A company in the UK named CK IT Solutions has been found to be guilty of selling counterfeit Apple chargers. It is located in the Bournemouth area of the country and now has to pay a fine for its actions.
The company’s activities of selling illegitimate chargers for Apple devices was first discovered in October 2018. The company was raided by the trading standards department of the United Kingdom (UK). A shipment containing 220 products was detained at the East Midlands Airport over safety concerns, it was destined to reach the company in the UK.
Broke Electrical Safety & Counterfeit Goods law
According to Bournemouth Eco, a local newspaper of Bournemouth, during the raid conducted at the CK IT Solutions, approximately 1,446 products were seized. Later on, the UK based company admitted that it had broken the country’s law relating to electrical safety and counterfeit goods.
“The company is a small company working hard and legitimately to have a successful business,” said Judge Brian Forster, Queen’s Counsel. He however directed the CK IT Solutions company to pay a total sum of 106,670 GBP which includes the benefit the company made from selling counterfeit products and some additional fines. The company reportedly made a profit of 100,000 GBP ($138,000) by selling counterfeit products.
It is difficult to differentiate counterfeit goods from original goods as the copies are almost very similar looking to the original products. However, if looked very closely, the distinctions can be made out. It is always recommended to buy original chargers for electronic gadgets such as phones, laptops, and tablets.
According to AppleInsider, an iPhone charger caught fire in the UK which resulted in a teanager suffering facial burns. However, the reason behind the fire has not been found yet: whether the charger was original or a counterfeit product.
An article by AppleInsider from 2016, stated that 99 percent of third party iPhone chargers in the market are not safe.