Editor: The state Senate recently passed a bill (SB 341) that will help crack down on counterfeit goods sold on Websites like Amazon, and I hope the House of Delegates will follow suit.
The bill would require most sellers to provide basic information to weed out bad actors who peddle fake products.
This seems like a common-sense requirement – and one that I wish had been in place years ago when I went online to purchase HDMI cables. I had no reason to suspect that the product was other than as advertised, but I was proven wrong when the cables arrived in a plain brown box with packaging from a private third-party reseller.
It was clear that the packaging was a reprint of a photo, and the cables were cheap knockoffs which didn’t even fit correctly.
Counterfeit goods like those cables cost people money and can be dangerous in some cases, because they fail to meet basic standards and regulations.
Parents could unknowingly purchase a failing car seat or toy that doesn’t meet safety standards. Another consumer likewise could unknowingly purchase a faulty power tool. Lawmakers have a responsibility to protect consumers from these types of scams.
Over the last two years of the pandemic, many Virginians have become increasingly reliant on online-shopping platforms for everyday goods. Verifying those sellers are who they say they are will give shoppers peace of mind before clicking the “Complete Purchase” button.
SB 341 needs to be enacted into law.
Gary Lin, Arlington