The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
More than 15,000 pairs of counterfeit Gucci shoes were seized last week from a storage container that arrived in the Port of Hampton Roads, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced today.
The shoes, a total of 15,104 pairs, were found Aug. 25 in 472 cartons in a single cargo container, said Louis Rossero, a spokesman for Customs’ Norfolk office.
The shoes, which had been listed as “home decorations,” had a wholesale value of $1.9 million and a manufacturers’ suggested retail price of $3.8 million.
The container in which the shipment was stored was randomly selected at the port for an inspection at Customs and Border Protection’s examination warehouse in Chesapeake, where the shoes were discovered, Rossero said.
The shoes, which will either be destroyed or given to charity, were not headed for any particular retailer, he said.
Customs and Border Protection “is charged with enforcing trade laws and we continue to devote substantial resources to target, intercept, detain, seize and forfeit shipments of goods that violate these laws,” said Mark J. Laria, area port director, Norfolk, in a statement.
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And this helps us how?
By ensuring Gucci can continue selling $1600 loafers to those who don't think much of $1600?
Everytime I see one of these
Everytime I see one of these stories I immediately think of the Sir Mix-A-Lot song, "Swap meet Louie."
Currency can be counterfeit,
Currency can be counterfeit, not brand names. Brand names of shoes can be used fraudulently to sell shoes that replicate that of the brand name.
Imagine...
if Gucci had to pay for this 'raid' instead of you and me.
Where then?
If the shoes were not headed to any particular retailer, where were they headed? I do not see anything mentioned about authorities trying to locate the person/company/individual(s) the shipment was in route to.
Typical Pilot reporters
When I first learned to write many years back, we were taught to include who, what , where, when , how, why because the answers to those questions would give the full story. The pilot reporters take the info they are presented and assume that is all there is. 15000 shoes and there is no one designated a receiver. I suppose that was not of any interest to the reporter. At least we get to read incompolete stories and poke fn at them thius they are good for something.
If you knew what CBP did...
Then maybe you would think before you wrote. The article stated that the shoes were not headed for any particular retailer which means they were probably manifested to go to a warehouse. We do keep track of these things. Records will be entered on the shipper, importer, and they will have exams on future imports to check for compliance. We also conduct field surveys to see if we can find this merchandise after it has entered the US because we are not perfect and we cannot catch everything. Also of note is the fact that yes indeed shoes can be deemed counterfeit. If the name is registered as a copyright with CBP it will be considered counterfeit if someone other than the authorized parties tries to use the name. You all may think this is funny or not worth the time, but we are helping to facilitate trade in the USA. There is no way you would understand the time or effort put into seizures like this unless you worked where we work.
Roger that ...
You're right, Christie. The container and boxes surely had routing instructions. Makes you wonder if reporters ask questions, or just write up press releases from the authorities. Nice work if you can get it.
Lazy-y-y-y-y-y-y