The Counterfeit Report

[Strange]

http://www.thecounterfeitreport.com has good info on counterfeits in a dizzying array of product categories (including -- I kid you not -- Bell Helicopters).

Of particular interest to folks like us are the reports of fakes in the horological industries. No surprise that there are tons of fakes out there, so it's good to arm yourself with some info on reports of fakes, visual identifiers for both real and fake products, and manufacturer's contact info.

Caveat emptor indeed.

[M. Montaigne]

This is most excellent. Thank you for sharing!

[whatmeworry]

That's fascinating... The idea of fake alcoholic drinks rather terrifies me

[Der Amf]

That's fascinating... The idea of fake alcoholic drinks rather terrifies me

In certain sections of the vintage wine market the presumption is that more of the stuff being bought and sold is fake than not. One guy alone is estimated to have put $100m worth of fakes onto the market.

I can direct you to a 7300 post long thread on a wine forum if you're interested....

[Spooky]

In certain sections of the vintage wine market the presumption is that more of the stuff being bought and sold is fake than not. One guy alone is estimated to have put $100m worth of fakes onto the market.

I can direct you to a 7300 post long thread on a wine forum if you're interested....

That sort of thing never really occurred to me. But I'm the kind of wine lover who walks into the shop with ~ 100.00 and walks out with 2-3 bottles. Much more than that would scare me.

And thanks Strange, that's a really interesting link.


Edit: Fake canned corn-->> http://www.thecounterfeitreport.com/...-Products.html
I can die now. I have officially seen all there is to see.

[Der Amf]

That sort of thing never really occurred to me. But I'm the kind of wine lover who walks into the shop with ~ 100.00 and walks out with 2-3 bottles. Much more than that would scare me.

And thanks Strange, that's a really interesting link.


Edit: Fake canned corn-->> http://www.thecounterfeitreport.com/...-Products.html
I can die now. I have officially seen all there is to see.

In China they also fake Yellow Tail as well, which is still a sub $10 wine I think

Chinese wine marketing, btw, is quite amazing. They'll put any rubbish on the label. My friend and I were in a large supermarket and found a red wine called "E-mail". The year usually relates to the year the winery was founded rather than the vintage. Their entire market for imported wine is raddled with fakes, at every level.

[uchinanchu]

In China they also fake Yellow Tail as well, which is still a sub $10 wine I think

Chinese wine marketing, btw, is quite amazing. They'll put any rubbish on the label. My friend and I were in a large supermarket and found a red wine called "E-mail". The year usually relates to the year the winery was founded rather than the vintage. Their entire market for imported wine is raddled with fakes, at every level.

What with the recent law suit against California wineries and their very high levels of arsenic, one wonders which is worse legit or fake . . .

[Henry Krinkle]

In certain sections of the vintage wine market the presumption is that more of the stuff being bought and sold is fake than not. One guy alone is estimated to have put $100m worth of fakes onto the market.

I can direct you to a 7300 post long thread on a wine forum if you're interested....

Haven't they made a movie about him?

[Der Amf]

Haven't they made a movie about him?

I think so. It's hilarious how many big names in the wine world allowed themselves to be taken in by him.

[Strange]

I think so. It's hilarious how many big names in the wine world allowed themselves to be taken in by him.

Money can buy you lots of things but apparently common sense isn't one of them.

Of course it's easy to be cynical and dismissive of others' foibles, but I know from personal experience how people get suckered into scams like that. You want to believe something badly enough that you subconsciously suspend disbelief. This is particularly easy to do if you are among others buying the same thing -- a self-reinforcing folie à deux sets in that discourages critical thinking and skepticism. It's only after the fact that you do your due diligence and realize you've been had. Typically by that point all you're left with is the desire to do hideous things to person who made a fool of you.