Calling a product MADE IN... without it being true.

[Bobby_italy]

Hi guys so I've been doing some market research for a project of mine and I'm getting a ton of samples etc.. I live in Italy and getting a Made In Italy (at least from the info I gathered) seems like a serious pain.

I made some calcs and it makes MUCH more sense to import rather than to produce, that's why I started sourcing in China, while a manufacturer was showing me his "jobs" with other clients I noticed a brand I knew... they have the "made in Italy 100%" on their products, while I'm 110% sure they either only print and slap it on or get it done directly in China!

So I started digging much deeper and found that of the 4-5 companies PRODUCING this product in Italy only 1 really does so, everything else is a blatant slight redesign with same packaging and INGREDIENTS of the chinese stuff.
Funny part is all of them have the Made in Italy slapped on their products..
I tryed looking for their facilities and with a quick search I actually found out they only have a shop instead of a manufactoring warehouse.

It's much harder to compete in an unfair market, I considered the "made in italy" as an investment in the future but seeing those low quality chinese products, yeah I bought them and they source from the worse manufacturers in china too..., I get completely demoralized.
Should I send them an email and call every single one of them out with alleged pictures from the sources in China or should I just mind my own business and let them "scam" people?

I don't want those companies to get fined for €€€€€ so I wouldn't pursue anything legal(don't want to deal with defamation either), because of ethics I would never lie to my costumers because it takes years to build a brand to see it shred into pieces because of dishonesty.

Let me know if you had similar experiences, the strongest point of my product is differentiation and quality not the made in Italy part obviously but it just pisses me off.

 

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[Walter Hay]

Hi guys so I've been doing some market research for a project of mine and I'm getting a ton of samples etc.. I live in Italy and getting a Made In Italy (at least from the info I gathered) seems like a serious pain.

I made some calcs and it makes MUCH more sense to import rather than to produce, that's why I started sourcing in China, while a manufacturer was showing me his "jobs" with other clients I noticed a brand I knew... they have the "made in Italy 100%" on their products, while I'm 110% sure they either only print and slap it on or get it done directly in China!

So I started digging much deeper and found that of the 4-5 companies PRODUCING this product in Italy only 1 really does so, everything else is a blatant slight redesign with same packaging and INGREDIENTS of the chinese stuff.
Funny part is all of them have the Made in Italy slapped on their products..
I tryed looking for their facilities and with a quick search I actually found out they only have a shop instead of a manufactoring warehouse.

It's much harder to compete in an unfair market, I considered the "made in italy" as an investment in the future but seeing those low quality chinese products, yeah I bought them and they source from the worse manufacturers in china too..., I get completely demoralized.
Should I send them an email and call every single one of them out with alleged pictures from the sources in China or should I just mind my own business and let them "scam" people?

I don't want those companies to get fined for €€€€€ so I wouldn't pursue anything legal(don't want to deal with defamation either), because of ethics I would never lie to my costumers because it takes years to build a brand to see it shred into pieces because of dishonesty.

Let me know if you had similar experiences, the strongest point of my product is differentiation and quality not the made in Italy part obviously but it just pisses me off.

Is there an association in Italy that provides authentication of Made In Italy claims? If so. contact them and ask what should be done. They would most likely be the ones to take action.

Walter

 

[Bobby_italy]

Is there an association in Italy that provides authentication of Made In Italy claims? If so. contact them and ask what should be done. They would most likely be the ones to take action.

Walter

I found a few but they go for niches, like for food(there are multiple) or shoes etc..
So it’s a mess and I guess a costumer would never care to investigate that’s why 70% of the made in italy products in the world are counterfeit...

 

[Walter Hay]

I found a few but they go for niches, like for food(there are multiple) or shoes etc..
So it’s a mess and I guess a costumer would never care to investigate that’s why 70% of the made in italy products in the world are counterfeit...

That is a great pity. I have always found genuine Italian made products to be of high quality. I am not referring only to leather goods, which really stand out, but kitchenware, and other products that require clever design and sometimes expensive production equipment.

In my sourcing and importing book I list a genuine Italian B2B site that can help buyers find not only quality Kitchenware, but also other Housewares, Hardware, and Tools.

Walter

 

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[Bobby_italy]

I agree with that completely tho italians will always find ways to get around laws and regulations, I think it’s one of the countries with the most scam artists.

I know people who “manufacture” in Italy and the italian flag is plastered all over their products BUT what they really do is get part from China and assemble them, you may be thinking there’s a lot of skill required but tbh it’s just so the chinese can’t sell against them while still producing their products.
I’m NOT talking about food, in that case I think 99% it’s real but only top notch brands can guarantee that even the milk etc comes from italy.

