Fans of popular stuffed toy manufacturer Jellycat are scrutinising purchases after allegations have emerged on social media claiming that counterfeit products are being sold in Auckland.
Stuffed animals and other soft toys produced by the UK company are popular with children as well as adult collectors.
Angst over the authenticity of Jellycat purchases escalated after a user of social media platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) claimed she had purchased counterfeit Jellycat products worth $500 from an Auckland store.
A spokesperson from the store, which RNZ has decided not to name, said it was investigating the allegation.
Located on the North Shore, the store sells Jellycat products as well as health supplements, honey and other items popular with Chinese consumers.
Little Red Book user “Chaoxiongmeinv” (“Super Handsome Beauty”), who spoke on condition of anonymity due to abuse she received online after making the allegation, has bought several Jellycat products from local retailers and the official website this year.
She bought eight stuffed toys from the North Shore outlet earlier this month but became suspicious as a discontinued cellphone toy among the items she purchased had a price tag worth much less than similar goods available online.
She paid an online testing service to validate her purchases, and was informed that the eight items were counterfeit.
Jellycat items she had purchased earlier were verified as being authentic, she said.
“For example, [the lines on] the wings of the seagull [stuffed toy] should be very clear,” she said. “The material used on the legitimate seagull is flat and smooth … but the material on the fake one looks fluffy.”
What’s more, the authentication service highlighted key differences in the branding that appeared on toys that were part of the Amusable series, she said.
She returned the items to the Auckland store and received a refund without difficulty.
The Little Red Book post has gone viral since being published on 11 October, attracting more than 1000 comments, and a social media group she started has exceeded 200 people.
Little Red Book user “Kaigexiaohaochuxianzhi”, who also spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about online abuse, joined the above group.
The Aucklander, whose social handle roughly translates into “Side account for selling things I don’t need”, recalled a spelling error that appeared on the branding of a stuffed toy dragon she bought from the same store last year.
The toy had branding attached that read, “I am Lavender Dragom”.
She tested the toys she had bought from the store and found two counterfeit items.
“I was shocked,” she said.
She returned the items and received a refund.
Another Little Red Book user who only wished to be identified as Lily owns about 500 Jellycat products.
Based in China and posting under the handle “Taotao”, Lily ordered some Jellycat stuffed potted plants from an East Auckland store called Healthway.
Healthway reportedly sourced the products from the North Shore store to send to Lily, but the Jellycat fan in China expressed concern about the authenticity of the items after examining photographs that had been shared with her.
“I am a relatively advanced hobbyist, so I could tell at a glance the potted plants were fake,” she said.
The colour of the feet and the material of the pot looked phoney, Lily said, noting that Healthway refunded the deposit she paid.
Cindy Dong, founder of Healthway, said her staff was unable to confirm the stuffed potted plants were counterfeit.
The items were returned to the North Shore store after Lily declined to purchase them, she said.
Dong said New Zealand had strict rules in place to prevent the sale of counterfeit products.
“It is quite sad for us,” she said. “It’s disgraceful to do such things in New Zealand.”
Dong was hopeful that relevant authorities would be able to determine whether items were counterfeit or not.
In a text message to RNZ, a spokesperson of the North Shore store said the incidents were being investigated.
“Our company is currently conducting a detailed investigation into the incident and has retrieved CCTV footage from relevant dates,” the spokesperson said.
They said the incident was “not simply caused by Jellycat sales issues”, adding that the company would issue a statement later.
Several people in the WeChat group started by “Chaoxiongmeinv” said they were able to return some of their goods to the North Shore store and receive a refund.
The Commerce Commission has received five complaints from consumers claiming they had purchased counterfeit Jellycat products in the past two weeks.
Vanessa Horne, general manager of competition, fair trading and credit at the commission, said the complaints would be investigated.
“The Fair Trading Act prohibits false and misleading claims by traders,” Horne said.
“It is illegal for businesses to make claims about good or service without a reasonable basis. This includes claims about the authenticity and origin of products.
“The Commerce Commission is responsible for enforcing the Fair Trading Act. Any consumers who think businesses may have breached the Fair Trading Act should contact the commission.”
Rob Garrett, national manager at the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, said the owners of Jellycat’s intellectual property rights could take legal action in response to any alleged counterfeit infringements.
“There are fines and penalties for businesses convicted of selling counterfeit goods,” Garrett said.
“Those fines and penalties will depend on the type of goods and what specific rules and standards have been breached through the sale those goods.
“If a consumer considers they have been deceived or mislead into purchasing them, they should return the products for a refund.
“Additionally, if they can, they should alert the lawful trademark and, in the instance of alleged counterfeit JellyCat merchandise, contact the Commerce Commission.”
RNZ has approached Jellycat and its Australia-based New Zealand agent, IsAlbi, for comment.
