All posts in Business Products

Counterfeiting is such a menace that even the Federal Bureau of Investigation has termed it the crime of the 21st century. If you dont believe this, perhaps some number crunching can shed some light on the kind of hazards that this activity creates for automotive businesses worldwide. For example, the global automotive parts industry suffers losses pegged as high as $12 billion a year, $3 billion of which is in the U.S. The total global counterfeit market is pegged at a whopping $350 billion. The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), realizing the grave situation of counterfeits affecting its businesses, formed the Brand Protection council to take matters of fake counterfeit products in the automobile sector seriously.

What are fake automotive parts? How does one distinguish them from the originals?

Some counterfeits are simply imitations of real automotive parts and look exactly like the original so as to fool the buyer into believing that they are buying the original. Other times, fake or counterfeit automotive parts are simply packaged to look like the original. Counterfeiters often utilize the same brand image, colors and font sizes to ensure that the packaging looks similar to that of the real product. Some of the most common counterfeit automotive parts are things like fan belts, spark plugs, engine mountings, wheel covers, alloy wheels, air filters, fuel filters and oil filters. Sometimes the products carry the logo of the original. Other times counterfeiters simply use outdated parts that have been thrown out by the original company or dealer, renew them with some work and sell them again in the grey market.

There are many problems associated with fake automotive parts.

Such grey market products affect the brand and the reputation of the original manufacturer. Despite being made to look like the original, these products are not the original product. Even though they may be sold at perhaps 1/4th of the original price, the worth is much less than the real product. The safety of your vehicle could be compromised, and it could have many different kinds of problems, from part failure to higher fuel consumption to higher levels of pollution. The most pressing problem with using fakes is that, while you might feel you have gotten a great deal in terms of price, you will never get the intended effect that the original product can offer. In terms of quality and durability, you will always be at a loss if you opt for counterfeit products.

Are you trying to make sense of all the aftermarket car shows? This guide will help.

Aftermarket Car Part Association AAIA

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association is the industry’s internal organization that promotes high standards of value within the industry.

Automotive Aftermarket Car Parts Association Aces

Aces are short for (Aftermarket Catalog Enhanced Standard.) Aces is the industry standard for the management and exchange of automotive catalog and vehicle data. Using Aces, suppliers can publish automotive data with standard coded designations for vehicle attributes, parts classifications, and qualifier statements. Aces provide a machine-readable format (XML) for trading partners to use in exchanging vast amounts of information. The Aces Vehicle Configuration Database is updated monthly and available only on a subscription basis from AAIA. The Qualifier Database and parts Classification Database are updated as needed. The Aces specification and database design is updated annually to include features and functions required by the car parts aftermarket…

The archive includes the Data delivery Specification ver. 2.0; the Vehicle Configuration Database, VCdb Field Definitions; XML files; the Qualifier Database ER diagram and approved Abbreviations.

The major changes in the 2008 Aces are the addition of a new and improved Qualifier database for standardized comments, footnotes, and qualifier statements; full validation of all vehicles aftermarket car parts history from 1985 and newer; and the addition of components to support multiple Units of Measure and multilingual descriptions and qualifiers.

Aftermarket Car Parts AAPEX Show

AAPEX is held every year during the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is limited to automotive professionals. No other event or trade show offers as many qualified buyers and distributors from all segments of the car parts aftermarket. More than 125,000 professionals from every corner of the global community aftermarket attend this show, and over 2,250 exhibitors display their products here.

The different groups and associations that attend this show include manufacturers, wholesalers, warehouse distributors, jobbers, retailers, independent service providers, technicians, parts stores, manufacture’s reps, exporters, importers and packagers.

Aftermarket Car Parts SEMA Show

The SEMA show is held every year in the Las Vegas Convention Center and represents the fastest growing segment of the specialty automotive aftermarket industry. Eleven miles of aisles packed with profit-making products for several niche markets including, light truck, street rod, wheel/tire, restoration, on-board technology, street performance, off-road, restyling, racing, mobile electronics, and import/sport compact performance.

At this show you will be able to meet over 4,000 aftermarket car parts international exhibitors and share the most current industry trends with them. Over 7,500 new products are introduced at this show every year; no wonder that visitors came from 113 countries last year. If learning about the future of the aftermarket is one of your goals, you are in luck because 100 educational seminars, workshops, and product demonstration clinics are offered.