation
1000 Cherrington Parkway
Moon Township PA 15108
COUNTERFEIT ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS
Counterfeits Can Kill
Every day, counterfeit electrical
products are finding their way into
our homes, businesses, and public
institutions. These fraudulent products
pose a serious financial and legal
liability to the electrical industry, and
they have become a grave safety crisis
for our communities � a crisis that
requires immediate action.
Although counterfeits may appear to be identical to their original counterparts, these products are often made using inferior materials and without normal safety provisions.
Undetected counterfeit products such as circuit breakers, batteries, extension cords, and holiday lights can cause fires, shocks, explosions, burns, and deadly electrocutions.
Safety Tips
• Purchase electrical products from reputable retailers that obtain their goods from legitimate distributors and authorized manufacturers. Avoid purchasing electrical products at deep discount stores, flea markets, or bargain warehouses.
• Exercise caution in online transactions. The convenience and anonymity of online shopping have contributed to the dramatic increase in counterfeit inventory in the United States.
• Check for certification marks. Quality electrical products should be certified by nationally-recognized testing laboratories for safety. Look for certification marks from nationallyrecognized testing laboratories such as UL, CSA, and ETL.
• Scrutinize product labels and packaging. Product packaging and warning labels offer a valuable source of information and may reveal important telltale warning signs. Make sure that labels and packaging are free of grammatical errors, and that any information provided is consistent with information elsewhere on the package.
• Avoid products that lack any identifying brand label or affiliation. Make sure that the name and contact information of the manufacturer is clearly displayed on the packaging and/or the product. Legitimate manufacturers are proud of their products and stand by them. If this information is missing, then consider an alternative product or retailer.
• Trust your instincts. Beware of bargains that seem too good to be true. Counterfeiters often use inferior materials and avoid key manufacturing steps to reduce the cost of their products significantly. Electrical products sold at extremely low prices may be a sign that the product is counterfeit.
• Be proactive. Organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) provide up-to-date information about product recalls on their web sites. These publicly searchable databases track detailed descriptions of product appearance, conditions of sale, make, model, hazard, and distributor.
Facts & Statistics
• Less than one-third of Americans are aware that counterfeit electrical products such as batteries,
extension cords, and circuit breakers even exist. (Source: The Gallup Organization)
• The CPSC has recalled more than one million counterfeit electrical products in recent years.
• Trademark counterfeiting accounts for nearly 6 percent of world trade, with a value of $350 billion
annually.
• In 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported a 43 percent increase in seizures of
counterfeit electrical products from 2007.
• Electrical products and equipment represented 8 percent of all seizures and ranked fifth among all product categories of counterfeit goods seized in 2008.
• 64 percent of counterfeit electrical products are purchased from authorized retailers.
