Buy cheap, pay a high price.

DNO - Counterfeit goods continue to brazenly infiltrate the market — from traditional markets to e-commerce platforms — despite continuous inspection and enforcement campaigns. Why do counterfeit goods thrive, and even become more sophisticated? To eradicate counterfeit goods at their root, we cannot rely solely on law enforcement — each consumer must be a "gatekeeper," saying no to counterfeit goods to contribute to building a transparent and civilized market.

Market management forces are educating business owners to commit to selling goods with clear origins.

Recently, on May 19th, authorities inspected the business operations of the "99% Da Nang " store and discovered 9 Rolex watches, 15 Chanel handbags, and 9 pairs of Hermès sandals suspected of being counterfeit goods bearing the protected trademarks of Chanel, Hermès, and Rolex in Vietnam.

A stroll through major markets like Han Market, Con Market, or the fashion streets of Da Nang reveals a rather bleak picture. From cosmetics and fashion items to dietary supplements, countless products bearing "brand names" are sold at shockingly low prices: "Versace" perfume for 90,000 VND, "genuine Adidas" shoes for 200,000 VND, and unverified "USA" dietary supplements. In particular, e-commerce channels and livestreaming sales further contribute to the infiltration of counterfeit goods into households, with advertisements promising "imported goods, guaranteed authentic."

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh, a consumer living in Hai Chau district, shared: "Sometimes I had doubts, but because it was so cheap, I still bought it to try. Now that I think about it, it was really risky, because I didn't know exactly what was in it, and it could have affected my health."

Recent cases highlight the scale and audacity of the counterfeit market: in April 2025, Da Nang's Market Management Team No. 3, in coordination with the Economic Police, discovered over 2,000 counterfeit cosmetic and functional food products; previously, a batch of counterfeit shoes and handbags of major brands was also seized. However, after each crackdown, counterfeit goods reappear like weeds.

Mr. Phan Truc Lam, Head of the Operations and Synthesis Department of the Da Nang Market Management Sub-Department, said that previously, counterfeit goods were often openly sold in traditional markets, shops, and tourist streets. However, nowadays, many individuals have shifted to doing business through social media, e-commerce platforms, using intermediary warehouses, and even shipping goods from other places according to orders, making it difficult to detect, inspect, and handle cases.

Furthermore, with increasingly advanced technology, many counterfeit and substandard goods are made very sophisticatedly, with designs almost identical to genuine products, making it very difficult for consumers and authorities to distinguish them with the naked eye. In some cases, perpetrators even use genuine labels to affix to counterfeit products, causing serious confusion.

However, combating counterfeit goods cannot rely solely on law enforcement. A more crucial link lies in the lax consumer habits of a segment of the population. Many people know that the products they buy are counterfeit but still accept them because they are cheap, because they want to "try them out," or because of the belief that "you get what you pay for." As a result, no matter how decisively law enforcement agencies are, if consumers do not change their behavior, the counterfeit market will continue to thrive.

The Da Nang City Market Management Force has been strengthening coordination with other functional forces such as the Police, Customs, and Tax authorities, while also promoting the application of information technology in market monitoring and surveillance. However, to effectively prevent and combat this issue, cooperation from consumers is essential in reporting violations and increasing vigilance when shopping, especially online.

Counterfeit goods not only cause economic damage but also directly threaten public health: fake cosmetics can cause allergies, and substandard dietary supplements can harm the liver and kidneys, or even endanger lives. More seriously, when consumers accept and use counterfeit goods, they are contributing to distorting the business environment and stifling opportunities for legitimate businesses.

To eradicate counterfeit goods at their root, we need to shift from addressing the symptoms to tackling the root cause: Reforming management practices: Local authorities need to establish a mechanism for quickly and transparently alerting people to counterfeit goods; and promote easily accessible tools for verifying the origin of goods, such as barcode scanning applications and hotlines for reporting violations.

Strengthen enforcement: Not only should there be harsh penalties for those who produce and trade counterfeit goods, but also strict penalties for consumers who are aware of the problem but still consume counterfeit goods, in order to deter and change behavior.

Innovate communication strategies: Content on "responsible consumption" needs to be incorporated into schools, residential areas, and youth consumer groups. Educating healthy consumption habits should begin early to create a generation of consumers with the right awareness and actions. The role of consumer oversight needs to be strengthened: In a transparent society, consumers are not only customers but also market observers. A small action—refusing to buy counterfeit goods—contributes to a cleaner market.

KHUE TRUNG

Source: https://baodanang.vn/xa-hoi/202506/mua-re-cai-gia-phai-tra-rat-dat-4009740/