JEDDAH, 27 February 2005 — People seeking good prices on designer goods in Tabuk markets may be getting more than they bargained for. Many of the products being sold there are counterfeit items — many of which only share the appearance with the items they mimic. In some cases, these fake products have real health hazards.
The Arabic daily Okaz recently spoke to some people who had been duped and purchased counterfeit products. Abdul Majeed thought he was buying a well-known brand of cologne at a clearance price. He tried the scent before he slept and awoke the next morning experiencing respiratory problems.
When he mentioned the perfume to a physician, laboratory tests revealed the counterfeit concoction contained chemicals that could cause a person to choke or have shortness of breath.
Even high-priced products can be cheap substitutes. Sultan bought expensive skin lotion at a pharmacy for SR120. The pharmacist assured him it was the best in the market. He used the lotion before bed and woke up covered with painful sores. He later learned the phony lotion included a caustic element. It took him 10 days in a hospital to fully recover.
Sarah still suffers from the counterfeit cosmetics she bought at bargain prices from a Tabuk market. After using it, her face broke out with acne that still plagues her.
Muhsin Al-Shareef, the manager of the Ministry of Commerce in Tabuk, said that the ministry conducts daily inspections to monitor the market. The ministry also takes seriously any complaints it receives from customers concerning counterfeit products.
