A MAN who sold fake mobile phone covers and replacement parts on ebay has been ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
Stephen Levy, of Brookside Terrace, Hoole, was sentenced to a 12-month community order and told to pay prosecution costs totalling £2,353 at Chester Crown Court.
He pleaded guilty to two offences having been prosecuted by Cheshire West and Chester Trading Standards.
Levy, 28, used his ebay site ‘mobileease’ to link to website www.mobileease.co.uk which offered the repair of Apple iPhones by a genuine Apple retailer, replacement parts for sale and trademarked items including Apple-branded iPhone casings.
Prices ranged from £30 for a replacement iPhone 4 case to £89 for coloured front and back casing. Apple confirmed Mobile Ease was not a genuine retailer.
Trading Standards officers uncovered his illegal activities last June after test purchasing a mirrored ‘Apple’ iPhone cover for £30.
The item was sent to Apple who confirmed the cover was counterfeit.
Officers and police raided his business property in Northgate Street, also called Mobile Ease, the following month and recovered 198 phone covers worth an estimated £6,980.
The court also ordered Levy to forfeit all items seized in the raid.
Cllr Lynn Riley, executive member for community and environment, said after the hearing: “Levy’s illegal trading was uncovered following a
proactive and thorough e-commerce operation by Cheshire West and Chester Trading Standards.
“These activities are ongoing and involve carrying out test purchases of items sold by businesses trading on ebay and similar websites to ensure they are authentic.
“The outcome of this case demonstrates our commitment to removing counterfeit goods from the market and sends a warning to others that this form of illegal trading will not be tolerated in West Cheshire.”