Are you a product manufacturer? When is the last time that you checked on line, on a site like eBay, to see if your product has ended up there and is being sold at a significant discount?
It's no longer an issue facing Gucci Bags or Rolex watches, it affects any manufacturer that has a brand name that means something.
Grey market sales of your manufactured product can threaten the reputation of your brand and have a significant effect on your company revenue. A grey market (also spelled gray market) is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized, or unintended by the original manufacturer.
The "Grey Market" tends to give people great deals on your products. At least they think they are getting great deals on your name brand merchandise at a discount. But many times they are getting damaged, blemished or expired product which can tarnish your brand identity.
Here is a common scenario:
At IDR we recently worked with a client that manufactured high end branded refrigerators that was not disposing of their product in accordance with appropriate hazardous waste laws. We were called in to help them determine the correct procedures for disposing of their refrigerators. We soon realized that their current disposal methods potentially exposed their products to abuse in the "grey market,"
While we put together a proper hazardous waste disposal plan, we asked them to perform an internet search to determine if their product was being sold online by unauthorized distributors. A quick internet search revealed page after page of listings for the company's line of refrigerators, and they were being offered at significant discounts by unauthorized vendors. Needless to say the company was shocked at what they found.
In order to determine if the refrigerators were infact the same refirgerators that were sent for for disposal, or to dertermine if someone was illegally copying their designs,the company made a few online purchases so they could inspect them.
A few days later the items arrived from the online purchase and the manufacturer evaluated the serial numbers of the refrigerators. This serial number search revealed that the products were their's and came from a blemished lot of items that did not meet their rigorous quality assurance standards. This particular lot of refrigeratos had been sent for disposal at their local landfill. However, at some point the product was intercepted on their way to the landfill and ended up online being sold at a discount.
Welcome to the “Grey Market.”
In order to combat this problem, this is where “Certified Product Destruction” comes in.
Certified product destruction is a process whereby products are destroyed or disposed of and the process is authenticated in order to ensure that the product is not being resold or utilized illegally.
Certified product disposal should be handled in a professional, confidential, and cost efficient manner by a reputable disposal company.
It is crucial that your blemished product ends up where intended: THE DUMP, and not in some shady retailer’s online inventory. Qualified product disposal companies will provide you with the necessary assurances that the job is being handled efficiently, cost effectively and your product ends up where it belongs.
Your hazardous waste transportation company should help you dispose of your product by helping you with the following:
Inspect your waste streams for proper identification
Help you complete your Hazarodus Waste Manifest Form
Dispose of your waste at a certified disposal facility
Take pictures and/or video of the destruction process to verfiy that your product is being diposed of appropriately
Request a Certificate of Disposal from the disposal facility for your records
If your product ends up in the wrong hands, it can be devastating for your brand and your bottom line. Don’t take that chance; work with an experienced company that understands how hard you have worked to develop your brand.
Don’t let other’s trade on your GOOD NAME and your HARD WORK!