$1M in counterfeit goods seized
By PRENTISS FINDLAY
More than $1 million in counterfeit merchandise was seized Saturday at the Coastal Carolina Flea Market in Ladson, including 60,000 CDs, 3,000 DVDs and 700 pairs of shoes, officials said Monday.
The counterfeit merchandise included handbags, wallets, headbands, belts and various clothing items. Companies misrepresented were Chanel, Coach, Coogi, Disney, Ed Hardy, Gucci, John Deere, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, the Motion Picture Association of America, NASCAR and the National Basketball Association, according to the office of Secretary of State Mark Hammond. The National Football League, National Hockey League, Nike, Polo, the Recording Industry Association of America, The North Face and Timberland also were misrepresented, Hammond's office reported.
How to spot a fake
PRICE: If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Know the usual price range for your intended purchases.
PRODUCT: Inspect the quality of the product. Look at labels, detailing and packaging. Are there any misspellings? Does the country of origin match the country that normally produces the product? Does the packaging look banged up, old or sloppy?
PLACE: Legitimate products are not usually sold on street corners, in flea markets, mall kiosks, dark alleys or on suspect online auction sites. Know who is an authorized dealer for the product you plan to purchase.
Investigator's with the Secretary of State's office received consumer complaints regarding the quality of merchandise at particular booths at the flea market at U.S. Highway 78 and College Park Road. Upon investigation, 15 to 20 booths at the flea market were closed down.
"The sale of counterfeit merchandise causes significant harm to lawful vendors in the area through lost business," Hammond said. "Counterfeiting is a lose-lose situation, harming those retailers who play by the rules and cheating consumers out of the quality products they deserve."rules and cheating consumers out of the quality products they deserve."
The Secretary of State's office, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office and private investigators partnered in the effort. Arrests have not yet been made, said Renee Daggerhart, media relations director for the secretary of state.
Daggerhart said private investigators for the firms whose products were misrepresented at the flea market are in possession of the merchandise. The source of the counterfeit goods is under investigation. "I don't think they've determined that. It's just going to take time to sort all that out," Daggerhart said.
Berkeley County Supervisor Dan Davis owns the flea market. "It doesn't really involve the market. They are just dealers that rent space," Davis said. "We try to keep it (counterfeit goods) out as much as we can."
Thousands of Latin music CDs were seized. Latin music presents a challenge because of the language barrier, unfamiliarity with the music and the fact that much of the music comes from Mexico, which has its own set of laws governing music copyright, Davis said.
Counterfeit goods have increasingly appeared on local and state officials' radar. In late October, undercover officers bought pairs of knockoff Nike shoes at two local stores, leading to a counterfeit-clothing bust in North Charleston and Hanahan.
In August 2007, officials seized more than $100,000 in fake jewelry during a sting operation at the City Market in downtown Charleston. Since 2003, the state has confiscated more than $14 million in fakes, Daggerhart said. The most common brands include Nike, Rocawear, Coach, Gucci, Phat Farm, the NBA and the NFL.
Reach Prentiss Findlay at 937-5711 or pfindlay@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
sig (anonymous) says...
And Dan Davis knew nothing about this? Yea right! He is as crooked as the rest of the politicians. Investigate him and I am sure you will find that he knew all about this and all the other illegal actions taking place there.
February 10, 2009 at 5:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Larz13 (anonymous) says...
Where was the ICE immigration roundup?
February 10, 2009 at 6:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JLWDALFAN (anonymous) says...
last time i visited, i felt like i was in a foreign country. doesn't surprise me at all. when you come from poverty and crime, you tend to bring it wherever you go!!
if i owned a flea market, i would surely know what was going on there. its like owning a bar and not knowing you had strippers working there. yeah right!!
February 10, 2009 at 6:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
It's wryly amusing listening to someone lying sometimes. Yeah, right, keep talking, dig that hole a little deeper.
February 10, 2009 at 7:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joldham (anonymous) says...
WELL THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR OUR SUPERVISOR...
IT MAKES ME WONDER HOW HE IS ABLE TO RUN THE BUSINESS OF THIS BIG COUNTY WHEN HE HAS LOOSE CONTROL OVER HIS PRIVATE BUSINESS.
February 10, 2009 at 7:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hotchick (anonymous) says...
So much to say, so little time:
1. Sorry Dan, but whereas you maybe didn't know about the Latin music, I'm sure you were suspicious of the Coach handbags. Common sense can be your friend.
2. There are handbag parties all over the tri-county area where counterfit bags are spread out from room to room and ladies buy 10 at a time at prices 1/3 of the cost of retail while they eat vegie platters and drink wine. I'm not talking about low lifes here, but upper scale ladies driving their BMWs and having parties in their 3000+ sq ft homes. If you are reading this and have attended a party or know of a friend who has attended, spread the word - it is illegal and agents are cracking down. In Dec a lady was arrested in Orangeburg County. You may think it is cute and you're getting away with something, but it ain't so funny when you are taken away in handcuffs while your children watch. I've been asked to bag parties recently, but the "savings" is not worth the potential price.
3. I guess the P&C laid off their proof readers: "rules and cheating consumers out of the quality products they deserve" is printed twice. Maybe that was for emphasis? The irony is, the consumers who are getting the products for such a cheap price know that it isn't real, they just want the prestige of APPEARING to be able to afford the real thing.
February 10, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bigwhip (anonymous) says...
What! No arrests! Was there an ID check?
February 10, 2009 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blunt (anonymous) says...
Finally, some of you out there are finding out things about Dan Davis that many of us (not enough) have known since his name came on the scene. As much information as some of us have discovered on him, including corruption, he should have easily been removed from office and served time in jail by now. Unfortunately, we can't get any law enforcement agencies to act. The good thing is that we haven't given up. Neither should you folks! You need to send e-mail, letters, and telephone calls to our elected officials, law enforcement agencies, our solicitor, State Attorney General, and the Governor! We already know that elected officials CAN be removed! You have to say, "Yes We Can", "Yes We Can"! Sound familar?
February 10, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Why haven't arrests been made? These are people committing fraud. Arresting people for fraud is a legitimate government action. Is it because some or all are illegal aliens?
February 10, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eyfigueroa (anonymous) says...
"Why haven't arrests been made?"
why indeed. didn't they arrest the owners of ht store in gas light square?
February 10, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
Good grief. Is the stuff sold up there really good enough quality that people think they are buying the real thing? Ugh.
I was in the Caribbean a few years ago and needed a cheap pair of sunglasses. A guy with a table on the street tried to sell me Oakleys for a great deal at $100/pair. After 5 minutes, I walked away with 3 pairs for $8. I guess I am one great bargain hunter.
February 10, 2009 at 8:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Valkyrie (anonymous) says...
What the hell, Uncle Sam is printing money out the butt, that is worthless...bust them!
February 10, 2009 at 9:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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