Fake goods - big threat

Our e-retail bandwagon has picked up momentum and we are surely and certainly headed onto the large e-commerce super expressway. But in all this, there is one issue which could topple the entire apple cart – counterfeit goods.

Currently, Alibaba, the huge online Chinese company is facing issues of counterfeit goods being sold on its site. Recently, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Puma and other fashion brands have sued the company. In fact Paris-based Kering has accused the firm of making it possible for US shoppers to order counterfeit goods in bulk from Alibaba's various websites.

What happens to us when we start getting fake goods on say, Flipkart or Snapdeal or Jabong or the other sites which currently enjoy a sense of trust amongst the buyers? We can complain but at the end, it is the duty of these e-retailers to ensure that they source directly from the company or the authorized dealers only. If they decide to buy in bulk, lured by lower prices, from small-time manufacturers, naturally, we could be passed off counterfeit goods, sold at the cost of the original though. But this is a serious issue and these online sites, have to guard themselves against this menace. As we know, trust once broken, can never be mended like broken glass. And this is one issue which could take down the entire sector.