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January 2015
On
certain pages of our MEDPET website, and also via other methods, we
have over the years warned MEDPET customers to be aware of cheap
imitations and counterfeit products, that attempt to pass themselves
off as genuine MEDPET products. This is not a case of paranoia or
scaremongering, and nor does it only happen in foreign countries like
some people may expect. We have had experiences with unscrupulous
individuals producing counterfeit products right here on our doorstep
in South Africa, and now we've have just had another reported incident
from Turkey.
Have a look at these pictures sent to us by a concerned customer (who
may be congratulated for being alert). Compare the counterfeit
product on the left, to the genuine one on the right. Similar
wording has been used, and they've attempted to match the hierarchy of
the branding and label content, but hopefully you can spot some of the
differences. No doubt the differences would also be more obvious
if one actually had the product in hand, but we can (for example) very
easily see the difference (even in these low resolution images) between
the fine and detailed artwork of the genuine racing pigeon logo on the
right (one that we are proud of), compared to what appears to be a
photocopy of a pigeon in a similar pose creating a rather lower quality
image on the left. That's just the image. We are proud of
our brand and know our branding identity well, so we can immediately
spot glaring differences on every single line of the label. We
won't spell them out, but can you?
Counterfeit products such
as these are not to be taken lightly. This is not a case of a
well-made cheap imitation of an expensive brand of handbag, where a
lesser quality might mean an inconvenience from a functionally or
aesthetically inferior product. In our case we are dealing with
pharmaceuticals - medicines intended to cure, or treatments intended to
bring relief. A counterfeit in this industry could not only mean
that the health problem does not get resolved, but it could actually
cause harm or even death.
This is highly
unfortunate, not only for the individuals and/or animals involved, but
also, when people don't realise that the products used were
counterfeits, it puts the company's reputation at risk.
We strongly urge all
MEDPET customers to be alert to this issue. If something doesn't
look right, get in touch with us. Clearly we would do all in our
power to have the matter investigated and seek justice against the
perpetrators, but that will not undo a problem you've experienced by
using a counterfeit.
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