On 2 February 2024, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives from the Rizal District Office, armed with search warrants, successfully conducted a raid in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, and uncovered counterfeit ink products on sale.
During the operation, the NBI seized approximately 5,000 pieces of counterfeit ink products and ribbon cartridges alongside 17,640 pieces of counterfeit packaging boxes and hologram labels. The estimated market value of the seized items is PHP1.7 million ($ 30,400/ €28,150).
With the support of Epson, the raid was a culmination of over three months of investigations and surveillance against an online seller. Through intensive investigations, the location and identity of the seller was identified. Based on investigations conducted, the seller has been distributing counterfeit Epson ink products through online platforms such as Facebook and was operating out of residential premises in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
It is believed that packaging and assembly of these counterfeit products was also conducted at these premises as product carton boxes and product labels were found. Fake hologram labels were affixed on the products and meant to deceive and confuse consumers into believing these products were genuine.
Epson has a zero-tolerance policy against fake products and works closely with NBI to protect consumers from harmful counterfeit products sold by unscrupulous sellers. Almost a year ago, on 21 February 2023, NBI raided two condominium units located at BMK E-Commerce Park in Manila’s Quiapo district belonging to an online office supplies trader and and seized 7,292 counterfeit Epson printer ink bottles valued at PHP2 million ($ 35,700/ €33,058). In September 2022, NBI raided a Tarlac-based trading company specialising in office and school supplies and seized 867 counterfeit Epson ink products.
“These counterfeit ink products were meticulously designed by the manufacturer to resemble genuine products but could cause harm. Counterfeit ink formulations may contain harmful substances such as heavy metals, solvents and toxic chemicals. When used, these substances can emit hazardous fumes, endangering the health of those in the vicinity. Non-genuine ink products are usually made of cheap and inferior materials that would void the warranty of an Epson printer and permanently damage printers.
“Users would be left with clogged printheads and poor print results. Further, the rampant sale of counterfeit ink has been undermining the livelihood of legitimate, honest Filipino businesses who are facing a decline in genuine ink sales as a result,” cautioned an Epson Southeast Asia spokesperson. “Epson is committed to work closely with NBI to safeguard the rights of Epson customers and honest sellers.”
Epson encourages customers to purchase genuine ink products from a list of authorised dealers and official online stores. As an added security measure, customers can use the Epson Genuine Ink PH app, available on Google Play and the App Store, for verification and peace-of-mind. It allows users to verify the authenticity of their ink products by scanning the QR code or inputting the Random Number (RN) found on the upper hologram sticker of the ink box. The app will then display whether the QR code or RN is registered as genuine.
