Fake ERGObaby Bounty -Reported Sites « Babes in Arms – blogging about select baby carriers and slings from around the world

November 9th, 2011

Make a Stand : Say ‘NO’ to Counterfeit Products

Everyone loves a bargain but no parent wants to save a few dollars if they knew it put their baby at risk! Many parents simply think they have scored a bargain when buying a cheap ERGObaby Carrier via internet auction sites…but in fact they have more likely been duped!

Many parents unsuspectingly buy a fake and are unaware of the risks they have put their baby in. Counterfeit ERGObaby Carriers are made with sub-standard buckles that have been known to spontaneously pop open. These fake carriers are not safety tested nor are they covered by any product warranty or insurance.

If you would like to join us in speaking out about this illegal trade and warn other parents in the interest of their baby’s safety, please consider taking the following two steps:

Post a link to our campaign on your Facebook page or email your friends and family a link to the campaign (The campaign link is here).
Speak Out – are you willing to talk to the media about your fake ERGObaby experience? If so, please contact us at community@babesinarms.com.au or complete the online form here.

November 9th, 2011

Counterfeit Baby Carriers Threaten Children’s Safety

Despite a campaign to raise awareness of fake baby carriers over the past two years, an illegal and dangerous trade in counterfeit products continues in Australia via online auction sites.

Counterfeit copies of our ERGObaby carrier have been offered for sale on online auction sites and we are trying to stop these products reaching unsuspecting mums and dads which is potentially endangering babies.

Our director and mother of four, Anita, has sourced the best baby slings and carriers from around the globe to build an expansive babywearing range that promotes a baby’s natural desire for closeness, but solves a parent’s need to be hands-free.

Safety is a paramount consideration for parents when they’re buying baby products. These baby carrier copies are very convincing, and even the most discerning buyer could be fooled. Parents are being deceived by the counterfeits, buying the products at a price only marginally lower than the genuine product.

The counterfeit carriers possess a few qualities that customers should look out for:

The carriers are not covered by product warranty or insurance
They will not have been tested for safety standards and are not likely to comply with US lead-free criteria
Most importantly, they are made with inferior materials and parts – particularly the buckles, which can lead to breakages and drops.

The people responsible for making the counterfeit ERGObaby carriers are preying on parents who want to nurture and care for their children and who are trying to save money by buying discounted or second hand goods through auction sites. Babes in Arms has given many parents across Australia the opportunity to hold their babies close within their loving embrace and be able to balance their needs and that of their babies with our wonderful range of babywearing products.

This is the season where more people purchase baby carriers as Christmas gifts. Parents often research baby carriers and are very selective about which products they buy, but caring family members who aren’t as educated about such issues sometimes buy them as a gift. Raising awareness about legitimate and genuine products is important for the safety of babies.

It’s distressing that people are, in good faith, buying what they think is a wonderful and safe product, but find they have been duped into buying these terrible copies.

We strongly suggest that people only purchase ERGObaby products through authorised ERGObaby stores and distributors, and not through any auction sites.

For local authorised ERGObaby stockists in Australia and NZ, go to www.babesinarms.com.au or call 1300 725 276.

April 4th, 2011

Spot the Fake ERGObaby – a few tips to help

Posted by Leah in ERGObaby Carriers, Fake ERGObaby Bounty -Reported Sites | 3 Comments »

We are receiving more and more emails and Facebook post queries around how to spot a fake ERGObaby carrier. Of course, to avoid this, we highly recommend that you purchase your carrier from one of our recommended retailers (choose Australia from the dropbox and then enter your state to search) however we do know that sometimes a bargain priced item on eBay or a second hand carrier might be the only option for some families.

So how can you spot a fake?

The four things we generally ask someone if they think that they have purchased a fake is :

1 – Does the zipper pull have the ERGObaby logo moulded into it ? (some fakes have this, some don’t)

2 – Is the warning label on the inside of the waistband and is it in 2 languages? (the fake ones are usually only in English and sometimes on the body of the carrier)

3 – Do the buckles have ‘stealth’ moulded into the plastic ? (some fakes have these, some don’t)

4 – The other question to ask is was it purchased on eBay ? (even buying ‘used’ on eBay is risky as some of the counterfeiters are selling new FAKE ERGObabys as used)

5 – There are some other minor tell tale signs that identify fakes.

