GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) — Excitement is building for the Green Bay Packers home opener, and fans are shopping for merchandise.
But officials say a lot of knock-off jerseys are for sale online.
“We call it ‘legal whack-a-mole.’ You know, as soon as we take something down, someone else has that same product or something similar come up,” Chrysta Jorgensen, the Packers’ director of retail operations, said.
Jorgensen said the team wants fans to know they are getting authentic gear.
Spotting the real thing in person
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Shopping in person at the Packers Pro Shop in Green Bay, fans can see exactly what they’re buying.
Jorgensen said one way to check a jersey is to look for the NFL shield. “You’re always looking for the NFL shield,” she emphasized.
She said the shield on an authentic jersey is not screen-printed. “It’s got the rubber logo on the shield here that you can still feel,” Jorgensen said.
Online shoppers can’t feel the difference
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Fans can’t feel the quality when shopping online, and an unlicensed jersey might look nearly identical to an authentic one.
“Just because it’s here doesn’t mean it’s always real. Sometimes, just like they make fake Packers product, they make fake NFL product,” Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen said fighting knock-offs is a constant battle. She said websites made to resemble the team’s official website are common.
“[Packersproshop.com](https://www.packersproshop.com/) is our dedicated website, but it is not uncommon for us to see other websites that look similar. They take our images, take, you know, photographs that we’ve taken here at the stadium,” Jorgensen said.
Team reports suspicious sites to NFL
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Jorgensen said that when the NFL launched the new Rivalries jerseys, the Packers reported three suspicious sites to the NFL on the first day.
“If we see something that we’re a little concerned about, we share that with them. Because oftentimes, the company who’s doing something illegally for Packers is doing it for all 32 teams,” Jorgensen said.
Some Packers fans who order jerseys online get the product, don’t love it and are disappointed with the quality. They bring the jersey to the Pro Shop and find out it is not authentic.
“We hear from those fans a lot,” Jorgensen said.
She said those fans often believe they purchased from the team.
“And they call us thinking that they did buy it from us, and it’s just not from us. And there’s not a whole lot we can do from a consumer protection side at that point,” Jorgensen said.
State warns of payment risks
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The Wisconsin Division of Consumer Protection said sharing payment and personal information with an unknown website or seller puts buyers at risk. Officials recommend reading reviews and checking out a website before buying.
Michelle Reinen, administrator of the Wisconsin Division of Consumer Protection, said shoppers should question sellers who claim to have exclusive access to sold-out or limited products.
“How is it that they have product and no one else does? Really look at that website closely. Look at that URL. See if they’re truly affiliated,” Reinen said.
Reinen also recommended using a credit card for online purchases.
“I think what’s really going to be important for consumers as well is to use that credit card when making these purchases, because you will get some of that extra protection if the product’s not delivered,” Reinen said.
Buying local keeps revenue in Green Bay
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Jorgensen said purchases made through the team’s website or at the Pro Shop helps the local economy.
“You know, whenever fans purchase from us on that website or even here at the store, that revenue keeps us local,” Jorgensen said.
Jorgensen said the team wants fans satisfied.
“We want them to love the purchase that they buy. And you can guarantee that you’re getting officially NFL licensed product when you buy from us,” Jorgensen said.
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