Of fake people, fake commodities and counterfeits becoming part of our lives

A story is told of a man who went window shopping downtown Kariakoo, came across a nice shirt in one of the shops manned by people of Asian origin. The guy is said to have been attracted by the shirt in such a way that he had to sacrifice the little money he had to buy it. Luckily the shirt wasn’t that expensive.

Everything was okay until he decided to wash it after wearing it on his way to church where many of his friends hailed him for putting on a nice shirt. You know how people in this country are generous with their comments as even strangers you meet on the streets can look at you and tell you “umependeza.”

I know it has been a trend for friends to pass this comment. I later discovered that most of the comments are not sincere. I have come across some women commenting on one of their own who would have just had her hair done. One thing for sure about the person getting the comment is that she will be having a new hairstyle, but in most cases the hairstyle will be making her look like a ghost. Sorry to say so but that is the truth. When you hear someone complimenting another person, take your time to check on the one getting the compliment and you will discover that this world is full of deception.

Many people say these comments to please their friends while at the same time there is no sincerity.
When the poor guy immersed the shirt into water, it began to bleach. When he applied soap hoping everything will go back to normal, the shirt was ruined. When he hung it on the washing line to dry it, the shirt had become a shadow of its former self.

He was left without a choice but to take the shirt back to the shop where he had bought it. He furiously threw the shirt hitting the shopkeeper in the face, shouting obscenities and at the same time demanding a refund. The Chinese man behind the counter was not amused at all, he took the shirt and told the man that there was nothing he could do as the shirt had outlived its purpose.

He showed the man a sticker attached to one of the seams of the shirt written in what seemed to be hieroglyphics to the man because they were just lines drawn as if it was a piece of art done by a kindergarten child. The shopkeeper further told his customer in broken English that the sticker was written “For wedding.”

This meant that the shirt was supposed to be used during a wedding ceremony and after that you throw it away. Accusations and counter accusations that followed after this statement and even flaring of tempers failed to change anything as the shopkeeper remained adamant that it wasn’t his fault as he was not the maker of the product.

He also said it wasn’t his fault either that the man couldn’t read the words on the shirt. The man had no choice but to return to his humble home empty handed as there was nothing he could do and nowhere to go for redress.

Consumers in this country are an unprotected lot. Despite grappling with the sad reality of ignorance on what to do when they are faced with such a situation, they are also forced to endure the quagmire of buying from a market invaded by fake goods, where chances of buying a counterfeit are high.

Though we have organizations such as the TFDA and TBS, consumers continue to be on the receiving end. Today I am not talking about what these organizations have done to address the situation as their efforts are tantamount to a drop in the ocean.

We know they have done something in an effort to address this problem but the question that remains is: Are they winning the war? I also have no answer to that question. What I am sure of is that as long as one is a consumer in this country then encountering counterfeit goods is a daily thing. Be they medicinal drugs, electrical gadgets and even people, counterfeits are slowly becoming part of our lives.

Everything is fast becoming fake to an extent of having fake people. Yes, you know them, those who live a lie by pretending to be what they are not. Some have even gone to the extent of questioning God's wisdom of creating them as they are. They go on to help God by trying to modify themselves as they undergo plastic surgeries or bleaching their skins. Needless to say that most of them pay the price of attaining a white skin when they end up with burnt skin or getting other skin diseases such as cancer.

The problem with most counterfeit commodities is that they look fancy but when it comes to performance then they are found wanting. Fake goods, that are usually cheaper, are in most cases end up being expensive as one is forced to waste a lot of money, replacing them or trying to redress damages.

It is vital that as consumers we open our eyes whenever we make a purchasing transaction. The better way of surviving in this jungle is self defence. It is important that whenever we come across any commodity that is sold cheaper than the normal price to first ask ourselves why it is cheap.

I know everyone likes to buy anything that is cheap as it ensures that he remains with some change in their pockets but it is better to save money by buying expensive but original commodities than to opt for cheaper and counterfeits.

What I have discovered is that most people buy goods knowing that they are counterfeit. They do not mind buying a counterfeit as long a it serves the same purpose as the original one. I have seen many people buying mobile phone handsets from Kariakoo, fully aware that they are counterfeits.

What most people do is to buy blindly and pray that the gadget be different from other counterfeits. They will be hoping that theirs will be one of those that will last them long before encountering any problem. This is the major reason most people in this country do not seek redress when they get a raw deal.

Some console themselves that they bought the commodity at a cheaper price so there is nothing to worry about. It is important for us dear reader to know that as consumers, we have our rights. We have the right to choose commodities we want to buy, we have the right to redress whenever we get a raw deal and it is our right to get the value for our money.

The time to grope in darkness is over. It is high time we , as consumers, empower ourselves and stand for our rights. Let us not wait for other people to do it for us. Together we can do it.

bongoblast@thisday.co.tz /symeniah.blogspot.com/0657651300