You can see it in every store.
You can hear it on almost every radio station.
And you can even find it in your own home.
The sights and sounds of Christmas are already here and once the U.S. Thanksgiving is over with on Thursday, you can expect the seasonal celebrations to really begin in earnest everywhere.
But if you haven't fired up your Christmas lights yet, beware: you may be at risk of firing up your home, too.
Every year, consumers looking to save a buck buy cheaper Xmas lights and accessories that aren't approved for use in this country by the
Canadian Standards Association, a non-profit group that ensures the products you buy meet certain safety requirements.
And with hard times hitting the economy, the organization fears more people than ever will be tempted to save a buck by purchasing cheap lights or other holiday paraphernalia.
But many of them pose a real fire hazard you might not know about until it's too late.
Items that that can burn, extension cords that can short out, trinkets that can be swallowed by infants or pets - all pose significant risks and many of them are openly sold on store shelves. A lot of them are counterfeit products that don't meet safety standards, although they look a lot like the real thing.
"Counterfeits can kill," notes CSA spokesperson Rod Jones "These things do catch fire, we have had deaths associated with them."
For some important tips on how to spot a fake, and the risks involved, check out
Jee Yun Lee's blog.
Here are the Top 10 things to look for to make sure your Christmas is both merry and wary.
1. Stamp of approval: Check out the stamp on the package, then on the product. If they differ, you know you've got a fake. Also watch for phony CSA stamps. They may look like they're approved for use, but they're not.
2. Significantly lower pricing: if it's too good to be true, it probably is. Compare pricing of similar products, as well as warranty and standard trademarks.
3. Cheap production: check the "look and feel" of goods. Fakes are often light and too flimsy.
4. Look for the mark: a system of standards has been put in place to test and certify products. Avoid electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas or other standardized products if a certification mark from a recognized certification organization, such as CSA International, is missing.
5. Poor spelling: look for misspellings and unclear printing on packaging, products, labels, or instructions.
6. Inferior packaging: counterfeit packaging often has poor design or shows only partial illustrations.
7. Missing items: check for a discrepancy between the contents of the package and the item's description on the outside of the package, as well as for missing product information.
8. Trust no one: Even reputable retailers are subject to counterfeit goods. Take it upon yourself to ensure that you purchase a standardized product, every time.
9. Give with a conscience: before wrapping a gift for your special someone, make sure it displays any applicable certification marks. Also check for hazards such as loose parts or poor construction.
10. Check with the experts: Confirm certification of a product bearing the CSA International certification mark by comparing the product's identification against the certification record
here.
To report a suspected counterfeit product or for more information about identifying counterfeit products, call the group's anti-counterfeiting team at
(416) 747-2661.
But the best way to check is through
this special section of the CSA website itself.
It offers an alphabetical list of what it's approved and what's bogus, along with the real symbols it puts on products.