Many suspicious cosmetic products on Hai Duong market

Consumers need to research information carefully when buying cosmetics because they directly affect health and beauty.

"Gold mixed with brass"

At a store specializing in clothes, handbags, and accessories in Gia Loc town, there are many customers coming to shop, mainly young people. The cosmetics display area of ​​the store has many types of products such as blush, lipstick, eye shadow, skin cream to hair dye, hair spray... made in Vietnam or labeled as originating from foreign countries such as Korea, Thailand, Japan... However, most of the tubes, bottles, and jars of cosmetics made abroad do not have Vietnamese sub-labels or information about the importing unit as required.

Similarly, at a cosmetics store on Tue Tinh Street (Hai Duong City), according to our observations, the product information is displayed in foreign languages ​​but most of them do not have Vietnamese labels or stamps as required. The owner of this store said that these cosmetics are "hand-carried" and imported.

In the role of a consumer in need of buying cosmetics, we went to Thanh Binh market (Hai Duong city). At a kiosk selling cosmetics and accessories, the seller introduced us to MAC lipstick (one of the famous lipstick brands in the world). There are 2 types of MAC lipstick, one priced at 350,000 VND/stick and one at only 100,000 VND/stick. This kiosk also has some cosmetics from famous brands such as Chanel, Gucci... sold from over 100,000 - 400,000 VND/product. When researching through MAC's website, the brand's official stores on e-commerce platforms, the average price of a popular lipstick is from 470,000 - 900,000 VND.

Cosmetics kiosk at Thanh Binh market (Hai Duong city) sells many types of cosmetics of world famous brands at surprisingly cheap prices.

From administrative sanctions to criminal proceedings

According to the assessment of the Steering Committee against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods of Hai Duong province (Steering Committee 389 of the province), smuggling, trade fraud, trading in counterfeit and poor quality goods in the cosmetics group are still complicated, with increasingly sophisticated tricks (buying hand-carried goods, outsourcing, not having a fixed business store), causing difficulties for the authorities.

The subjects often have sophisticated tricks to avoid inspection and handling by the authorities. The current transportation trend is not through trails or openings but instead switching to delivery services, to mix in illegal goods during the transportation process. Taking advantage of the online business form to sell smuggled goods, counterfeit goods, goods of unknown origin on social networks, e-commerce sites... This situation has affected the rights of consumers, negatively affecting the stability and health of the business environment in Hai Duong.

Members of the Provincial Steering Committee 389 have inspected and handled violations related to the trading of cosmetic products through e-commerce. However, sampling and testing of cosmetic products is currently facing many difficulties, and regulations on handling of confiscated goods (liquidation or destruction) are unclear.

Many products have foreign origins but do not have Vietnamese sub-labels at a store in Gia Loc town.

In 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the Steering Committee 389 of Hai Duong province handled 30 violations in the cosmetics group. Of which, there was 1 smuggling case, 2 counterfeit goods cases, and 27 commercial fraud cases. The Steering Committee 389 of the province handled 29 administrative violations with a total fine of more than 232 million VND; transferred 1 case to criminal prosecution.

Recently, in early August 2024, the Hai Duong Market Management Department decided to fine the business household Nguyen Thi Huong on Nguyen Van Linh Street (Hai Duong City) 30 million VND, forcing the destruction of smuggled cosmetics worth nearly 36 million VND. Through an inspection on July 30, Market Management Team No. 1 (Hai Duong Market Management Department) discovered that Ms. Huong was trading in 262 smuggled cosmetic products, including 55 bottles of Hatomugi SPF31 moisturizing and sunscreen lotion (250ml), many tubes of Hatomugi facial cleanser, 130g, 170g, both blue and white; 50 tubes of Senka facial cleanser (120g, pink tube) and 70 boxes of Bigen hair dye (box of 2 tubes, 40g/tube).

Previously, in May 2022, the Investigation Police Agency of Kinh Mon Town Police initiated a case of manufacturing and trading counterfeit goods. The case was discovered by Market Management Team No. 2 (Market Management Department of Hai Duong Province) through a surprise inspection at the cosmetics production facility of Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien in An Luu Ward (Kinh Mon). Here, nearly 2,700 finished products (boxes, jars), nearly 600 semi-finished products (packages, jars), over 270 kg of liquid raw materials, 24 kg of stamps, warranty cards, 180 kg of packaging, boxes, bottles, jars of all kinds along with a number of shrink-wrapping machines, heat presses, heat shrink wrappers, filling tools; packaging, stamps and labels for mixing, manufacturing, filling, and packaging cosmetics labeled by a number of domestic and foreign establishments for sale for profit.

The case of counterfeit cosmetics production in Kinh Mon town has been discovered and transferred to criminal proceedings (photo provided by the facility)

According to Vu Minh Hai, Head of the General Affairs Department (Hai Duong Province Market Management Department), the cases of violations of cosmetics are mainly of unknown origin, smuggled goods and counterfeit goods. Cosmetic products have a direct impact on health and beauty, so when choosing, consumers need to carefully research information. When buying foreign-made cosmetics, one of the initial screening factors is to have information from the importer and a clear Vietnamese sub-label. For cosmetics with world-famous brands but with shockingly low prices, consumers need to be vigilant because you get what you pay for, the products have clear price segments. In fact, a small number of consumers, even though they know that they are smuggled, counterfeit, or low-quality goods, still accept them due to their habit of using foreign and cheap goods.

Genuine cosmetic companies also need to guide consumers and businesses to recognize and distinguish between genuine and fake products to avoid economic losses, develop businesses and protect consumers' health.

The labels of cosmetics must be clear, sharp, not smudged or blurred. Consumers should choose to buy cosmetics at reputable supermarkets and stores. If buying cosmetics on e-commerce platforms, they should choose genuine stores, and should not buy cosmetics through social networks because of limited traceability and information.

PV

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nhieu-san-pham-my-pham-kha-nghi-tren-thi-truong-hai-duong-390703.html