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Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Labubu Dolls Counterfeit Alert: How to Spot Fake vs. Real Collectibles
Labubu dolls have rapidly become a favorite collectible toys in recent years, attracting a global fanbase with their quirky 'ugly-cute' designs. However, authorities worldwide are issuing urgent warnings as counterfeit Labubu dolls continue to appear in stores and online platforms. Marketed as Pop Mart's 'The Monsters Big Into Energy Vinyl Collectible Dolls,' these fake imitation toys have raised alarms due to potential safety risks and quality dolls, created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and distributed via Pop Mart, are celebrated for their distinctive 'ugly-cute' design. The dolls have significantly gained a devoted global following on social media platforms like TikTok, with collectors often showcasing their rare finds. Their limited editions and distinctive aesthetics have made Labubu dolls highly desirable, creating a strong market for genuine products. Unfortunately, the rising popularity of Labubu dolls has led to a surge in counterfeit products. These fake versions are being sold digitally and in stores, including in markets across the UK and Ireland. While these copies have the appearance of the originals, they often fail to meet the quality and safety standards of genuine dolls. Authorities, including the UK's Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), have issued alerts about these counterfeit toys. The fake dolls mostly contain small detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which can result in choking hazards for young children. Parents and collectors are strongly advised to exercise caution while purchasing these toys, particularly from unofficial sellers. To ensure a Labubu doll is genuine, buyers should consider several key factors: Packaging Quality: Real Labubu dolls come in well-designed boxes with clear printing and consistent colors. The Pop Mart logo is stamped on the doll's left foot, and a QR code on the packaging should link to Pop Mart's official authentication website. Safety and Compliance Marks: Genuine dolls sold in the UK carry a UKCA or CE mark, indicating compliance with safety standards. The packaging lists a UK-based importer or manufacturer and includes proper warnings and instructions. Doll Features: Authentic Labubu dolls have certain characteristics, such as exactly nine teeth, precise stitching, and balanced coloring. Counterfeit dolls may show uneven stitching, overly bright colors, or other design inconsistencies. QR Code Verification: Scanning the QR code should lead to Pop Mart's official website. Fake dolls may either have no QR code or direct users to non-official sites. If there is any suspicion that a doll is counterfeit, it is advisable to stop using it immediately. Products should be returned to the retailer for a refund or replacement. For online purchases, it is recommended that buyers should contact the seller directly and report the item to the relevant consumer protection authorities, to prevent further circulation of unsafe products.Q1. What are Labubu dolls? A1. Collectible toys with a quirky 'ugly-cute' design, created by artist Kasing Lung and sold by Pop Mart.Q2. Why are Labubu dolls popular? A2. Their unique design, limited editions, and social media presence have made them highly sought after by collectors.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Labour's new cosmetic industry regulations could have saved my face
New restrictions to crack down on practitioners of cosmetic 'tweakments', such as Botox and dermal fillers, as well as higher-risk procedures like liquid Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), will be introduced by the government. It follows a long list of nightmare scenarios, where people have been treated by practitioners with little or no medical training, resulting in dangerous complications, including permanent scarring, as happened to me, or even death. According to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, complaints are through the roof, with reports of 'rogue operators' carrying out operations on kitchen tables, administering dangerous injections in people's sitting rooms, hotels, and pop-up clinics –and even public toilet cubicles. Karin Smyth, a health minister who is determined to put an end to the backstreet cosmetic industry, said new regulation of beauty practitioners will 'root out the cowboys' and support 'honest and competent' practitioners. 'The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a Wild West of dodgy practitioners and procedures,' she said. 'This government is taking action.' Under the new proposals, only qualified health professionals will be able to carry out risky non-surgical BBLs, and clinics will need to meet strict rules to obtain the necessary licensing to offer Botox and fillers. There will be new age restrictions on certain procedures to protect under-18s from being tempted into potentially dangerous beauty trends popularised on social media. The government said it will launch a consultation next year to investigate the whole range of procedures that should be covered in the new measures. All well and good – but these developments come too late for many people like me who have fallen victim to the cowboys. Labour's safeguarding proposals could have saved me from being covered in burns when, in 2008, I had IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) laser treatment in a London spa to clear up pigmentation caused by sun damage. As the technician ran the machine over my chest and face, I felt excruciating pain. When I got home and looked in the mirror, I screamed. I looked like I'd been branded. My chest was covered in rectangular-shaped red burn marks; I couldn't sleep or put on clothes. The next day, I marched