The old adage 'if it's to good to true it probably is', has existed for a long time, yet still people keep hoping they'll be the one who gets lucky. In the cases of the lottery a very very few people manage to beat the odds, and occasionally on eBay you get a bargain due to someone misspelling their product. But when you see a Chloe bag selling for £50 you should smell a rat, and equally suspicion should kick in when you see GHD's selling for half their in store price point. But it's not always easy to tell that the company is fake, as many of the websites look very professional, have all the right logos and have a .co.uk URL!
Type 'Cheap GHD's' into Google and literally hundreds of sites come up promising you everything from limited edition models in multiple colours, to buying a model for the low price of £40 odd quid- around 60% cheaper!
So how do you spot a fake before you buy, and how can you double check your straightener is the real deal?
It's not that the fakes won't work, but they won't have been created with the same rigorous testing and might lead to problems such as faulty wiring, incorrect temperature gauges and possible burns.
The Compare GHD site allows you to enter the 15 digit hologram code on the styler to check if you have an authorized model. The site also contains a list of reputable websites and salons to purchase from and a website checker, where you can see if the site with the cheap price is authorized. It's not a perfect system as some sites come up as suspicious, like this one, which actually features authorized retailers.
They also give you some useful tips on purchasing. For instance, be wary for people selling baby pink GHD's, as they haven't been in production since 2005- so any site selling these is definitely not the real deal.
The site GHD Factory Shop is such a case, as products on there are seriously cheap, and the unwary might easily get conned. It looks very professional, it's nicely laid out- but wait, why is the contact email a Gmail address? Hmm. Basically DO NOT USE THIS SITE. This is an example of one of the many, many fake sites out there.
There was an expose on this particular scam on the Today Show in December (see below) which provides some useful information.
So what's the golden rule? You will have to pay for quality, and yes, that generally means £90 + pounds. If you've received a fake version, contact the seller immediately for a refund, and keep all correspondence in hope that you may be able to get a refund. If you are going to risk buying a budget priced model, pay on your credit card as this will offer you some protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This states that your card company can be held liable if the goods you purchased were faulty, or if the company you bought from disappears. This covers you for amounts between £100 and £3000, and includes goods bought on the internet, including overseas purchases. Good to know, eh?
Good luck!
