Hello Kitty is the fictional female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Formally in Japanese, "Hello Kitty" refers to the group of related characters, while the main character herself is known as Kitty White.
Hello Kitty has become a global marketing phenomenon worth billions a year.
Along with success come the counterfeiters and there are plenty of counterfeit products infringing on the Hello Kitty and Sanrio trademarks and brand.
Thousands of China retailers offer counterfeit Hello Kitty branded products on the internet to unsuspecting buyers. These products often end up advertised as authentic items on websites and local flea markets.
Counterfeiters frequently use authentic manufacturer's stock photos of authentic products in advertising or on eBay, but send you a counterfeit.
Even if there is a photo, can you determine from a photo if this is a real or counterfeit Hello Kitty product?
If you can't, you should be buying from authorized Hello Kitty retailers.
Sanrio offers a variety of Hello Kitty branded products including decorative stickers, a popular counterfeit that are difficult to identify by a new purchaser.
Compare questionable items to a known authentic product to be sure.
Thousands of internet listings on China websites offer counterfeit Hello Kitty branded products at a fraction of the authentic items price. Many items are not styles or colors in the Sanrio product line.
China counterfeiters are not limited to exclusive foreign websites.
Counterfeit products often appear on eBay from worldwide sellers, including China. While eBay and manufacturers work to remove counterfeit products, many are undetected and slip by.
Items such as this Hello Kitty branded purse from a China counterfeiter for just $7 & free shipping often end up on eBay advertised as an authentic item and sold to unsuspecting buyers at inflated prices.
When in doubt, check the Sanrio website.
Here the counterfeit Sanrio tag lacks the unique halogram.
Poorly embroidered eyes and nose features on this Hello Kitty product identify it as a fake.
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