Proliferation of fake loom kits raises health concerns in Singapore

What started out as a birthday surprise ended in tears for four-year-old Priscilla Goh, who received a counterfeit Rainbow Loom kit from her mother and ended up developing bad rashes on her wrists from wearing the fake bands.
 
Her mother, who only wanted to be known as Mrs Goh, had unknowingly purchased the fake set from a pushcart stall in a shopping mall.
 
“It looked just like the real thing and the pushcart owner told me that it was authentic. It was much cheaper than in the bigger toy stores, but he said that they were parallel imports,” she said.
 
The same night, Priscilla put on a bracelet she had made from the fake loom kit and just three hours later, painful red welts had appeared on her wrist. She was rushed to a nearby clinic and given an injection as well as steroid cream to treat the rashes.

"The fake Rainbow Loom bands didn't feel right - they were oily, sticky and felt a little soft. I should have known when I opened the box," said her mother, who blames herself.
 
Rainbow Loom, a craft kit that lets people of all ages fashion bracelets and figurines using a special loom tool and and multi-colored bands, started a craze that has swept countries such as Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States.
 
However, in recent months, counterfeit loom kits from China have been appearing on local shelves, often sold at half of the original’s $29.90 recommended retail price.
 
“These (fake) bands could have not been tested and could contain lead and other harmful substances,” said Rainbow Loom’s exclusive Singapore distributor, Lin Daoyang, 34.

“Real rainbow Loom bands, on the other hand, meet standards for toy safety.”
 
Besides the fake bands causing rashes, Lin has also heard of the loom stick tool from counterfeit kits injuring children.
 
“For the (fake) looms, there is a danger of being cut when making the creations. We’ve seen scars on the hands of customers who bought the fake looms and got injured,” he said.
 
He added that many customers had no idea that they had purchased fake loom kits – which at a passing glance look almost identical to the real thing.
 
“We’ve gotten many complaints from customers who were cheated into buying the fakes. Most found out upon opening the box that they had bought counterfeits, and many have asked us why we are not putting a stop to the sales of these fakes,” said Lin.
 
Secondary school student Lee Shu Fen, 15, bought a fake Rainbow Loom kit from a night market near her home, and ended up with a cut on her face after a band that she was “looming” snapped and hit her under her eye.
 
“I was totally shocked. The rubber band couldn’t even hold up to a little bit of tension. It just broke and flew towards my face. Luckily it just missed my eye,” said Lee, who later threw away her fake kit and bought a real one.
 
Lin said that his company has been trying to educate the public through Facebook posts as well as the official website and will sue if they are able to track down sellers of the fake products.
 
“We are working with Rainbow Loom in the United States to commence legal action against these fakes,” he said.

A spokesman from the Consumers Association of Singapore said that they had not received any complaints about fake Rainbow Loom products but were aware that counterfeits were being openly sold in Singapore.

"These bands have not been tested to comply with toy safety standards by accredited labs. The coloured rubber bands may snap easily or contain lead and other toxic metals. The looms may have sharp edges or break easily.  There is no assurance that these products are totally safe for consumers," it said in response to media queries.
 
"We would advise consumers to purchase genuine Rainbow Loom products which have gone through vigorous testing in accordance to Toy Safety Standards by accredited labs, and are of superior quality and safe for children. If they decide to purchase counterfeit loom bands because of the lower price, they should be aware that they are taking a risk in potentially purchasing an unsafe product."
 
SPRING Singapore also has an advisory on how to safely use a loom kit here.

Could you have bought your child a fake kit? Yahoo! Singapore finds out how to tell the difference.
 
 Check the plastic parts

 
Original Rainbow Loom plastic parts are well-formed without sharp ends and corners and are sturdy. Counterfeits have sharp ends and a flimsy feel. Original looms are smooth to touch, while fakes are rough.
 
Check the base of your Rainbow Loom Kit

 
The base of the original Rainbow Loom kits are removable and only come in blue. The looms should fit securely into the base and not feel loose. All three bases should be stamped with “Choon’s Design”.
 
Check your Rainbow Loom bands
 
Refill bands from the original are of high quality elastic and do not break or disintegrate easily. They should be of uniform thickness and color.
 
Only buy from authorized retailers
 
According to the Singapore distributor, sellers on online marketplaces like Qoo10 use a “bait and switch” method to con potential buyers. They use original Rainbow Loom images to market the product, but send out the fakes instead.
 
If it’s too cheap to be true, it probably is

Original Rainbow Loom kits retail at $29.90, with the refill bands priced from $6.90 to $9.90. Fake kits sell for as low as $10. There are no “parallel imports” and only one distributor for the products in Singapore. Here is the list of the authorized retailers: http://www.rainbowloom.com.sg/retailers/