As a business intelligence agency, we engage in activities to protect the interests of our clients. One of the serious problems we encounter is the unauthorised sale of products. This can range from genuine goods whose profits bypass the manufacturer to counterfeits with falsified trademarks.
These practices expose our clients to financial loss and damage their reputation. This is why more and more companies are turning to us for help in safeguarding their brands against fraudulent activity.
A problem that required discreet investigation
We were recently approached by a computer hardware manufacturer whose products are known and appreciated worldwide. He suspected that one online shop was selling original products, but obtained illegally.
Such situations have various sources. Often, products are taken out of factories, ‘disappear’ during transport or are marked as defective and sent for disposal, which never happens. Instead, these copies end up on sale. In each case, the manufacturer suffers financial and image losses.
Two Key Action Steps: Purchase and Establishing Contact with the Vendor
Our activities in this type of case follow two key stages. Each has its own importance and purpose, and their implementation allows us to collect the full body of evidence needed by the client.
First stage: purchase through an online shop
The first step is to make a standard purchase from an online shop where illegal sales are suspected. The process is simple – we order the goods online, pay for them in accordance with the established procedure and collect them from a parcel machine or other delivery point of our choice. With such a purchase, we can document the transaction process and obtain physical proof in the form of the product, which allows for its subsequent analysis by the customer.
Stage two: making contact with the retailer
The second stage is more complex and requires us to be much more involved. A key element here is the preparation of a suitable legend, i.e. a credible identity that we assume in our contact with the seller. Who we claim to be depends on the nature of the case and the instructions received from the customer.
For example:
- We can pretend to be an individual who has accidentally come across an offer and is interested in buying equipment at a bargain price.
- At other times, we play the role of a budding entrepreneur looking for suppliers for his new online shop.
- Sometimes we act as an employee of a large company looking to purchase business products at favourable prices.
The purpose of this interaction is to gain key information, such as the availability of the goods, their price, the possibility to buy more items and possible discounts for bulk orders. With the right legend, we are able to establish trust with the salesperson and obtain data that will be relevant to the customer in making subsequent decisions.
Each of these roles is carefully planned, but at the same time is based on simplicity, which minimises the risk of errors and allows the conversation with the seller to run smoothly.
Activity report – the key to the client’s decision
Once the activities have been completed, we provide the client with a detailed report. This includes:
- screenshots of the purchase process,
- copies of messages exchanged with the seller,
- documentation of the delivery route,
- pictures of the package, packaging and the product itself.
Thanks to these materials, the customer can assess whether the product has been illegally marketed, whether it is original and what further steps need to be taken.
Summary
The case described here exemplifies the importance of precise and discreet action to protect clients’ interests. Our approach, which included both operational precision and flexibility in adjusting our methods, allowed us to successfully support the client in identifying and countering the illegal sale of its products. This provided the client with a solid foundation on which to take further steps to protect its brand and minimise financial losses.
Author: Piotr Dobosz
*Client data has been anonymised prior to publication.
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