The only guaranteed way to buy authentic products is to buy from an authorized dealer. Also, it is becoming more difficult to identify these products online, so please be careful/

What to do if you HAVE purchased a fake on eBay:

If you are reasonably sure it is a fake our advice is for you to lodge a dispute with eBay and PayPal once an initial negotiation with the seller has been entered into. Lots of time can be wasted going back and forth with the seller for no action on a refund. Both eBay and PayPal are keen to maintain the integrity of online purchasing and have a vested interest in following up on these issues, the seller doesn’t.

If the fake was bought on eBay using PayPal there is a letter that we can send you to authenticate that your carrier is a fake, but you will need to send us the carrier so we can see it first hand and note the reasons why we are sure it is a fake.

I hope that helps a little. If in doubt, send us your images initially and we can forward further advice.

August 21st, 2010

The E(rgo)-BA(b)Y TRAP

Posted by Leah in Fake ERGObaby Bounty -Reported Sites, Parent Testimonials | No Comments »

Recently, we received an ERGObaby from Caroline with the request that we replace the belt clip as it had snapped after only limited wear. To our dismay, we found the carrier to be a FAKE. Caroline was mortified, but at the same time relieved that Connor had not been hurt as a consequence. She wrote the letter below to illustrate the issue.

__________________________________

To Potential Babywearing Mums and Dads,

We were delighted when we received the news that we were pregnant again and couldn’t wait for the arrival of our second child. The first thing on the to-buy list was an Ergo Baby Carrier as it would provide me with the freedom to look after our energetic toddler without having to fuss about having my hands full. Of the seven mothers in my play group, five have the Ergo and always sing its praises.

So…off we went bargain hunting – first to a few reputable baby stores where they were very similarly priced and then onto e-bay. We found a couple and watched various deals go by while waiting to snatch the perfect score. Finally it happened, we “scored” a brand new black and camel Ergo Carrier for a bargain at $110 with original packaging and DVD. The ebayer asked if we wanted the bulky box or if she could post it without. Smelling a rat, I immediately requested she send it in its original packaging.

A couple days later our Ergo Baby Carrier arrived and we were relieved to note that it was in fact an original Ergo carrier. The Ergo was great and accompanied us everywhere!

You can imagine our shock and dismay when the buckle snapped – we did not want to imagine what could have happened to little Connor! We posted the Ergo to the Australian distributors and requested their assistance in replacing the faulty buckle. Knowingly, they asked if we had purchased the Ergo on E-bay or a non-reputable store and we stated we had purchased the item on E-bay only a few weeks before.

After sending the Ergo in, we were informed that we had been conned and that it was indeed a fake article.

So, after an expensive lesson, we are just very grateful that Connor wasn’t hurt and feel it is our responsibility to to warn all fellow bargain hunters out there that you should only purchase the Ergo Baby Carrier from a reputable dealer – for the near future, I certainly would not risk purchasing it on E-Bay.

Yours sincerely

Caroline

August 4th, 2010

The FAKE ERGObaby Site Bounty

Posted by Leah in Fake ERGObaby Bounty -Reported Sites | 12 Comments »

Have you been out and about perusing baby carrier stores and come across an ERGObaby carrier that just doesn’t look right? The potential danger of these carriers is real and we would like your help in stamping out these substandard products.

Today we introduce you to the Fake ERGObaby Bounty! Report a fake ERGObaby site by leaving a comment below AND in our discussion thread on Facebook and you will be rewarded with a TWO sets of BabyLegs of your choosing IF the site is verified as fake and is yet to be reported (we will keep a list here on our blog under “Fake ERGObaby Bounty -Reported Sites“). **

So how do you spot a fake ERGO?

This is the rule of thumb: anything that is claiming to be new WITH a DVD is FAKE (ERGObaby carriers were sold with DVDs in the past, but have been phased out)! There are other tell tale signs too but this is the easiest. The fabric is also different but hard to spot in pics. The body of the carrier is narrower in fakes but again hard to spot. The biggest difference and the biggest risk is what you CAN’T SEE – the lack of safety accreditation, the use of buckles and webbing (critical to the product’s integrity and safety) which are sub standard (as I saw last week with a woman’s broken waist belt on her fake ERGObaby!) The potential cost FAR outweighs any small financial saving made!! If you suspect a carrier is fake but you are unsure, you can email us first with a picture so we can have a look for you.

So are you ready to start hunting?

**not including eBay sellers- we are on this