The Buy Safe America Coalition, a diverse group of retailers, consumer groups, wholesaler-distributors, and manufacturers who support efforts to combat organized retail crime and protect consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods, announced new members—DICK’S Sporting Goods, HP Inc., OpSec Security, and Rite Aid.
These companies joined the coalition amid the holiday season that is expected to bring about record levels of online shopping and sales. These companies and leading retailers will take part in the coalition alongside existing members including Walgreens, CVS Health, The Home Depot, Ulta Beauty, Gap Inc., Lowe’s, and Philips.
The sale of stolen and fraudulent goods and products has long been a target for criminals using online marketplaces. The coalition is urging Congress to combat the growing problem by passing the INFORM Consumers Act, which would modernize consumer protection laws by requiring online marketplaces to collect and verify basic seller information and having sellers provide that information to consumers.
David Lund, vice president of loss prevention for DICK’S said, “The issue of fraudulent sales is about much more than protecting our brand and the products we offer. It’s also about protecting our teammates and our customers whose safety is our top priority. By increasing transparency and accountability, the INFORM Act will help provide much-needed protection for consumers and employees visiting and working in retail stores this holiday season.”
“HP is pleased to join the Buy Safe America Coalition in support of the INFORM Consumers Act to bring more transparency and accountability to online marketplaces,” said Andy Binder, vice president and general manager, toner supplies solutions for HP Inc. “It will help protect consumers worldwide from purchasing counterfeit products from unscrupulous third-party sellers.”
“In working with countless brands to detect counterfeiting, OpSec has witnessed how counterfeit goods can adversely impact brand reputation, revenue, and customers’ health and safety,” said Bill Birnie, SVP and GM of OpSec Security’s Online Division. “OpSec joins the Buy Safe America Coalition in support of the INFORM Act, which is a much-needed, common sense measure to combat the growing online sales of counterfeit and stolen goods.”
“Ensuring that the everyday health and wellness products customers depend on are authentic and safe is critical to our mission to help communities get healthy and thriving,” said Tina Sellers, vice president of asset protection for Rite Aid. “That’s why it must be a top priority to clean up online marketplaces flooded by fake and counterfeit goods by requiring those marketplaces to verify that sellers are who they say they are. We support the efforts of lawmakers to pass common-sense measures like the INFORM Act that can help protect the health of the customers and communities we serve.”
“The sale of fraudulent, expired, defective, and unsafe products on online marketplaces is a solvable problem that has gone on for far too long. As more Americans than ever shop online this holiday season, it is imperative that we take steps to collect and verify third-party seller information,” said the Buy Safe America Coalition spokesperson, Michael Hanson. “We are pleased to have DICK’S Sporting Goods, HP Inc., OpSec Security, and Rite Aid join our coalition’s efforts to crack down on organized retail crime on dominant online marketplaces.”
Visit BuySafeAmerica.org for more information about the growing problem of stolen and counterfeit goods and solutions to better protect consumers and businesses.
