About Counterfeit Zippers.
Q. What is a counterfeit zipper?
A. Counterfeit zippers are zippers that illegally use a brand (or trademarked) name; the danger is that the counterfeiter copies the appearance of the branded product but not the quality. While counterfeits may imitate YKK brand zippers in appearance, they don't compare to the quality of genuine YKK brand products which are extensively tested and must meet rigorous quality standards before the trusted brand of YKK is attached.
Q. How widespread is this problem?
A. Unfortunately, imported apparel from many regions of the world, particularly Asia and Africa, contain a significant percentage of counterfeit YKK zippers. Countries that are lax in enforcing trademark and copyright control are usually the source of most counterfeits.
Q. How can I tell if a zipper is a genuine YKK product?
A. It is often very difficult to identify counterfeit product. In fact, often the first sign of a problem is when consumers start returning defective apparel. Our experts can usually identify a counterfeit with the use of a series of digital photographs focused on the zipper slider at different views. If this were inconclusive, then a sample would be requested for verification.
Q. Does it matter?
A. All importers and retailers should be concerned about counterfeit YKK zippers on their product. Inferior quality counterfeit zippers greatly reduce the life of a garment, resulting in a much higher percentage of returns. Remember that a zipper is usually the only moving part in a garment! Defective tabs that break off a counterfeit slider and hazardous paints pose a safety risk to the consumer that may warrant expensive recalls through the CSPC. Retailers will often hold their importers and contractors liable for the entire cost of a recall, including the retail costs of the garments.
Q. Is the US government doing anything to tackle this problem?
A. Counterfeits products cost US businesses billions of dollars each year. The US Customs service is aggressively looking for shipments of counterfeit products. Apparel that contains counterfeit fasteners will be impounded by US customs and may be destroyed. YKK has no control over this.
Q. Is YKK doing anything to tackle this problem?
A. YKK is working to educate the US market about the counterfeit problem through advertising and seminars. In Asia, YKK investigates and, with the cooperation of local authorities, prosecutes companies that produce counterfeit fasteners.
Q. What should I do if I suspect that my contractor is using counterfeits?
A. Talk to your contractor and insist that they use genuine YKK products. Ask that they purchase directly from YKK in the country of manufacture or through an authorized dealer. Our global marketing team can work with you to validate your contractor's supply chain. A complete list of worldwide locations can be found at Click Here.
YKK Corporation of America
1850 Parkway Place, Suite 300
Marietta, GA 30067
(770.261.6100)
www.ykkfastening.com
