The Wholesale Forums

[jheine2]

I recently ordered 10 ralph lauren polo shirts online from china without knowing much about fakes and things like that. Yes, before yall start bashing, I know I am an idiot for not checking into this before I ordered. The site said they were authentic and now I realize after reading this forum that they are going to be fake if they even send them to me at all.

My question is if they confiscate them in customs will I be charged with a crime for ordering fakes\mimics online through China? I know I didn't know that at the time but how does the government know that? I have a good job and I really don't want to loose it because I got charged for buying 10 counterfit shirts.

Can someone please tell me the legality of my situation, especially if I could have any criminal charges against me? God I am an idiot and now I am stressing over this.

[hardwareheroes]

You haven't actually sold them so you are unlikely to be charged with anything assuming they are fakes.

It's not illegal to buy fake goods for your own use. However, it is quite likely they will be confiscated if discovered.

[jheine2]

I thought I read on here that it was illegal and you could be criminally charged if you bought anything fake\mimic. Well that relieves me. Thanks.

[hardwareheroes]

Don't take my word as gospel, as I don't have experience of being caught but if my experience of human nature is anything to go by, I doubt that anyone is gonna feel like filling in the paperwork for 10 shirts.

[Andy777]

Agree with hardwareheroes. Even if they got your package, they'll simply destroy those 10 shirts and that's it. Then everyone who have bought fake stuff on eBay should be in jail :-)

[cbeebies]

If you imported the fakes for business profit, you will get charged or be fined big penalty once the customs have found.

If you bought the fakes for personal use, you will get condemned on moral degenerated.

So, stop buying brand name products through unauthorized channels in China!

[lighthousedirec]

My question is if they confiscate them in customs will I be charged with a crime for ordering fakes\mimics online through China? I know I didn't know that at the time but how does the government know that?

Ignorance of the law is no defense, hopefully they will be sensible if discovered, though people have had custodial sentences in the past, the authorities are clamping down very hard on snide gear at the moment.

[geosamm]

If you still have the advertisement that states they are the genuine article you have little to worry about as you purchased them in good faith. You can not be held responsible for the deception of others unless you are complicit or duplicitous in that deception.

[lighthousedirec]

If you still have the advertisement that states they are the genuine article you have little to worry about as you purchased them in good faith. You can not be held responsible for the deception of others

If the OP is acting as a trader in the purchase such a defense will not hold water in the UK, as a trader you are expected to know legit gear and sources, otherwise why are you a trader?

I used to deal in mobiles, if a member of the public buys a stolen phone no big deal, if a mobile trader buys a stolen mobile, even in good faith you are treated totally differently,
you are expected to do all the checks beforehand to ensure you are purchasing legit goods, including taking copies of the sellers details, such as driving liscence, passports etc to prove his ID should it later be shown to be stolen.

[geosamm]

how many TRADERS buy in quantities of 10 [total]... even if you are a trader they have to provide proof you intended to trade the items you purchased... and not for personal use... eg if the shirts are all the same size it hardly supports the trader theory or even if they are not the same size they could be purchased as gifts... 10 of a single item is hardly a trading quantity. As a trader you are treated differently but only in the sense that you should know more than the average man on the Clapham bus about the items you trade in... stop scaring they guy