Unsafe, counterfeit condoms are plaguing China’s online shops

A PSA to all of our readers: it remains a really, really bad idea to purchase your supply of condoms from some shady store on Taobao.

According to a recent Xinhua investigative report, more than 5 million yuan in counterfeit, big brand-name condoms have been sold across China through online shopping platforms like JD.com and those run by Alibaba.

In the report, the Xinhua reporter describes the conditions at one of these underground factories where the fake condoms are made. Calling the room “overflowing with sewage,” the reporter says that the condoms are manufactured without any sort of sterilization procedures and with low-quality materials.

Afterward, they are packaged up and labeled with brand names like Durex, Okamoto, and Jissbon before being shipped out to unsuspecting customers.

Fake condoms are a problem that China just can’t seem to stamp out. Millions of counterfeits were discovered in Shanghai in 2015, in Jiangxi in 2014, and in Fujian in 2013. In March of 2017, US authorities seized thousands of fakes in Puerto Rico that were made by Chinese manufacturers.

And, this January, police raided a few underground workshops in Shanxi province, turning up more than 1.7 million fake brand-name condoms.

Making counterfeit condoms can be an especially profitable line of work. According to Xinhua, manufacturing a pack of three fake condoms can cost just 0.42 yuan. That pack can then be sold for more than 10 yuan.

In addition, the industry is difficult for authorities to monitor as the manufacturing process takes place in underground workshops like rented apartments, while the sales are carried out online, in the chaotic world of e-commerce in China.

So what can you do to ensure the condoms you buy in China are real? First, don’t buy them from small retailers like kiosks or bodegas. The best option is to order from their official stores on Taobao or Jingdong.

Besides that, there are a few simple checks that can usually eliminate the majority of fakes out there. Check that the packaging and plastic wrap is well structured. Check that the logo and other colors and writing on the package are sharp and clear, not faded, blurry, or dull. Look at the bar code and other images on the packaging a check for anything asymmetrical or irregular. The perforation along the edge should be clean, and the expiration date and production code should be clearly printed.

On Sunday, Durex appeared to respond to the Xinhua report on its official Weibo account, reminding its followers to please distinguish from what’s real and fake. However, they seem to have instead been responding to something else which blew up yesterday…

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