There has been study on road accidents caused by fake parts. Fake automotive and tricycle parts were responsible for several accidents according to a study conducted abroad. These accidents caused deaths and injured people. The Philippines doesn’t have facilities for accident and fatality analysis such as those that exist in the developed world like US, making efforts to understand the cause of accidents difficult as explained by Atty. Noven Joseph Quioc.
Genuine Vs. Fake Parts
Examples of the most rampantly counterfeited products include bearings, brake discs, brake pads, rubber rings, axle boots, all of which are related to safety rather than the cosmetic appearance of a vehicle. “Spurious auto parts are not treated at the same level as spurious drugs since it doesn’t seem to have an immediate impact.”
The menace of spurious parts is not restricted to just loss of life. It also translates into a revenue loss for an industry as mentioned during the Press conference the other day (June 2, 2017) by Mr. Arnel Doria, President of the Safety Rider Association of the Philippines and Safe T Ryders Training Center. It also means less in taxes and revenues for the government because the firms that make these fake parts do not pay taxes. Also, auto parts makers ranging from international to local ones say fakes erode their sales and profits.
In most cases, a consumer is not aware that he is buying a fake part since the packaging of counterfeits is just almost like that of original products. This normally happens when consumers visit dealers/stores after the vehicle’s warranty period is over, looking to save costs on vehicle repair and maintenance. There are also cases where a consumer knowingly buys a fake component that is priced half of what a branded, original product would cost.
In the simultaneous raids conducted by NBI in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao and Tagum last thursday and Friday, there was a rich haul of fake parts were seized. The industry association like Safety Rider Association of the Philippines with the Safe -T Ryders Training Center, JTEKT Corporation owner of the Koyo Brand and KBP Metro Manila chapter will be conducting information campaign and organizing events to increase consumer awareness and assisting in occasional NBI raids to combat this problem.