How to Spot Fake Circuit Breakers
Beware of Counterfeit Breakers for Data Centers
In recent years, many electrical equipment manufacturers have been battling against counterfeit equipment in the courts to protect both their bottom line and those who unfortunately discover they have counterfeit circuit breakers installed.
Many electrical equipment manufacturers have been exposing counterfeiters and those who sell counterfeit products. Recently, in the United States District Court in Indianapolis, Indiana, a reseller known as Breakers Unlimited was taken to court by Schneider Electric for selling different counterfeit breakers for data centers. They were specifically found guilty of purchasing and selling counterfeit Square D QO circuit breaker. They were sold by Breakers Unlimited in 2005 and 2006.
The amount of damages to be awarded and the scope of an injunction restricting Breakers Unlimited’s continued involvement in the market where counterfeit Circuit Breakers are bought and sold have yet to be decided by the court.
Schneider Electric is not just concerned with the loss of sales, but they recognize that when breakers for data centers are fraudulent, it is a serious safety and health hazard.
“This lawsuit is one example of Schneider Electric’s ongoing commitment to preventing counterfeiting and protecting its customers, trademarks and designs,” said Bill Snyder, vice president, channel development, Schneider Electric. “We continue to lead the industry in pursuing counterfeiters up and down the distribution chain because we are dedicated to preserving the integrity of our products and protecting people from the serious health and safety hazards associated with counterfeit products. Through our efforts in this lawsuit and others like it, we have kept more than 250,000 potentially hazardous counterfeit goods out of the marketplace.”
To prevent the potential purchase of counterfeit products, customers should purchase their electrical equipment products from authorized manufacturer distributors. This is the best way to ensure they are purchasing legitimate products.
According to the FBI and other authorities, high-quality counterfeits cost businesses close to $250 billion annually in the U.S. and more than $500 billion globally. The problem is especially troubling in the residential and commercial construction markets, as electrical components such as circuit breakers for data centers are among the easiest to fake.
Once viewed as a “victimless crime,” many are taking counterfeiting much more seriously. Since the 1990′s, counterfeiting has grown at a rate of eight times the speed of legal businesses. To learn more about what the United States Government is doing about counterfeiting, visit their official website: http://www.stopfakes.gov. Counterfeiting supports everything from the drug cartel in Mexico to funding terrorists in the Middle East.
Some of the best ways to spot a counterfeit breaker include:
- Suspicious or missing markings
- Missing certification marks
- Incorrect colors on labels or packaging
- Incorrect shape of design of the product
- Misspellings on the product
- The country of origin or manufacturing location is incorrect
- The price is very low
The best way to protect against purchasing a counterfeit product is to purchase from an approved reseller.
