HP combats Counterfeit Printing Supplies in India With Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud Program
New Delhi: HP today announced the results from its Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) Program In India, to raise awareness on the scale and severity of the fraudulent printing supplies market in India. The program helps combat the production, distribution, and sale of counterfeit ink and toner printing supplies.
The ACF program has seized counterfeit products worth INR 80 Crores in India in the past year, with the Delhi-National Capital Region leading the country in seizures worth INR 33.5 Crores. Bangalore came a close second with seizure worth INR 22 Crores, followed by Mumbai and Chennai with INR 6.5 and INR 3.5 Crores, respectively.
Law enforcement authorities conducted raids at over 170 premises resulting in 144 arrests across India. Among the products seized during the raids were finished and unfinished cartridges, packaging materials, and various sets of labels. These seized cartridges and labels were used to manufacture counterfeit HP print supplies.
Counterfeit products pose an immediate threat to businesses by the way for downtime and capital costs1. For example, the use of fake printing supplies can often result in printer damage and malfunctions, resulting in revenue loss and downtime for businesses since they are void of warranty.
HP regularly conducts audits and cooperates with law enforcement agencies to conduct raids to reduce counterfeits in the supply chain to protect customers and businesses. This process significantly reduces the likelihood of customers and partners unintentionally purchasing counterfeit ink and toner, thereby decreasing their supply to the marketplace.
Aside from enforcement and raids, large and medium-sized HP customers can request a Customer Delivery Inspection (CDI), a unique protection service if they suspect the presence of counterfeit products in their delivery. Consumers can also report the incident of counterfeiting online on the HP website. HP proactively protects channel partners and customers from unauthorized printing supplies through the Channel Partner Protection Audits (CPPA). Customers who source their supplies from CPPA certified partners are assured about the authenticity of their ink and toner print supplies.
Through the ACF program, HP aims to protect businesses from the problems that can result from counterfeit supplies. Some simple guidelines companies can follow to help ensure the purchase of Original HP Supplies with confidence are as follows:
Be wary of dubious sales methods such as bulk sales on online auction sites and dramatically reduced prices
Buy only from authorized HP sales partners to avoid falling victim to counterfeiting
Explicitly ask for Original HP products when purchasing or tendering