Reflecting back on our fight against counterfeit sellers in the Australian market - it took so much time, nearly half a million in legal fees (against one seller). We managed to put one Chinese importer out of business for selling sets that were sold with our branding; but all it's done is force the fake importers to sell smarter. 

Identifying counterfeit & unsafe sets was far simpler for customs authorities when fake sellers used our logo, and our images. The fake poles now generally come with a simple black & white manual, but no significant identifying materials. So it's the same shoddy fake, camouflaged to look like a 'generic' pole. 

But breaking it down - is a generic no-name pole really safe?

The first thing to bear in mind is that this style of 'acro-prop' pole set (portable, with a dome housing bearings & using a height-adjuster rod), was first designed by Clive Coote CEO of X-POLE in the UK.
It is not a generic 'no-name' pole set, if it is a copy of that original design.

• In designing the first early X-POLE sets, Clive consulted with F1 engineers, safety was the focus. 
• In designing copy-cat poles - profit is the focus. Make it feel sturdy. Make it look the same, but make it cheap.

We have had to purchase close on 40x different variations of fake/generic/imitation X-POLE sets in chasing fake sellers. Not one imitation set had all the safety features found on the original X-POLE. Many of these poles claim load ratings of up to 300kgs!... ummm ok... says who? Is that 300kg fail load, in which case it means on a 10 to 1 ratio (aerial safety ratio) that the pole will hold 30kgs? Folks you need to read, to ask questions, & to ask for proof of quality before you buy!

Do you know what happens if that pole snaps? You complain to the eBay seller - who will offer a refund. Or they close their store and start a new store where they sell poles alongside blenders, steam mops & fake ab rollers. Or they cop a bad review. 
You try to sue them; it costs you 10's of thousands, and you find their money is all offshore, assets in names of people that aren't related, or they just disappear. We've had it happen time & again in chasing the sellers of fake poles. 

Please don't trust that the government or some safety standards person or a lawyer or judge will be able to protect you or will help you if something goes wrong. 

It's no-one's responsibility but yours to ensure you have quality, safe equipment. You need to check your pole every time you use it, same as you do aerial or rock climbing gear. It's your safety, your ability to move & dance. 

Please people; read, research & don't put blind faith in other people's ability to protect you from the crap that's out in the marketplace. Buy second-hand if you are on a budget - we will ALWAYS offer help on how to check an older model before you buy it, even if the sale doesn't come through us. 

At X-POLE, we want you to pole safely. Contact us if you need more information on any of this. 

To read more: https://www.dance4me.com.au/safe-poles/