Brembo fights against fake products

9/6/2018

Brembo enters the lists to give who is buying its products the assurance that only genuine products will be fitted. The new anti-counterfeiting measures that have been put in place will protect all those who buy Brembo's products.

Everybody wants them, everybody is looking for them: Brembo's brakes have millions of lovers throughout the world.

But exactly because they are loved by the most competent drivers, Brembo's car systems are sometimes copied by counterfeiters who put Brembo's hallmark on their products. These imitations are mostly aesthetic because these manufacturers are not able to reproduce the performance quality of Brembo's systems.

For this reason Brembo is extending the innovative approach that has always distinguished its products to its customer service. Brembo is the first in its industry to launch a service that guarantees the authenticity of the product purchased!

Brembo has introduced a new approach to ensure its customer a safer buying experience for its products, against the dangers of buying counterfeit products.

The difference is not insignificant because it concerns the braking system, an active safety system. Only if it's working perfectly the safety of the driver, the passengers and of the other drivers or pedestrians is not at risk.

When non-original calipers or discs or pads are used no information is available about the manufacturing standards that have been followed. