Bogus helmet would have put its owner at serious risk
● Fake helmets look more genuine than ever while also being more dangerous
Counterfeit goods are nothing new but the problem is now worse than ever. Not only are the copies looking better, making it harder to distinguish a fake at first glance, but online retailing makes it easier for scammers to get their products out there. In fact we posted the above picture online and out of thousands who responded, 25% thought the genuine was the fake! Gary McKay, an MCN reader, recently bought a new lid and was horrified to discover that things were not what they seemed. “I’ve had a few AGVs before and was looking at a new helmet over Christmas,” Gary told MCN. “I searched about a bit and then an advert came up on social media. They were listing the AGV Pista GP R for 90% off. I couldn’t believe my eyes – I don’t have lots of spare cash so it was nice to see what I thought was a bargain.”
Gary looked at photos online and everything looked legit, so he ordered it and it turned up a little while later. He first realised something was up when it arrived wrapped in bubble wrap without a box. He looked inside and key features were missing, as well as kitemarks and ECE labels. “My heart just sank,” said Gary. “At this point I realised it was a fake. This is the first helmet I’ve bought online and I won’t be doing it again. I’m lucky because I’m experienced enough to spot this was counterfeit but a young person who’s new to biking might not be so fortunate and could get hurt.” To find out just how bad the problem is, we compared the helmet to the genuine article and showed them to AGV Brand Manager Stuart Millington. “This is easily one of the worst helmets I have seen,” said Millington. “In a proper helmet, the EPS is one piece and formed inside the shell but in this one it’s in two parts. There’s no EPS at the cheeks. I’ve never seen anything like it – if you crashed it would provide almost no projection. This could easily kill someone. “AGV does all it can to prevent counterfeit products reaching the market but for every listing that we get removed, another appears. We recommend only buying from your local dealer but if you prefer online, look for a proper address. AGV helmets are only available online when the retailer has a proper shop, so if there’s no address, look elsewhere.”