COUNTERFEITERS CLOSER TO HOME
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I read the David Wilcox report (CM, March 15) on counterfeiting with great interest and applaud the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' efforts abroad to protect our industry.
Perhaps they should also look at the home market a little closer: the villains are not exclusively in the Far East. Europe also has its share of manufacturers, reconditioners and distributors passing inferior products off as original and not clearly stating them to be an alternative.
My company specialises in the distribution of commercial vehicle spares. Because of past experiences with "alternative" parts being substandard with regard to life expectancy and safety, a positive decision was taken some 10 years ago to supply parts from OEM source only. In this period we have seen a huge growth of suppliers of what can only be described as junk parts "passing off".
These have included: brake drums with 20 per cent less material content and only 50 per cent life, brake camshafts with bearing journals whose finish would rival that of a ras and a material that twists um operating load; anchor pins without plated finish which w seize in a short time and destroy foundation braking; trailer hubs from old mouldiri patterns in materials deemed not suitable for higher weight and speeds resulting in bean spin, etc — all in a short timE
The price of these items is frequently the same or more than that of the quality origin The buyer is frequently misk or induced to purchase with dubious promotions or other incentives. These products are also being exported. We are aware of their appearanci in Denmark, Holland and France. Once again, the quail of British workmanship is brought into disrepute becaui of the activities of charlatans claiming to produce as good a the original at a "reduced" cost.
Who will fund the future research and development required to create new improved products? What chance is there that the jobbing engineer in the Black Country or sauve smarty fror the Rhur will devote some of their ill gotten gains to build t the future? It's unlikely to sa) the least.
Perhaps if the SMMT, The Motor Factors Association an the Institute of Road Transpo Engineers were to get together and evaluate the trim cost and economics of the alternatives, we would start once again to build up a home market ready to take on the world, create more confideno and, in turn, more employment.
C. D. Hinehliffe Managing director Alec Yorks Ltd
Sheffield
CORRECTION
IT was probably not Bill Montague's intention to remai anonymous last week. However, the letter which appeared under the headline "Don't ignore the FoE" was penned by the secretary of th Brewery Transport Advisory Committee, although his natra was inadvertently omitted. W apologise for any confusion th may have caused.