Government report highlights counterfeit and customer-supplied parts problem

Intellectual Property Office Crime and Enforcement Report warns of dangers associated with parts of unknown origins

Government report highlights counterfeit and customer-supplied parts problem
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The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has collaborated with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to highlight the dangers of counterfeit and consumer supplied car parts within the IPO’s Crime and Enforcement Report 2018 – 2019.

In the report, the IGA highlights the issue of customer-supplied parts which it says presents garages with problems because they’re unable to determine the true origins of such parts.

Customer-supplied parts

The report states: “There are a growing number of routes available for consumers to source car parts in order to save money on car maintenance and repairs.

“It can be difficult to tell if a part is genuine as counterfeits often use advanced techniques to replicate both the part and packaging.

“Although sourcing a part to reduce costs may be tempting, unintentionally buying a counterfeit part compromises the safety of consumers passengers
and other road users.

“It can also increase their car maintenance costs in the long term due to part durability, and reduce the value of their vehicle.”

A survey of thousands of independent garages in 2017 revealed that 69 per cent of garages will never fit customer supplied parts.

It also showed that 29 per cent of garages used to fit customer supplied parts but no longer do so, while two per cent routinely fit customer supplied parts.

Consumer-focused advice

In a bid to tackle the problem, the IGA and the IPO published guidance on counterfeit vehicle parts in July and a video was produced to highlight the safety risks of supplying parts for garages to fit.

Frank Harvey, head of member services at the IGA said: “We are pleased to see this issue being highlighted by the IPO, as there are huge liability and safety implications surrounding counterfeit and consumer supplied parts.

“We are continuing to work with the IPO to raise awareness of the dangers to both garages and consumers, and we maintain that garages should always supply and fit parts themselves to guarantee provenance and provide the appropriate warranties for the work they undertake.”

Garages told to be vigilant

The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has also voiced its support to raise awareness about the risks posed by counterfeit car parts.

The IAAF is urging garage and motor factor businesses to be even more vigilant in light of this surge in reported cases.

It warns that counterfeit car parts can affect both OEM and aftermarket businesses alike, as counterfeiters are growing more savvy in making the parts look identical to genuine ones.

Find the report in full here or select ‘more details’ below for further information about the IGA.

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Home Page Forums Government report highlights counterfeit and customer-supplied parts problem

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  • #185029 Reply

    The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has collaborated with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to highlight the dangers of counterfeit and cons
    [See the full post at: Government report highlights counterfeit and customer-supplied parts problem]

    #185048 Reply
    harold
    Guest

    The point being missed is, if you as a garage accepts the parts , you are saying they are fit for purpose and as such taking on the warranty.
    By doing this you are also at risk of not being insured for public liability by accepting customers own parts

    #185052 Reply
    David
    Guest

    This is a problem I don’t see going away either short term or long term. There is no minimum laid down standards that the trade have to adhere to, it is simply a free market and so long as the customer holds the garages over the barrel sort of speak with “How much will it cost” without a minimum bench mark to work from, the problem is here to stay. Nothing is going to change, as the saying goes if you stick your neck out be prepared to get your head lobbed off. Nobody is going to make a stand. As I see it the government will lokk at their tax losses if enforcement action to stop the manufacturer and selling of these parts were enforced, and whichever way you look at it, if the garage is taken to court, the court rules against the garage, they gain another tax income. Its a no brainer, the government will not make any changes. That is how I see it.

    #185054 Reply
    Steve
    Guest

    Several points here firstly it always something like the good old egr valve £300.00 from me £50.00 on line you can see why they do it ,secondly we don’t stand together if I don’t fit it someone else will, thirdly sometimes theses components have been bought from my suppliers in click and collect 60%off Friday deals etc… To sum up we need to go back to public information adverts show clips like the one in this article on tv and have an authenticity mark and make it illegal to fit parts not showing it (though I suppose they will fake that as well)

    #185055 Reply
    Les
    Guest

    If you fall foul of product liability laws and you have no paperwork to prove who the supplier was the liability is with you.
    Product liability lasts for up to 15 years so keep your paperwork and pass the liability on to your supplier in the event of parts you have fitted failing and causing a serious accident.

    #185053 Reply
    Steve
    Guest

    Several points here firstly sometimes customers have bought components from our suppliers in click and collect 60% off Friday deals etc…and if I don’t fit them somebody else will,secondly it always something like an egr valve £300.00 from me £50.00 on line you can see why they do it.we need to go back to public information adverts like the clip in this article show it no national tv we need an authenticity mark and make it illegal to fit parts without it .

    #185670 Reply
    brian cartwright
    Guest

    I refuse to fit customer supplied parts when asked why, I ask them if they dine out, and do they take their own food to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for them, asked the relevance of this , I say who do you blame when you get food poisoning? Your food or the cooking? They are not the people we need at our garage anyway, parts profit is important to any garage.

    #185671 Reply
    brian cartwright
    Guest

    I refuse to fit customer supplied parts when asked why, I ask them if they dine out, and do they take their own food to a restaurant and ask them to cook it for them, asked the relevance of this , I say who do you blame when you get food poisoning? Your food or the cooking? They are not the people we need at our garage anyway, parts profit is important to any garage.

    #186236 Reply
    graham cox
    Guest

    as stated above simple we all need to stick together and refuse to fit customer supplied parts
    as a garage of 30 years trading I now find myself struggling to understand what is going on
    why do the public assume we all have to be “cheap” we invest in staff,training,buildings etc etc
    yet we now struggle because mr fred in shed round the corner works on axle stands for 20 per hour cash in hand and nobody seems to stop him we have paid thousands to HMRC over the years yet we are left to struggle
    if this industry is not carefull all the decent mechanics/garages will throw the towel in and walk away

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)

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