Club Factory faces FIR for alleged counterfeit goods

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Dec 9, 2019

Fast fashion retailer Club Factory faces a police investigation for allegedly selling fake Titan and Ray-Ban products on its e-commerce site following a complaint made by a customer in Lucknow.

Club Factory has been accused by a Lucknow resident of sending a fake Titan watch and Ray-Ban glasses advertised as genuine, Indo-Asian News Service reported. The complainant, Alok Kakkad, told police at Wazirganj police station that he ordered a Titan watch at 86% discount and Ray-Ban glasses at 90% discount which turned out to be fake. 

Kakkad said that sellers Mahakaal Enterprises and Perfect Times did not provide him with an invoice and, upon Club Factory’s customer support phone line Kakkad faced alleged threats and abuse. The complainant also contacted Titan and Ray-Ban which both asserted that they do not retail through Club Factory.

The First Information Report names Club Factory’s two directors Jialun Li and Garvit Aggarwal, chief financial officer Ashwini Rastogi, and grievance officer for offences linked to fraud, criminal conspiracy, and criminal intimidation.

One of the most challenging aspects of e-commerce in India has proven to be fake products. Where complainants and traders’ organisations such as the Confederation for All India Traders have asked e-commerce platforms to take responsibility for their sellers’ products, e-commerce businesses have claimed they have no connection to retailers using the platform. Club Factory’s police investigation is ongoing and the result could help to set a precedent for future cases pertaining to fake goods online.