Fight back
If you’ve been deceived into buying a fake product, contact the seller immediately and try to cancel the purchase. Tell the seller that you want to give back the product in exchange for a refund. An attorney can be helpful. If you ordered the counterfeit from abroad, you’re not allowed to send it back as exporting counterfeit goods is prohibited. Reselling it at home is also not a solution as you make yourself liable to prosecution by doing so.
Report the incident
Report the incident in as much detail as you can and include all evidence to one of the hotlines below. In doing so, you are making an important contribution to the fight against counterfeiting and piracy.
Report websites with fake goods or fake online shops ending in .ch directly to the cybercrime police (in German): online report form, or to the cantonal police.
Websites with fake goods or fake online shops with all other endings can be reported to STOP PIRACY. We report them to the international hosting providers (who, after checking, have the authority to either block the website or suppress their content).
Report
Sales platforms like eBay provide buyer protection programmes, which can help if necessary. If you paid with a credit card, notify the credit card issuer and dispute the bill within the stated time limits. If you have bought a counterfeit from an online marketplace, contact their customer service immediately and report the incident giving the seller’s name and the product bought. These online platforms work together with affected original manufacturers and can give you the contact addresses of the rights owners.
Alibaba
Aliexpress
Anibis
eBay
Facebook Marktplace
Instagram
Ricardo
Tutti
Wish
It’s possible to file a complaint against the seller at any police station or with the regional public prosecutor’s office. If the offender is acting commercially, authorities are required by law to investigate the case. Regardless of the likelihood of successful prosecution, it’s still important that officials are notified of such incidents.
Watches:
info@fhs.ch or Fraud report form for reporting watch counterfeiting
Films and games:
antipiracy@safe.ch
Music:
suisa@suisa.ch and info@ifpi.ch
Brand name products in the consumer goods sector:
info@promarca.ch
Medicines:
www.medicrime.ch
Tell us about your experiences (info@stop-piracy.ch). With your permission, we publish interesting cases and so help warn other consumers.
Websites with fake goods or fake online shops with all other endings than .ch can be reported to STOP PIRACY. We report them to the international hosting providers (who, after checking, have the authority to either block the website or suppress their content).
Report
The e-commerce ombudsman’s office is responsible for complaints concerning online purchases for which no amicable settlement between the parties affected has been able to be found.
What should you do when customs seizes your fakes?
Customs officials must notify the original manufacturer of suspicious counterfeits and initially retain the goods. It’s better to forego the goods if you’re not one hundred percent certain that they’re genuine. If you decide not to forgo them and the original manufacture is able to persuade the court that the goods are counterfeit, you might have to pay additional costs. In addition, you can be faced with having to pay claims for damages. If the manufacturer is unable to prove to the court that the goods are counterfeit, your items will be returned to you and you will not have to bear any costs.
Overview
| Topic | Cybercrime police | Cantonal police | STOP PIRACY | Online marketplace | Konsumenten- forum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fake online shops with the ending .ch | x | x | |||
| Fake websites with the ending .ch | x | x | |||
| Fake online shops with all other endings (international) | x | ||||
| Fake goods being sold via the following online marketplaces: tutti, ricardo and anibis | x | x | |||
| Fake goods being sold via all other online marketplaces such as ebay, wish, alibaba, aliexpress | x | ||||
| Complaints related to online shopping if an amicable settlement between the parties involved has not been able to be found. | x | ||||
| File a complaint against a seller | x |
