Counterfeit goods
Real Deal Online Project
Online and social media marketplaces are a growing phenomenon, offering many economic and social benefits which can provide bargains for consumers and an environment for legitimate sellers and local businesses to trade successfully.
The internet and the online marketplace is not uniformly regulated and can offer easy opportunities for those who wish to trade illegally, particularly in counterfeits.
Why we are taking part
Trading standards has decided to take part in the Real Deal Online Project to help the administrators of social media selling platforms in the Highlands to run 'fake free' pages.
The project provides market operators with procedures for best practice and encourages them to work closely with their local trading standards service. It will also encourage administrators to sign the Real Deal Charter, a public commitment to keep the online market fake free.
Trading standards will offer support to self-police selling pages, with administrators and traders acting as eyes and ears to deter illegal traders of fake goods.
Trading Standards will be contacting administrators to engage with them and encourage their participation in the project during 2023 and 2024.