United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 20,400 counterfeit Oral-B toothbrush heads in Philadelphia that were heading for an address in Delran, New Jersey.
The officers initially examined the air cargo shipment on October 1 and detained it as suspected counterfeit consumer goods due to poor packaging and questionable quality. The shipment included 1,200 10-pack and 2,800 three-pack toothbrush heads marked with the Oral-B brand name.
CBP officers worked with CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandizing Centers for Excellence and Expertise to verify through the trademark holder that the products were counterfeit and seized the shipment on November 7.
The CBP notes that counterfeit toothbrush heads pose a serious health threat to consumers because they are manufactured in unsanitary facilities with substandard materials that may cause sickness or bleeding. Also, structural defects may cause the brush head to detach and potentially choke users.
If authentic, the products would have had a manufacturer suggested retail price of $95,600.
“Customs and Border Protection will continue to work with our trade and consumer safety partners to identify and seize counterfeit consumer good that threaten American shoppers, such as these potentially dangerous toothbrush heads,” said Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office.
“CBP urges consumers to protect themselves and their families by purchasing authentic health and hygiene products from reputable vendors,” said Durst.
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