Authorities, with collaborative support from SKF, recently conducted a large, highly effective raid action on a very well-known bearing seller of SKF bearings in Cape Town. The bearing seller, who has been on SKF’s radar for quite some time, has been selling counterfeit SKF bearings to numerous customers in the region.
“We gathered intelligence from our Cape Town Authorised Distributor as well as from our customer who unknowingly purchased counterfeit products,” explains Lynette Nieuwenhuizen, SKF Contracts Manager, Territory Sales & Brand Protection Champion. “Thanks to a great team effort, determination and smart investigations, we managed to seize over fifteen bags filled with various types and sizes of counterfeit SKF products during the raid.” Nieuwenhuizen confirms that they are collaborating with police and legal authorities in further pursuit of the case.
“Our Authorised Distributors and customers are our eyes and ears in the market and they subsequently play a pivotal role in providing intelligence. Their valuable input will assist us in carrying out more raids in the future,” says Nieuwenhuizen.
“We solicit everyone’s support in spreading awareness around the negative effects and outcomes linked to counterfeits for SKF in terms of loss of business.” Nieuwenhuizen also points out that the use of counterfeits can essentially be catastrophic for customers. Inferior bearings are known for failing prematurely, causing machine and equipment breakdowns that subsequently lead to downtime. This unlocks a domino cost-loss effect; alongside production losses, end-users also face maintenance and replacement part costs. Additionally, counterfeit products are detrimental to both SKF and customers’ efforts towards sustainability.
SKF is extremely pleased with the raid’s successful outcome and pledges continued support of the market to ensure that only genuine SKF products are used. “As the custodians of our quality brand, we will continue our efforts to protect our valued customers and Authorised Distributors from counterfeits.”
Nieuwenhuizen emphasises that SKF Authorised Distributors offer customers the best sales channel for sourcing genuine products and the responsibility therefore rests on their shoulders to ensure that their supply chain is always free of counterfeits. Doing its part, SKF also takes proactive initiatives to ensure their network of Authorised Distributors always remain clean from counterfeit.