An investigation by the consumer watchdog group Trading Standards has revealed yet another overseas scam involving popular GHD hair straighteners.
GHD hair straighteners are amongst the most popular straightening iron brands, and whilst they are very expensive compared to some other makes and models many people are prepared to pay the money in order to get their hands on these irons. However, the popularity of these GHDs has led to a massive counterfeit GHD hair straightener market, and many people that purchase these fakes thinking that they are getting a great deal on the real thing are actually buying fake irons that are not only nothing to do with GHD but are also potentially dangerous because they do not adhere to standards.
A recent investigation was carried out by Trading Standards officers in Newport, Wales. As part of the investigation officers from the Newport city council-based Wales Scambuster team purchased two sets of hair straighteners that were advertised as GHDs from different websites that were based in China. Upon receipt it was found that both sets, which cost around sixty pounds each – almost half the price of the real ones – were counterfeit. They were also found to be potentially dangerous due to non-compliance with health and safety standards.
One Trading Standards officer said: “Counterfeiters do not invest in research and development or care about complying with safety regulations. They set up production lines in temporary buildings, most often these days in developing countries, particularly China.”
She added: “They are concerned only to make their counterfeits look enough like the real thing to make them worth selling, either to people who are innocently after a bargain, or to consumers who deliberately choose to buy fake goods. Either way, there is a very high price to pay, as counterfeits pose a serious threat which has already caused many deaths worldwide.”
Source- www.southwalesargus.co.uk