The common value of counterfeit goods around the world in 2019 was $509 billion, researchers say. Fake products have become so widespread and well-done that it sometimes becomes too hard to tell if a product you’re about to buy is authentic or not.

We at Bright Side gathered some hacks you may want to use to protect yourself from buying fake products, and we want to share them in this article.

1. No contact details

One feature fake products often lack is information about the company that produced the product along with contact details. If the company doesn’t provide an address, email, website, or phone number in order to receive feedback from the customer, it’s a matter of concern. It would probably be best to avoid buying products from such suspicious companies.

2. Missing accessories

Various large companies ask their consumers to be extremely attentive to all the supplementary items that should come with the main product you buy. For tech products, check if the earphones, chargers, and instructions are included in the package. For clothes and accessories, check warranty cards and passports.

3. The quality of the screen

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Before buying any name-brand product, go through the pictures first and pay attention to logos and hallmarks. Usually, brands put their logos in specific places, using unique fonts and sizes. Fakes are not generally as precise, and you will easily be able to determine whether or not the product is real.

5. Inaccurate patterns

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When buying clothes and bags, pay particular attention to the stitching. On authentic products, the stitches will be neat, beautiful, and straight, which means the patterns will be even. However, on fake products, stitching is usually poorly done, and patterns appear uneven and crooked.

6. An inaccurate case

When buying AirPods, you can identify whether they’re original or not before even opening them. Look at the case. On a counterfeit product, the back button will be much higher than on the original case. Also, the authentic case will have the original caption that all Apple products have.

7. Cheap packaging

Brands pay a lot of attention to the way they pack their products, which is why the packaging of an authentic product will be of good quality. If the box looks poor, sporting faded colors, seedy fabrics, or an overall worn look, it probably means the product is fake.

Have you ever happened to buy a fake product? What hacks do you use to check the authenticity of items?