The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a new campaign in collaboration with the Independent Garage Association (IGA) and other prominent groups within the motor trade to highlight and raise awareness the serious dangers of counterfeit, fake parts.
The IPO have created this short video, see below, explaining the problem in detail. Just to highlight the dangers of buying parts online and asking an independent garage like ourselves here at Auto-Mech Cheddar Ltd to fit them.
Counterfeit vehicle parts – don’t supply your own parts
The campaign explains the full scale of the problem across the motor industry, and offers advice to consumers on how to identify fake vehicle parts, tips for buying parts online, and how to report counterfeit goods.
More and more customers ask garages to fit parts they have have supplied themselves which presents problems for both the garage and the consumer. Most garages wisely refuse to fit parts supplied by consumers. (As do we here at Auto-Mech Cheddar Ltd), as the part being fake is just one of many number of issues which presents problems for both parties involved.
Consumer supplied parts may not be correct fitment for the car, some internet sourced parts can be of low quality and there are potentially complex warranty issues if the part fails – especially where provenance is difficult to establish.
~ Stuart James, IGA Director, comments: “Although we all like to save money, supplying your own parts to service or repair your car is a false economy. Let your garage deal with the job from the start to finish. You and your car are protected, the risk of delay or inconvenience is reduced and most importantly, the safety of you, your passengers and other road users is not put at risk.”
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