Fined for fake designer gear
A MAN who ran a “shopping club” was caught selling fake designer clothes, shoes, bags and “potentially dangerous” hair straighteners.
A MAN who ran a “shopping club” was caught selling fake designer clothes, shoes, bags and “potentially dangerous” hair straighteners.
Council officials say Kerry Lee Parfitt was running a club which allowed people to buy items imitating brands like Adidas, Chanel and Gucci via weekly or monthly instalments.
But the 27-year-old’s operation, based at his home in Penrhiwceiber, in the Cynon Valley, was shut down after trading standards officers received tip-offs he was selling counterfeit goods.
The council said during the search in December 2015, officers found some 140 counterfeit items, including clothes, shoes, handbags, purses, watches, aftershave, perfume and hair irons.
The items imitated a host of brands like Converse, GHD, Hollister, Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo, Mac, Michael Kors, Mulberry, Nike, Ralph Lauren, Stone Island, Superdry, The North Face and Ugg.
Had the items been genuine brands, their value would have been more than £17,000.
As counterfeit stock items, the value was estimated at £2,600.
According to the council, those who bought items from him between May and December 2015 knew they were fake and thought they were getting a bargain.
Officials say the fraud was committed against the brands that had been imitated.
Parfitt, of Woodfield Terrace, was charged with running a fraudulent business.
Paul Mee, director of public health and protection at Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) council, said: “Many people feel they are getting a bargain and not doing any harm when they buy or sell counterfeit designer clothing, accessories and fragrances.
“However, the real harm is done to the brand names that own the trademarks, as well as the local shops that work hard to ensure the designer products they sell to the public are genuine and of the highest possible quality.
“Selling and purchasing knock offs is harmful to these traders, not to mention the danger that can be presented to consumers who buy, for example, fake GHD hair irons which may well not meet the strict safety standards required to protect the public from fire and personal injury.”
According to RCT Council, Parfitt had admitted the offence at an earlier hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in March 2017 and the case was adjourned for sentence, before returning to the same court on May 4.
In defence, Parfitt told the court he suffered from depression and anxiety, made worse by recreational drug use and confirmed he was not manufacturing the counterfeit goods himself.
Judge Christopher Vosper accepted no customers were misled and no complaints made about the items received.
He also acknowledged Parfitt – who has previous convictions for dishonesty – did not see what he was doing as fraud, as he was not deceiving customers.
Parfitt was sentenced to a 32-week prison term, suspended for two years.
He was placed on a curfew with an electronic tag from 8pm to 8am for eight weeks, and will be required to complete a community order to deal with his drug problems.
He was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and a forfeiture order was made in relation to the fake items.