An Aberdare woman who sold counterfeit football kits via online auction site Ebay has been prosecuted.
Audrey Miles, 41, of Dean Street, first came to the attention of Rhondda Cynon Taf Trading Standards officers when an investigator working for clothing firm Umbro conducted a test purchase on Ebay and bought a football shirt.
The shirt was confirmed as counterfeit and, as a result, a warrant was executed at Mrs Miles’ home, where a number of adult and children’s football shirts were seized and confirmed to be counterfeit.
Mrs Miles admitted that she had purchased the items from Bangkok and sold them via an ebay shop.
She appeared before Aberdare Magistrates’ Court this month, where she admitted three offences under the 1994 Trade Marks Act.
She was ordered to complete a 12 month community order, 100 hour’s of unpaid work and to pay costs of £600.
David Jones, Head of Community Protection at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “This is an important case as it shows the ways in which we can intervene to protect not only the rights of consumers but also law-abiding companies and traders.
“It is unacceptable for counterfeit goods to be bought cheaply and then sold on via the Internet. People paid money for goods they thought were genuine, when they were not.
“This not only has a detrimental impact on consumers, but also on legal companies who work hard to protect the rights of their customers and ensure the stock they sell is of the highest possible standards.”
