I know somebody who’s rather a reverse snob. When this septuagenarian joined the gym this year, he was advised to buy good shoes that would cushion his feet and provide him the necessary support but true to style, he bought a pair of for Rs 300 and has since been using them for the last five months. Designed in pale grey and salmon pink, they, of course, had none of the cushioning or design recommended for gym activity, and I expect them to give up the ghost very soon. After which this person will return to where he bought these and buy another pair. No expectations of quality there!

On the way back home from a meeting one evening, I found myself admiring the colours of the bag the girl sitting next to me on the train was carrying. A luminous pink and maroon, it said ‘Esprit’ somewhere on the side. But wait, she didn’t seem to be the target audience of an Esprit, and was that really THE Esprit? I should have guessed! It was Esppit. The instances can go on and on. I was even presented a couple of steel utensils which were branded Nokia!

Makers of spurious goods and drugs reportedly earn Rs 60,000 crore every year. The losers, eventually, are the patron-consumers themselves, not to mention the workers who work for these counterfeiters. There are reports of how employees in such a unit in Thailand were found chained to work stations and had dog bowls of rice next to them! India has the dubious distinction of being one of the largest manufacturers of spurious drugs in the world. Various industry bodies and Government departments are acting in tandem to fight these counterfeiters.

What are some of the crazier rip-offs that you have seen? Have you bought any of these products? Price, of course, is the main reason but are there any other reasons you would rather buy these over an original? How long did these products last and what did you do with them when they didn’t come up to your expectations?