A German manufacturer had fallen for Chinese counterfeiters and imported the fake ball bearings to Germany, where they were checked by customs officials at Nuremberg airport. In cooperation with the brand owners, the officials quickly identified the products as counterfeit.
The products were illegal imitations of ball bearings manufactured by INA and FAG, two subsidiaries of the Schaeffler Group. Apart from the products themselves, the counterfeiters had also imitated the original logos and packaging of the ball bearings. This earned the fraudsters special recognition by Aktion Plagiarius e. V. at this year’s ceremony for their negative prize “Plagiarius” (we reported). After the civil process was completed, the counterfeits were destroyed under customs supervision.
On World Consumer Rights Day (15 March 2016), the Nuremberg Customs Authority explicitly warned against counterfeits of all kinds. Even allegedly harmless products could pose a serious health risk, for example due to the use of poisonous or substandard materials in the manufacturing process.
“Because the anonymous producers of counterfeits don’t take responsibility for their harmful products, consumers are always well-advised to buy original products, which are worth their price and don’t become a hidden threat to one’s health and safety,” explained Martina Stumpf, press spokeswoman of the Nuremberg Customs Authority.
Schaeffler supports its customers in the fight against counterfeits with practical tips on an aftermarket website, among other measures. There Schaeffler explains how customers can for example identify and avoid potential counterfeits. Some tips are visually summarized in a short video clip.
