DENVER — With the NFL playoffs in full swing, Broncos fan Michelle Valdivia has her eye on team gear — but she’s keeping a wary eye out for fakes.
“I went to my first game when I was eight years old because my grandfather is a huge Bronco fan,” Valdivia said. “That’s how I got into football and also became a ride or die Bronco fan for the rest of my life.”
Valdivia often shops at licensed stores, like Sportsfan in Denver, for unique items she can’t find anywhere else. But when her grandfather wanted a blue Nik Bonitto jersey, she turned to online marketplaces.
“I went to eBay, and of course, they have where it makes it sound really good, like, oh, the stitching is good, you know, really good quality,” she said. “I just decided not to do it, because you never know what you’re going to get when it finally comes in the mail.”
Valdivia sticks with NFL-approved sellers to avoid being duped. “Everything starts to peel because it’s not stitched, and they start to fade, and they just look terrible. So it’s a waste of money,” she said. “I am going to spend a little bit more money to make sure that it is not fake.”
Sportsfan owner Derek Friedman has been in business for more than a decade and says the NFL and authorized manufacturers — like Nike, Adidas, and New Era — vet stores like his to ensure they sell only authentic merchandise.
“They will come in and check and make sure you’re not selling fake stuff,” Friedman said. “If you’re online and you see something that’s saying it’s official or looks like official merchandise, but it’s $20 instead of $100 or $150, that’s a pretty good indication that it’s not real merchandise.”
Counterfeit sales spike around the holidays and big games. Friedman says just last month, “there was a seizure back in December. And so kind of immediately after that, we had a traffic increase of 20 to 30%.”
Even well-made fakes often have giveaways, he added. “Even if they’re very good, the colors will be a little bit off. So, it won’t be a pure royal.”
Selling counterfeit merchandise can destroy a business, Friedman warns. “Once Nike or someone finds out, then they will tell the league. The league will remove your rights to buy anything. And so then you just have a store filled with fake stuff.”
For fans like Valdivia, that’s reason enough to pay a little more. “It’s a staple on your favorite player, even if they don’t play with the team anymore,” she said. “You want to keep wearing it and keep it going, and the fakes are not going to allow that to happen.”
To help fans stay safe from counterfeit products, the IPR Center and the NFL recommend the following tips when making purchases:
- Stick to trusted retail locations.
- Be cautious when shopping online. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Criminals often use legitimate product photos while selling fraudulent items.
- Use caution before purchasing expensive items from unfamiliar online sellers. Shop from authorized dealers with a reputation for quality merchandise to ensure a safe transaction and responsible customer service.
- Look for signs of poor quality, such as sloppy stitching, missing security labels, or irregular markings on apparel.
- Check your online bank statements regularly. Keep a record of purchases and confirmation pages and compare them to your bank statements. If discrepancies arise, report them immediately.
- Purchase event tickets only from trusted sources, such as the NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster, On Location, or other reputable ticket retailers.
According to U.S. Customs, more than $400 million in counterfeit sports merchandise has been seized since 2013.
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