Philips launch product verification system to check counterfeits in Kenya

What you need to know:

Last year, a study by the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) revealed that counterfeits cost Kenya’s economy Sh70 billion, including Sh19 billion in revenue lost.
The most affected items include electronics, cables, pharmaceuticals and mobile handsets.

Global technology company Royal Philips has launched a product verification system to check against counterfeits in Kenya, and plans to roll out the campaign in the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa in quarter one of 2015.

The drive dubbed ‘Buy Original’ is aimed at helping buyers identify and verify original Philips appliances and lighting products.

“While there are no reliable industry wide statistics on the number of products that are counterfeits, from market feedback we receive we know that this issue is very severe. Philips wants to work alongside consumers, government authorities, other multinationals and relevant organisations to see how we can collaborate together to enlighten and inform the consumers on matters relating to counterfeiting,” said Roelof Assies, Philips East Africa general manager.

Last year, a study by the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) revealed that counterfeits cost Kenya’s economy Sh70 billion, including Sh19 billion in revenue lost. The most affected items include electronics, cables, pharmaceuticals and mobile handsets.

READ: Kebs steps up war on counterfeit goods

Buyers will scratch and send 16-digit codes on lighting products to the free toll number '20222' to verify authenticity. Philips says it will explore a similar verification system for its appliances.

“We urge the public to become more vigilant and question products that seem to be unusually cheap, appear poorly made, or have generic packaging; especially when shopping at discount stores. We would like to encourage consumers to shop from approved Philips distributors and retailers and look for the “Original” sticker on our products,” added Mr Assies.

The move by Philips to ring-fence its market from fake goods came after an internal research indicated that best performing products where consumer demand is high tends to fall prey to counterfeits including dry irons, kettles, blenders, Philips AVENT baby bottles and certain lighting products such as TLD (tubes), starters, energy saving lamps such as Genie lamps, halogen lamps and fluorescent tubes.