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BI brand products give drivers peace of mind during the holiday season

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/ Media Statement/ This content is not written by Creamer Media, but a media statement provided.

As the holiday season approaches, the leading supplier International Bearings (BI) warns motorists that using counterfeit bearings will have unforeseen consequences in terms of maintenance and road safety. Product manager Andrew Altree warned that downtime, indirect damage, shortened lifespan and poor performance are just some of the dangers.

“The main motivation of customers seems to be to buy quality products at low prices. Another factor is availability, which is usually affected by delivery time due to the complex processes involved in bearing manufacturing and current supply chain constraints,” Altree commented.

However, counterfeit products are not covered by any warranty provided by the brand owner. This can have a negative impact on service contracts, as the expected life span cannot be reached, leading to continuous downtime and related costs. In addition, all applications will have a serious negative impact on health and safety when installing counterfeit bearings.

"The installers and suppliers of these counterfeit products may face legal proceedings and bear criminal and/or financial liability. It must be remembered here that recourse against counterfeit suppliers is almost futile," Altree pointed out.

Authorized distributors such as BI are trained to support customers in their complete bearing requirements, from technical information to determining the best bearing for a specific application, and being able to handle the product in the correct way, such as storage conditions. This always means that the bearings provided by authorized dealers receive comprehensive technical support and guarantees from authorized dealers and brand owners.

BI works closely with brand owners on identity verification services and providing accurate information. If any customer suspects that they have received counterfeit products, please contact the relevant brand protection team of the brand owner. Other information in this regard can be obtained from BI itself.

The automotive industry is an important growth area for BI, emphasized by Keith du Preez, Head of Business Development (BDL). Road car applications include passenger cars and commercial truck trailers. The passenger car segment itself encompasses all levels, from tier 1 original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to tier 2 auto parts manufacturers. Factory maintenance requirements and aftermarket bearing and chain requirements will be handled by BI's 49 branch network.

An important aspect of the automotive industry is parts and accessories, which specifically target imported vehicles that are not locally manufactured but come with a warranty, and often use branded products, such as bearings provided by BI. In addition, the needs of the aftermarket are also met, from spare parts stores to the general public.

BI supplies automotive products, such as wheel hub bearings, clutch release bearings, alternator bearings and rear wheel bearings, mainly focusing on the leading KOYO and FAG brands. KML is an affiliated non-OE brand product that can provide a more cost-effective solution.

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