Printer brand Pantum has taken to Instagram with a global call to report counterfeit and unauthorised products, offering rewards for verified tip-offs, a move that follows past safety concerns over fake Pantum cartridges.
Pantum has launched a new global campaign via Instagram to tackle counterfeit and unauthorised consumables, offering rewards for verified reports.
The printer brand’s social media promotion urges customers and channel partners to “report it & get rewarded” if they suspect a fake Pantum product. The initiative targets fake and substandard printers, toner cartridges, and other consumables.
“Pantum is cracking down on fake and substandard printers and consumables, and YOU can help protect our brand and fellow users! Find something suspicious? Report it AND get rewarded,” the company states in its Instagram post.
The scheme outlines a simple process: see something suspicious, take a photo, and submit it via email or the company’s dedicated reporting page. Verified reports may be rewarded, but no amounts are disclosed. Pantum says it reserves the right to the final interpretation of reward measures.
The move follows earlier industry concerns over product safety and compliance. In May 2023, The Recycler reported that compatible Pantum toner cartridges widely sold in Romania contained excessive levels of decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), a toxic brominated flame retardant. Tests commissioned by Pantum’s Romanian dealer, SKY GROUP, found levels exceeding 3,500 ppm, far above permitted EU limits, and the cartridges appeared to lack RoHS and REACH certification.
SKY GROUP said that when Romanian business owners were informed about the carcinogenic nature of the products, “they ignore it” and sometimes reported the company for “limiting competition.” Some resellers, once made aware of the problem, ceased selling the affected compatibles.
DecaBDE, prohibited in WEEE products since 2019, has been linked to endocrine disruption, developmental delays, and possible carcinogenic effects. Improper disposal of such cartridges risks releasing harmful substances into the environment.
Pantum’s latest campaign frames the counterfeit fight as a matter of consumer safety, product quality, and brand protection. While the company’s messaging focuses on eliminating illegal fakes, past aftermarket experience shows that such schemes can also be used to identify grey-market imports or even legitimate remanufactured products that fall outside OEM definitions.
Pantum’s latest campaign frames the counterfeit fight as a matter of consumer safety, product quality, and brand protection. While the company’s messaging focuses on eliminating illegal fakes, past aftermarket experience shows that such schemes can also be used to identify grey-market imports or even legitimate remanufactured products that fall outside OEM definitions.
The move comes amid a wider industry trend of stepped-up anti-counterfeit activity. In March this year, Amazon and HP filed a joint lawsuit in the United States against sellers accused of distributing counterfeit HP toner cartridges via Amazon’s platform. In Ecuador, a large-scale enforcement operation in February seized almost 180,000 counterfeit ink cartridges, which were subsequently destroyed.
Reports can be submitted by emailing marketing.int@pantum.com or via the Pantum global reporting page. Further details are available on the company’s news site.
