Fake condoms from Citrus Beat leave sour taste for Groupon

Counterfeit condoms sold as branded Durex on the discount deal website Groupon Australia have been recalled, amid fears they have holes in them.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has initiated the recall of the fake condoms which came in assorted packs with Durex branding and included Extra Safe, Thin Feel and Performa varieties. The move affects only products supplied between March 12 and April 10 this year via Groupon’s site in Australia by Edgelounge Enterprises, which trades as Citrus Beat.

The condoms may be counterfeit, with defects such as holes in the latex, the ACCC said, adding the products “may not prevent pregnancy or protect users against sexually transmitted diseases”. Clearly not, and purchasers have been advised (if they have not already used them) to "immediately destroy and dispose of the products".

Groupon has not said how many orders were made but notes that all customers who purchased the counterfeit products have been “proactively contacted” by the firm. Full refunds have been processed to all customers, the firm said, confirming that an investigation is ongoing; whether Groupon could be liable for unplanned pregnancies is not clear.

The Australian Department of Health’s Therapeutic Goods Administration said “counterfeiting is a problem for all major condom brands and consumers should be alert for potential fakes”. Signs that might indicate a potential counterfeit include “suspiciously low prices, poor quality of printing on the packaging and whether information on the foil packaging of individual condoms match that on the box”.

Three million fakes seized in China

Many of the fake condoms swamping the market come from China and just as the Groupon recall was revealed, police in Shanghai said they have broken up a gang selling fake condoms in eight provinces and big cities around the country.

Three million condoms were seized, which police said contained toxic metals and were mainly sold at small hotels. Zhang Wenliang, from Shanghai’s Yangpu district Public Security Bureau was quoted as saying that at a workshop in Henan province, “we found a small production line which produced bad-quality condoms. The lubricating oil made us vomit.”