off to a top private doctor at a dermatology clinic who prescribed me creams to help the burns and treated me safely with IPL to help smooth out the uneven skin tones left from the initial treatment on my chest, which to this day leaves me looking stripy if I go in the sun. Practitioners who use IPL or lasers exclusively for cosmetic purposes, as was the case for me, don't have to register with the Care Quality Commission or be medically trained. However, some local councils in England require all practitioners who use IPL and lasers to register with them. Even back in 2008, doctors like mine were trying to lobby the government to get proper regulations so that such treatments could only be done by medically trained individuals. IPL is commonly used in hair salons and sunbed shops for hair removal, and in the wrong hands can easily lead to disasters. I had another near-miss a few years ago when a friend's mum recommended a Botox practitioner for just £200 – I had it done in the woman's kitchen. When, after 10 days, I'd noticed no difference bar a droopy eyebrow, I rang her to ask what the hell was going on. She told me she'd been sent a dud batch and offered to redo it for free (I didn't go back). I later paid double the price to get Botox done properly by a top doctor, but threw the towel in on realising I can't afford £500 every three months. There are so many such stories. My hairdresser ended up in A&E after she had under-eye filler done through a practitioner recommended on Instagram – when it swelled up on a flight, she feared her face would explode. Last year, Alice Webb, a mum of five, died after having a BBL in England. She was only 33. In hindsight, it's terrifying. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned of 41 cases of botulism poisoning in England between 4 June and 6 August after the suspected use of unlicensed Botox-like products in cosmetic procedures - no doubt bought on the cheap online, as mine might have been. Patients reported reactions such as difficulty swallowing, slurred speech, and breathing difficulties, which meant they needed respiratory support. The government still needs to work out exactly how to enforce the new proposed regulations. But before the new laws come into play, which could take years, the government is urging the public to ask for the provider's qualifications and insurance, and to be on high alert over 'suspiciously cheap' offers. Overall, this is a very welcome leap forward for patient safety. But people like me should never have been left to the cowboys in the first place.
ITV News
07-08-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Cowboy builder victim 'let down' by Trading Standards warns cuts leave door open to rogue traders
It's good news if you are a cowboy builder, or if you are selling illegal cigarettes, maybe some illicit vapes beacuse there are now fewer people working to stop you. New research suggests our defences against rogue traders have fallen so low that they have become 'not fit for purpose' with a reduction on criminal prosecutions and shop raids for suspected illegal goods. Claire Dickenson says "I was let down by my builder - and then by Trading Standards" as she now lives in a house that shows all the signs of the struggles she's been through fighting a builder for more than a year. Her builder walked out after disagreements over payments 13 months ago, and now she and her family have been left living in a half-finished building site without a kitchen. She says the contractor has left her out of pocket and out of options. But she says the trader is not the only one to have let her down - she had expected far more help from Trading Standards who did not prosecute. "It's been a really stressful experience for the whole family," Ms Dickenson said. "We didn't think when we started this project that we would have no recourse if things were to go wrong. "We had a contract, we staged payments we thought we were doing the right thing but when it actually came down to it, its very much a civil issue that's difficult to support people on. "In any other industry or issue with a product or service there is a backstop with the consumer, with building work there is seemingly nothing to protect the consumer and that quite frightening." Ms Dickenson says she is "panicked" at the thought of paying to install a new kitchen and said she feels "alone, upset and quite angry that there is nothing to support consumers". She said Trading Standards do not have the resources to help her get the money back she has lost and believes this leaves an open door for any trader that wants to abuse customers. Trading Standards officers work for local councils enforcing consumer rules. But there are fears that cutbacks have left some departments ineffective. Freedom of Information disclosures to Which? show 36 councils made no criminal prosecutions in a whole year while 25 made only one prosecution of rogue traders. Consumer expert Lisa Webb from Which? said: "Fewer than one in five of the Trading Standards teams we spoke to have not bought any form of criminal investigation or prosecution in their area at all this year. "That means that criminals effectively know that they can get away with breaking the law." Trading Standards has been cut by around 50% in the last 15 years according to the sectors professional body, Chartered Trading Standards Institute. We asked Ms Dickenson's local Trading Standards for comment who told ITV News they understand her distress but that they did not have a legal basis to take formal action. Meanwhile, it's not just the criminals who benefit from the problems. Traders that work hard to stick to the rules face unfair competition from rivals who have no such scruples. There has often been a phrase to explain police resourcing as 'the thin blue line', for Trading Standards that line seems to be even more thin.
