Spotlight 6 www.aftermarketonline.net SEPTEMBER 2024 Fake car parts warning as crackdown looms Aftermarket can reveal that UK authorities are set to launch a fresh campaign alerting garages and consumers to the risks of counterfeit automotive parts and products on the market The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is preparing a new campaign aimed at warning the automotive sector and motorists about the ongoing risk of fake and dangererous car parts on the UK market. Industry sources told Aftermarket of the move during the summer — and the IPO confirmed preparations for a campaign are underway as this issue went to press. Meanwhile, auto giant Mercedes-Benz has disclosed that it too is continuing its efforts to protect the group and its supply chain from criminal gangs trading in counterfeit goods (see our separate report on these pages). A spokesperson for the IPO said: “We are currently planning to intensify our work to alert consumers and industry to this issue and the risks in the latter part of this year — most likely kicking off in the autumn at some point.” However, the spokesperson said details would be given later in the year and thanked Aftermarket for offering to help promote fake parts warnings to garages. The IPO’s campaign will be the latest since it published its most recent report, in 2018. The agency said then that the cutting-edge of crime nowadays is to be found inside vehicles with a “more pervasive piracy at play, transforming masterpieces into fakes”. According to that report, car manufacturers, sparepart makers, vehicle designers, engineers and sales and maintenance teams, had all been affected by the same problem. Cheap, counterfeit vehicle parts appeal to consumers, but they risk lives, compromise performance, damage the environment and put the long-term future of the motor industry at risk, the IPO said. Latest figures on fakes in the auto sector are expected to be released later this year, but as of 2018 the IPO estimated 90% of counterfeit crime was going unreported. Online, it had been suggested that as many as one in six purchases are of fake goods, the agency said. An EU survey of that time suggested that 10% of consumers were being deceived into buying counterfeit products, with 7% of consumers intentionally seeking them out. A related report around that time by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said imports of counterfeit goods to the UK accounted for as much as £9.3 billion in 2013. This represented 4% of imports, well above the 2.5% average share of fake goods in world imports. According to the OECD, that revenue not only failed to reach its rightful owners, those legitimate IP-owning businesses, it was not taxed and so did not benefit wider society. Worse still, international criminal networks operating illegal and exploitive businesses reap the rewards, which in turn threatened consumer safety. Last spring, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) confirmed it had also turned its focus towards the “significant issue” of counterfeit automotive spare parts, posing severe risks to consumers and road safety across Europe. EUIPO said it was mounting an awareness campaign highlighting how fake products ranging from critical safety components such as airbags and seat EUIPO urges consumers to be on their guard for vague or inaccurate product descriptions, undervalued shipments, and missing safety guidelines. Other ‘red flags’ include the absence of official licensing, poor packaging, discrepancies in product appearance compared to genuine parts, incorrect or varying serial numbers, and misspellings on packaging or parts. These tips are crucial for consumers looking to ensure they are purchasing genuine and safe automotive components, says EUIPO. How to spot counterfeit automotive spare parts
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