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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in conjunction with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and Gibson officials, announced the seizure of over 3,000 counterfeit Gibson guitars with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price, had they been genuine, of $18,742,820.
CBP officers in coordination with HSI special agents and LASD investigators intercepted the suspected cargo arriving in ocean containers from Asia. CBP’s Consumer Products and Mass Merchandising Center of Excellence (CPMM) assisted in estimating the MSRP of the shipment. Nashville based Gibson confirmed that the guitars intercepted were in fact counterfeit, noting that legitimate Gibson guitars are only Made in the U.S.A.
“These fraudulent guitars may look and feel legitimate for unsuspecting consumers buying them from third party online sources, street markets, unauthorized retailers, and person-to-person transactions,” said Cheryl M. Davies, CBP Director of Field Operations in Los Angeles. “As we approach the busy Holiday shopping season, consumers should pay attention to where they are buying these goods and how much they are paying, and if is too good to be true it probably is.”
“We are grateful for the hard work that our U.S. CBP officers, HSI special agents, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators are doing to stop counterfeiting,” adds Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson. “Our partnership is designed to help every agency work together to protect consumers and our fans from being misled into counterfeits. Today’s announcement gives us hope that we are on the right track, working together as partners. To our music lovers and customers, no matter which American brand you decide buy, always buy direct from the source, or from authorized dealers. Our pledge is to protect the consumer and give them the tools to make the journey of playing guitar and making music the most amazing experience.”
“This is really emotional and personal for us not only because of the protection of our players, but because of our Gibson team at large, including the artisans at our craftories in Nashville, TN and Bozeman, MT, who are generations of American families that have dedicated their entire lives to handcrafting Gibson instruments,” adds Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson. “As Gibson celebrates its 130th anniversary this year, we are proud of our legacy of quality and craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships with our artists, and our efforts to promote and create more musicians that continue to shape the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across every genre.”
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