AP Racing is aware of several unscrupulous sellers offering counterfeit AP Racing brake calipers in the UK. Some can be difficult to spot because of their very similar appearance to the genuine items. However, there are several key differences that anyone looking to buy AP Racing brake calipers should be aware of:
Caliper Paint Colour and Components?
Paint: This is the easiest red flag: AP Racing only produces its high performance road (not OE) calipers in Black, Red and Sllver colours, and do not sell them in yellow.
If a seller is offering ‘genuine’ new AP Racing calipers in Yellow, Blue, and Orange, that’s a big alarm bell. Also, check to see if a brake caliper has been over-painted, this may also indicate a fake.
Components: On some fake calipers various components are not to the correct AP Racing form, appearance or material specifications of a genuine product. Please remember that fake products will not meet the high stringent quality standards you associate with AP Racing products.
Have the parts been purchased through AP Racing official distributor or dealer?
To verify this please ask the seller where they have purchased their AP Racingproduct(s) from.
You can then check the supply route to ensure product has come from official AP Racing Distributor/Dealer.
You can find a complete list of AP Racing’s distributors on: http://www.apracing.com/find.aspx?cid=9
You may also like: Fake Brakes, a TBR Investigation
Have you checked that the product has an anti-counterfeit label stuck on?
This is key: Since July 2016 all genuine AP Racing calipers feature unique serial numbers and a QR label.
This allows the purchaser to scan the QR Code with their phone and receive confirmation from AP Racing that the product is genuine.
Just because a seller shows a QR label in their advertisements does not mean their products are the real deal.
Have you used the correct combination of brake calipers, discs and pads?
In the past, AP Racing have received complaints from customers that their purchased calipers are fake because they have experienced violent shaking when braking. This may not always be the case.
When different branded components are used in the brake kit, one must ask, are the non-AP Racing product manufactured to high quality standard and do the components work well together?
AP Racing recommends that the end users always use AP Racing products including caliper, discs, brake pads and brake fluids in their brake systems to ensure that complete brake systems work correctly and safely.
Is the price in line with the market selling price?
AP Racing products are produced with quality, excellence and technology. If the price is decidedly lower than that of the market, ask your seller the reason for the exceptional discount.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
AP Racing invests experience and time into testing and ensuring every brake component we sell is quality assured. It is very unlikely that the fake products have undergone the same testing to guarantee quality and safety for the end user.
Brake systems are safety critical so you are risking serious injury or worse by using fake or low quality products. REMEMBER…..FAKE PRODUCTS = REAL DANGER.
If you have any doubts, Please contact AP Racing directly, via the website “contact us,” or our social media platforms to see if the seller is listed as a dealer or distributor, if not ask them where they are buying their ‘genuine’ AP Racing products from.
Source: AP Racing
