Fake Britian - BBC One today. Car parts
Discussion
It has always happened, and it always will, but then the situation isn't nearly as cut-and-dried as people think.
Plenty well-known-brand manufacturers will licence component or spare-part manufacture to local firms in faraway markets, and the tendency for stock to escape out the back door in plain white or even branded boxes is well known about and anticipated as an overhead, so there can be unauthorised parts as well as downright counterfeits.
Get the former and you are in luck. Get the latter.....
Plenty well-known-brand manufacturers will licence component or spare-part manufacture to local firms in faraway markets, and the tendency for stock to escape out the back door in plain white or even branded boxes is well known about and anticipated as an overhead, so there can be unauthorised parts as well as downright counterfeits.
Get the former and you are in luck. Get the latter.....
In all seriousness, how can you tell the difference between 'fake' parts and cheaper parts.
Take for example alloy wheels. Presumably those sold on line through UK businesses are reputable quality... but how can you tell. So other than spending seemingly exorbitant prices for OEM parts, how do you know that what you are buying is safe? Set of 'quality' alloys for 1.2k vs dealer price of 2.5k.
Take for example alloy wheels. Presumably those sold on line through UK businesses are reputable quality... but how can you tell. So other than spending seemingly exorbitant prices for OEM parts, how do you know that what you are buying is safe? Set of 'quality' alloys for 1.2k vs dealer price of 2.5k.
I can speak from experience on the fake alloys issue.
We bought a used Audi A5 in Jan of this year that was running OEM 20" RS4 Style wheels. All original paperwork checked out and showed that was the option ticked at delivery.
Driving home in the car (London to Aberdeen) we felt something out of balance but put it down to a wheel out of balance.
Around Carlisle one of the tyre pressure monitors triggered so we pulled into a service station to refill. It was down a few PSI so I became wary.
We got to Lawrencekirk which is 30 miles from Aberdeen and about 500 miles into the journey when we had a rapid deflation of the same tyre at motorway speeds. Thankfully I was driving and not my fiance.
On removing the wheel it was clear why it deflated. It had a 4" long and 1mm wide crack in it running from inner rim towards the hub. The AA guy said he had never seen anything like it. We got the car home and removed all four wheels.
3 had evidence of cracks and one was flat spotted. I also noticed that while the wheels had all the usual OEM style marks they also had one more telling stamp. P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of China i presume)
Chinese fakes.
The dealer that sold the car was horrified and was actually very decent indeed expecially given that we were now 550 miles north of him! A brand new set of genuine and round replacement Audi wheels were sourced and he took back the old ones to discuss with the trader that had passed the car to him.
A lucky escape for us I feel.
From now on I shall be removing wheels to check first before just believing the salesman.
Just editing to add that there is no suggestion that the car was supplied new like this. It's likely that the shocking state of the roads in the UK led to the original wheels becoming damaged and thus replaced with something more affordable. The issue was that neither the selling dealer nor I were aware as it would have affected negotiations somewhat.
We bought a used Audi A5 in Jan of this year that was running OEM 20" RS4 Style wheels. All original paperwork checked out and showed that was the option ticked at delivery.
Driving home in the car (London to Aberdeen) we felt something out of balance but put it down to a wheel out of balance.
Around Carlisle one of the tyre pressure monitors triggered so we pulled into a service station to refill. It was down a few PSI so I became wary.
We got to Lawrencekirk which is 30 miles from Aberdeen and about 500 miles into the journey when we had a rapid deflation of the same tyre at motorway speeds. Thankfully I was driving and not my fiance.
On removing the wheel it was clear why it deflated. It had a 4" long and 1mm wide crack in it running from inner rim towards the hub. The AA guy said he had never seen anything like it. We got the car home and removed all four wheels.
3 had evidence of cracks and one was flat spotted. I also noticed that while the wheels had all the usual OEM style marks they also had one more telling stamp. P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of China i presume)
Chinese fakes.
The dealer that sold the car was horrified and was actually very decent indeed expecially given that we were now 550 miles north of him! A brand new set of genuine and round replacement Audi wheels were sourced and he took back the old ones to discuss with the trader that had passed the car to him.
A lucky escape for us I feel.
From now on I shall be removing wheels to check first before just believing the salesman.
Just editing to add that there is no suggestion that the car was supplied new like this. It's likely that the shocking state of the roads in the UK led to the original wheels becoming damaged and thus replaced with something more affordable. The issue was that neither the selling dealer nor I were aware as it would have affected negotiations somewhat.
Edited by James B on Tuesday 7th May 13:32
James B said:
I can speak from experience on the fake alloys issue.
We bought a used Audi A5 in Jan of this year that was running OEM 20" RS4 Style wheels. All original paperwork checked out and showed that was the option ticked at delivery.
Driving home in the car (London to Aberdeen) we felt something out of balance but put it down to a wheel out of balance.
Around Carlisle one of the tyre pressure monitors triggered so we pulled into a service station to refill. It was down a few PSI so I became wary.
We got to Lawrencekirk which is 30 miles from Aberdeen and about 500 miles into the journey when we had a rapid deflation of the same tyre at motorway speeds. Thankfully I was driving and not my fiance.
On removing the wheel it was clear why it deflated. It had a 4" long and 1mm wide crack in it running from inner rim towards the hub. The AA guy said he had never seen anything like it. We got the car home and removed all four wheels.
