A Droitwich seller of fake car badges and keyrings, Matthew SIER, was sentenced, at Kidderminster Magistrates Court on 14 April 2025 after earlier pleading guilty to seven offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
An investigation was instigated and a prosecution taken by Worcestershire County Council’s Trading Standards Service after an entry warrant was executed at SIER’s home address.
46-year-old SIER of Tagwell Close, Droitwich was identified selling counterfeit goods on the eBay website using multiple usernames. Items purchased by Trading Standards Officers were found to be counterfeit resulting in an Entry Warrant being executed at his home address.
Almost 2,000 items of fake branded car badges and keyrings were identified at his home address and seized. The seized items included branded BMW, Ford, Mini, Mercedes and Abarth car badges and keyrings.
The total estimated retail High Street value of the seizure was over £30,000.
The Judge imposed a 12-month community order with a requirement to complete 80 hours of unpaid work. SIER was also ordered to pay costs amounting to £2,000.
Simon Wilkes, Head of Worcestershire Regulatory Services said: “The sale of counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime; it damages legitimate businesses and the interests of those who own the intellectual property rights of the trademarks which are being copied.
Counterfeit goods are not of the same quality as the genuine product and although not the case with the items seized as part of this investigation, often come with significant safety risks. We urge the public not to buy counterfeit goods. Producers of counterfeit goods are often involved in other serious crime and money laundering. Our Trading Standards Officers will continue to investigate those who choose to supply fakes in Worcestershire. We continue to monitor online sales sites and will have no hesitation in prosecuting those that cause harm to Worcestershire’s economy.”
Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health in Worcestershire, added: “This is another example of the important work done by Worcestershire’s Trading Standards Officers. They work hard to keep us safe from a wide range of threats, including counterfeit sales and underage sales of vapes and tobacco. Our whole community benefits from their diligence and professionalism.”
If anyone has any information about the sale of counterfeit goods, they can report it to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or through the Tip us off at Trading Standards pages of the County Council website.
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