The Sun
07-08-2025
- Health
- The Sun
UK cracks down on risky cosmetic procedures after safety concerns
LONDON: The UK government has unveiled plans to tighten regulations on high-risk cosmetic procedures following a rise in unsafe practices. New measures aim to stop unqualified individuals from performing invasive treatments in unsuitable locations. Only registered health professionals will be allowed to conduct procedures like buttock enhancements or genital fillers under the proposed rules. Clinics offering lower risk treatments such as Botox must meet licensing standards set by local authorities. Health officials expressed concern over untrained practitioners operating in homes, hotels and temporary clinics. Many procedures advertised as non-surgical actually carry significant health risks according to government warnings. Official data shows nearly 27,500 cosmetic surgeries took place in 2024, marking a 5% annual increase. Several cases have emerged of patients suffering complications from treatments performed by unqualified providers. Reports include permanent scarring, dangerous medical conditions and even fatalities linked to botched procedures. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute recently found risky treatments being offered in public toilets by untrained individuals. A patient support charity has assisted over 750 women affected by unsafe cosmetic procedures. Proposed laws would ban under-18s from high-risk treatments without medical approval to protect young people. Officials say this will help prevent children following dangerous beauty trends promoted on social media. Recent health agency data reveals 41 cases of adverse reactions to botulinum toxin treatments since June. Patients experienced symptoms including breathing difficulties, speech problems and trouble swallowing. The government consultation on new regulations will begin next year before final implementation. Health minister Karin Smyth said the changes would protect patients and reduce costs for the NHS. – AFP
NZ Herald
07-08-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
‘Cosmetic cowboys' to be banned from carrying out Brazilian butt lifts in Britain
People aged under-18 will be banned from high-risk procedures, such as injectables, amid concerns that children needed to be protected from 'dangerous beauty trends on social media'. Health officials said the steps aimed to protect the public from 'rogue operators' with no medical training, who often provided 'invasive' procedures in homes, hotels, and pop-up clinics. The move would also reduce the cost imposed upon the national health service to fix botched procedures, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Karin Smyth, the Health Minister, said: 'The cosmetics industry has been plagued by a wild west of dodgy practitioners and procedures. There are countless horror stories of 'cosmetic cowboys' causing serious, catastrophic damage. 'This Government is taking action to protect those seeking treatments, support honest and competent practitioners, and root out the cowboys as part of our plan for change. 'This isn't about stopping anyone from getting treatments – it's about preventing rogue operators from exploiting people at the expense of their safety and keeping people safe. We're giving them peace of mind and reducing the cost to the [health service] of fixing botched procedures.' Those who break the rules on high-risk procedures could face sanctions from the watchdog and financial penalties. The department said it would launch a consultation next year, seeking views on the range of procedures that should be covered by the new restrictions. Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, Brazilian butt lifts, Botox and fillers are being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets. There have also been concerns about rising numbers of people poisoned by fake Botox, leaving consumers struggling with breathing and swallowing problems, and slurred speech, after suffering from botulism. Millie Kendall, the chief executive of the British Beauty Council, said: 'Any measures that increase protection for the general public and professionalise the industry will help instil confidence, as well as helping to prevent the normalisation of horror stories that have become synonymous with our sector'. Ashton Collins, the director of Save Face, a register of accredited practitioners, said: 'I am delighted that the Government has recognised the significant and potentially fatal risks posed by highly dangerous procedures like liquid Brazilian butt lifts and has made it a priority to implement restrictions to protect public safety'. 'I have seen first-hand the devastating impact these procedures can have on the lives of victims and their families, none more so than the family of Alice Webb.' Webb died last year, aged 33, after suffering complications from having a non-surgical Brazilian butt lift, which involved cosmetic fluid being injected into her buttocks. The mother-of-five worked in the beauty industry and lived in Gloucestershire.