3 had evidence of cracks and one was flat spotted. I also noticed that while the wheels had all the usual OEM style marks they also had one more telling stamp. P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of China i presume)
Chinese fakes.
The dealer that sold the car was horrified and was actually very decent indeed expecially given that we were now 550 miles north of him! A brand new set of genuine and round replacement Audi wheels were sourced and he took back the old ones to discuss with the trader that had passed the car to him.
A lucky escape for us I feel.
From now on I shall be removing wheels to check first before just believing the salesman.
Just editing to add that there is no suggestion that the car was supplied new like this. It's likely that the shocking state of the roads in the UK led to the original wheels becoming damaged and thus replaced with something more affordable. The issue was that neither the selling dealer nor I were aware as it would have affected negotiations somewhat.
And this is the real problem.We bought a used Audi A5 in Jan of this year that was running OEM 20" RS4 Style wheels. All original paperwork checked out and showed that was the option ticked at delivery.
Driving home in the car (London to Aberdeen) we felt something out of balance but put it down to a wheel out of balance.
Around Carlisle one of the tyre pressure monitors triggered so we pulled into a service station to refill. It was down a few PSI so I became wary.
We got to Lawrencekirk which is 30 miles from Aberdeen and about 500 miles into the journey when we had a rapid deflation of the same tyre at motorway speeds. Thankfully I was driving and not my fiance.
On removing the wheel it was clear why it deflated. It had a 4" long and 1mm wide crack in it running from inner rim towards the hub. The AA guy said he had never seen anything like it. We got the car home and removed all four wheels.
3 had evidence of cracks and one was flat spotted. I also noticed that while the wheels had all the usual OEM style marks they also had one more telling stamp. P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of China i presume)
Chinese fakes.
The dealer that sold the car was horrified and was actually very decent indeed expecially given that we were now 550 miles north of him! A brand new set of genuine and round replacement Audi wheels were sourced and he took back the old ones to discuss with the trader that had passed the car to him.
A lucky escape for us I feel.
From now on I shall be removing wheels to check first before just believing the salesman.
Just editing to add that there is no suggestion that the car was supplied new like this. It's likely that the shocking state of the roads in the UK led to the original wheels becoming damaged and thus replaced with something more affordable. The issue was that neither the selling dealer nor I were aware as it would have affected negotiations somewhat.
Edited by James B on Tuesday 7th May 13:32
Those who bought cheap and then are confused that it's fake, can go whistle. No such thing as a free lunch as someone, somewhere must pay for it.
drivin_me_nuts said:
In all seriousness, how can you tell the difference between 'fake' parts and cheaper parts.
Take for example alloy wheels. Presumably those sold on line through UK businesses are reputable quality... but how can you tell. So other than spending seemingly exorbitant prices for OEM parts, how do you know that what you are buying is safe? Set of 'quality' alloys for 1.2k vs dealer price of 2.5k.
The only way to be sure is fit genuine and it doesnt seem like an exorbitant price when you are broken down mile from amyware due to a failed part that has been copied. Take a moment and accept that OEM`s make good margins, say a brake disc that sells for £100 has cost £10 to make plus pakaging,distribution etc and they may make a margin of 60% but you have a part that does the job and will last, then get your fake part for half the price £50 great saving but some kid in india has been paid 10p to make and then the material cost of £2 and the margin the fakers make is much more than the VM or OEM make and when it fails you have lost your money. Also worth noting that countfeit parts like other bogus items support organised crime, drug and people trafficking etc. Take for example alloy wheels. Presumably those sold on line through UK businesses are reputable quality... but how can you tell. So other than spending seemingly exorbitant prices for OEM parts, how do you know that what you are buying is safe? Set of 'quality' alloys for 1.2k vs dealer price of 2.5k.
People forget that VM`s have to have availability a lot longer than the aftermarket and has to have all parts available not just the ones that other people copy. That’s why manufactures need greater margins, all the cost of design, stocking, Warranties, goodwill out of warranty, parts obsolescence, etc., etc. Then somebody comes along and copies your design! Can’t do it with other products try copying perfume or handbags and see where that gets you.
Now it’s fair to say you don’t always know that the aftermarket part isn’t every bit as good as the OEM but for sure you can guarantee that the VM bit is.
The best example I can give is where there is a catastrophic failure say on steering or brakes that ends up in court, it is for the person who fitted / supplied the part to prove that the part didn’t fail, if the part is supplied by the VM then you have done the best you can and it is not your responsibility.
I am also seeing examples of counterfeit parts that are dangerous that come in packaging that looks like the genuine thing.
if its worth faking perfume or handbags think how much more can be made from faking car / truck parts
One final observation is that manufactures don’t make enough from the sale of the car to have a viable business model, you could decrease parts cost but then the price of the cars would go up with a reduction in investment and developments of new models and systems.
In the last few years I have encountered many small garages who will only fit OEM parts because they have had failures of cheap parts and then they end up doing the job a second time for free.
I will buy pattern parts but only from decent suppliers although for cambelt kits and water pumps I go for OEM.
I will buy pattern parts but only from decent suppliers although for cambelt kits and water pumps I go for OEM.
eldar said:
jas xjr said:
my mate Tony did buy a Bolex watch 
I did buy a Roliex, for £3 in Egypt. Looked as genuine as tits on a bull, and worked for less than 4 hoursGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff