I was burned by a counterfeiter who was selling blocks under a name that I thought I could trust. I had
these drop-shipped to my grandson and was surprised to find out that the blocks were made out of a
soft wood and were 10% of the size of what I thought I was buying. They were lousy counterfeits that
relied on the original manufacturers good name and marketing. How could I have known?

I believe the lesson for the consumer is STOP SHOPPING THE CHEAPEST PRICE. Instead shop an
educated price. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Here’s what you are up against as an internet consumer. These counterfeiters are masters at taking a
patented US made product and reverse engineering it without regulations and with cheaper labor and
materials. They are shameless in stealing trademarks and copy written material, so you really need to be
careful as to what you put your faith in. Two places you can usually count on – shop the original
manufacturer, or shop brick and mortar. US laws prohibit brick and mortar shops from selling
counterfeits. It is against the law for them to either advertise or offer counterfeits for sale, and our
experience has been that most won’t take a chance by selling counterfeits. They have too much to lose.
It may take some digging, but you are also well off buying directly from the manufacturer. “Made in the
USA” is a good sign, but don’t put it past the counterfeiters to lie on their packaging. US manufacturers
are held to standards that are there to keep the consumer safe. The overseas manufacturers just want
your money, and will do anything to make that sale. Our unusable plastic waste has been shipped
overseas for years. Then foreign manufacturers simply repurpose this plastic and drop ship it to the US
in the form of reconstituted consumer goods which for the most part are counterfeit. Foreign,
counterfeit products that are illegal to sell here because of their health risk, simply do an end run
around the laws and regulations that keep us safe.

I know it takes some extra effort to do the research, and it may hurt a bit to pay a bigger price, but we
believe the time and money spent is well worth it. These counterfeiters have to be stopped. Consumers
have to realize that it costs a little more to employ US citizens, and to adhere to US laws and regulations,
but it’s all there for a reason. If you have helpful information to add or if you have had an experience
with this problem, please add your comments below.