Firm warns of fake elastomeric sealants being sold online

Sealants and adhesives manufacturer Bostik Philippines Inc. on Monday called on consumers to be wary of the products they purchase amid the proliferation of fake elastomeric sealants online.

In a statement, the company said it had discovered that fake elastomeric sealants "have slowly made their way into several e-commerce shops."

According to Bostik, it had acted on several tips regarding the sale of counterfeit products carrying its brand online.

"We have conducted several test buys with different sellers on popular e-commerce websites and apps, and we discovered that some of the products we bought which carried our brands and trademarks are fake," Bostik said.

"We are gathering evidence which we will turn over to authorities to help in our campaign against counterfeit Bostik products,” the firm added.

Bostik also appealed to e-commerce sites "to protect the integrity of consumer products by banning sellers who peddle counterfeit goods."

"These nefarious traders not only taint the reputation of the products they are selling, but they are also casting these e-commerce sites in a bad light if they are not dealt with properly,” Bostik said.

The company, which manufactures the Super Vulcaseal Elastomeric Sealant, said it reached out to representatives of e-commerce platforms for evidence against those merchants who have supposedly been peddling fake products.

Earlier, Bostik warned that it would go after individuals and organizations which would be proven to have been distributing and selling counterfeit sealants.

Bostik said it could not guarantee the quality of counterfeit products as these were made outside of its manufacturing facilities.

"We are not certain about the quality of these products, so we encourage our customers to buy Bostik products from our authorized distributors or our official e-commerce shops which are verified," the company said.

The company added it continued to receive information on the sale of counterfeit products in key cities and towns. Bostik said the public could send photos or information about fake sealant products through its customer contact hotline at (02) 7900-5656 or via its email PHIL-CUSTOMER.SERVICE@bostik.com. — DVM, GMA Integrated News