Fake goods bought on the internet are a hot topic, writing their own headlines for all the wrong reasons! In last month’s issue we looked at how cheap knock off replicas are not only bad for the environment but also produced from inferior, ineffective and toxic materials. But how can you guarantee that what you have paid for isn’t a fake? We’re continuing
with our campaign, working alongside FMM Sugarcraft to investigate, uncover and educate the contentious issue of counterfeit goods within the industry. This month looking at the substandard quality of these fake goods and how they are disrupting British manufacturing.
Let’s (briefly) mention the ‘B’ word. Like it or loathe it, Brexit is going to happen and reading through some of the reports, there is an almost unanimous agreement among economists that leaving the European Union will have a long term and adverse eff ect on the British economy and manufacturing. But we don’t want to get political with all
of the ‘ifs’ and the ‘why nots.’ If you want to know more about single markets, free trade agreements and customs unions we suggest you pick up one of the broadsheet newspapers. However, manufacturing in the UK is one of the cornerstones for FMM as a British company with strong family roots, they are proud to support jobs in the UK
helping to keep people employed, and benefitting the local economy.
Having control of the whole engineering process in terms of quality is vital for FMM and it gives them continuity of supply as they don’t have to worry about waiting for a container to arrive from overseas. This in turn is great for their customer base, as the products designed and created by FMM are rarely out of stock, so, when a product starts to sell well, the team can instantly increase production to meet the demand. And of course, let’s talk service. Service is paramount and we Brits are famous around the world for how proud we are with our quality of service. FMM Sugarcraft off er free UK shipping on all orders and IF (on the off chance) you do receive a faulty product, you can guarantee that you will be able to return it and receive a replacement immediately. Can your knock-off goods do that?
Unsurprisingly, by buying British you’re buying quality, and we are selfproclaiming that British manufacturing is the best in the world! Think Rolls Royce, Viners and Unilever to name a few. All FMM products are made using fully tested food grade materials, undergoing numerous and rigorous tests and sold with a three-year guarantee. Do you think that a counterfeit product manufactured overseas will be replaced as quickly as one from within the UK? Highly unlikely, especially as they take so long to arrive in the fi rst place.
We believe that the knock-off cutters and tools being produced in sub contracted and poor conditions in far flung lands, are second-rate products. You could almost say that it’s modern slavery. Need we say more? Remember knock-off products are made from plastic which is not necessarily food safe - you can never be sure... dare you take the risk?
When you order from FMM or any other reputable online business, you can expect delivery of your product within a matter of days. Your item will arrive safely packaged and will include instructions, safety guidelines and other relevant information. In order to support this feature, the CD&S team purchased some knockoff cutters ‘online’. We almost forgot that we had ordered them as they took several weeks to arrive. The packaging was minimal, there were no instructions, no branding and the physical product was fl imsy and inferior to the real thing. They even had the cheek to have a ‘GB’ label on them, showing you can’t trust a fake product.
By buying British you are investing in something of quality that will last (fake products might work once, maybe twice if you’re lucky). A British product is manufactured in an environment that is safe, hygienic and meets all quality controls. Of course when purchasing online always make sure that you are ordering/buying from reputable traders - there are plenty to choose from!
