Check for counterfeit products, CAC urges parents

The Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) is urging parents to be wary of counterfeit products during their back-to-school shopping.

Director of Communications at the CAC, Latoya Halstead, said that parents should be careful of purchasing severely marked down items.

“You might be thinking that you are getting a deal when in fact it could be a knock-off. So, you are paying money out of pocket for something that you are thinking is going to last, but in two to three months it will no longer be useful because it’s not authentic,” she said.

Halstead recommended that parents conduct research before purchasing items, such as shoes and bags for their children.

“Go online to see exactly what the tags should be like and the branding of the item to see exactly what it ought to be. So when you go into the store, you already have an idea of what it should look like,” she said.

Halstead also encouraged parents to spend time checking items when they are in the physical store.

RED FLAGS

“Upon having that item in your hand, observe to see if there is any nefarious etching, if the label doesn’t look right, spelling errors; and if you don’t see the tag that should be there, then those are red flags,” she added.

She said that it was important that parents walk with their children’s booklists, and check the editions, authors, and publishers of the books.

“Outside of keeping your receipt, do not wrap the books or write the name of the child in the book until you have verified if they will be used with the teacher,” she said.

Halstead also recommended that parents explore purchasing books from parents with older children.

“There are still books that can be utilised again and also check bookstores that sell used books,” she added.