Customer Success Story
Counterfeit bearings – a major risk for manufacturers, the distributive trade and end customers
Trading counterfeit rolling bearings represents a substantial risk for distributors, manufacturers, and end customers that should not be underestimated. Customers should therefore always be vigilant – just as our certified sales partner SKAMA Industrial from Greece. He had serious doubts about the authenticity of the Schaeffler bearings offered by a competitor. Therefore, he offered his customer a free authenticity check of the cheaply sourced bearings. Together with the Schaeffler Brand Protection Team several counterfeit transactions were uncovered.
Case SKAMA Industrial – Greece
Suspicion and Procedure
SKAMA carried out an assessment at the customer’s premises immediately after delivery and sent photos of the bearings to the Schaeffler Brand Protection Team (BPT). They quickly verified that the entire order volume was counterfeit. At the same time, SKAMA performed the same actions on the second customer, who was also concerned about the authenticity of the bearings. The Schaeffler Brand Protection Team (BPT) immediately left for Greece and on arrival found: “Another clear case of counterfeit here.” Such cases always call for immediate action: All bearings were instantly seized on site with the assistance of a law firm.
€ 35,000
The final result was 35,000 euros worth of seized goods.
Details
The counterfeiter’s scam was particularly bold and had primarily involved copying original Schaeffler codes, which were then printed on the labels. The only flaw in this plan was that the labels did not match the bearings in the packaging. The aim had been to avoid detection by the Schaeffler OriginCheck App, but this is easier said than done, as the app has additional security mechanisms.
The OriginCheck app allows you to quickly and easily perform an authenticity check and contact us in case of suspicion.
What happened next?
SKAMA needed to source replacement bearings quickly for its customer – a task that, at first, seemed extremely difficult. However, due to the long-lasting relationship between Schaeffler and SKAMA, Schaeffler came to the rescue with a rapid and flexible response, which significantly reduced the ordering and delivery process. Ultimately, SKAMA succeeded in delivering the bearings to its customers on time, assuring the Schaeffler quality.
All’s well that ends well!
Thanks to the distributor’s marked quality awareness and customer proximity, SKAMA was not only able to protect its customers from considerable financial losses, but also from risks with unforeseeable consequences. The customers have also learned from their mistake: They will no longer purchase goods from dubious sources and have already placed further orders for Schaeffler bearings through the Authorized Distributor SKAMA, with a total value of several hundred thousand euros.