Also most italian companies that produce whatever are REALLY expensive, if you wanna get real Made In Italy make sure the brand has the reputation to back it up.
I’m talking from a costumer point of view, I’m used to spending 3x or 5x the cost if it was made here, usually with worse graphics to make it look more genuine.
I’m gonna make 3 examples:
-Table 2000€, same dimensions in ikea maybe 500€ max
-window small 75€ vs 29€
-“cooling liquid for computer system” 1500€ vs 300€
We could debate about durability and quality/design, but the difference is abysmal.
Now imagine taking one of the chinese options adjusting it a bit and exploiting a trusted brand to market it, BOOM.

 

[biophase]

I agree with that completely tho italians will always find ways to get around laws and regulations, I think it’s one of the countries with the most scam artists.

I know people who “manufacture” in Italy and the italian flag is plastered all over their products BUT what they really do is get part from China and assemble them, you may be thinking there’s a lot of skill required but tbh it’s just so the chinese can’t sell against them while still producing their products.
I’m NOT talking about food, in that case I think 99% it’s real but only top notch brands can guarantee that even the milk etc comes from italy.

Also most italian companies that produce whatever are REALLY expensive, if you wanna get real Made In Italy make sure the brand has the reputation to back it up.
I’m talking from a costumer point of view, I’m used to spending 3x or 5x the cost if it was made here, usually with worse graphics to make it look more genuine.
I’m gonna make 3 examples:
-Table 2000€, same dimensions in ikea maybe 500€ max
-window small 75€ vs 29€
-“cooling liquid for computer system” 1500€ vs 300€
We could debate about durability and quality/design, but the difference is abysmal.
Now imagine taking one of the chinese options adjusting it a bit and exploiting a trusted brand to market it, BOOM.

Made in is different than where the parts come from.

You can order fabric from China and make a shirt and then it’s made in what ever country you are in.

Many parts come from China, including raw goods.

 

[Rabby]

I also love authentic Italian craftsmanship. There's something in the culture that comes out in the products - people care about what they make. I've had that discussion with an Italian friend who runs a plant in Thailand, and some of the cultural differences he's observed in various countries.

Worth noting: if they really are faking the "made in" label, I wouldn't worry about defamation. Defamation is saying something untrue about someone. You're protected from defamation suits, at least in most countries, if you are reporting a crime. I suspect it is a legitimate crime in Italy, like most other places, to fraudulently claim nation of origin. That said, call an Italian legal advisor and have a 10 ,minute conversation about it to be sure.

I think it's worth holding people accountable for blatant frauds. If it's really "assembled in" Italy or something, then I might not be as judgemental. But I think people deserve to know the true facts about the products they buy.

The forks, spoons, and knives in my house are all made in Italy (at least I think so). I acquired them because there had been QC problems with Chinese flatware, and lead was being added to them. I wanted something that would not lower the IQ of my family, or poison us. So I placed my trust in Italian craftsmanship and artisanal pride for the utensils we use.

That label, Made in Italy, is a significant asset of the culture. I would argue it is not you defaming someone if you report their fraud. It is them potentially defaming a national asset, not to mention lying to people. What if they get away with that and someone gets an inferior product, lead paint or something like that? It could harm someone, and it could tarnish the reputation of authentic Italian goods. Personally, I would find the authority responsible for that sort of thing, and report it to them.

 

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[DeletedUser0287]

Here in the US, many businesses don't follow the FTC Guidelines for "Made in".

Almost everyone gets their parts from all over the world and China. What should be written on 99% of stuff of labels is "Made in USA with U.S. and imported parts." But obviously, majority of people leave the last part out, due to perceived negative perception.

 

[AgainstAllOdds]

In the U.S. there's virtually no punishment for saying Made in USA. Look up Walmart, etc.

There's only a few cases that the FTC ever prosecuted.

In Italy, my guess is that it's similar. The best way to capitalize on the knowledge you have is by exposing the companies if you plan to compete. Lawsuits/government probably won't be effective.

 

[Bobby_italy]

I agree with all of you, an advice for anyone purchasing made in italy goods, expect to pay for it and investigate for 5 minutes on google I’m sure you’ll notice if something is off.

By the way they prosecute those who fake italian food and appareal but for everything else it’s kind of meh.

Also another big risk when buying this stuff is getting counterfeit, that’s why I think your research is needed, many goods are replicated so well that you CAN return them to stores and they won’t notice it isn’t their product.

 

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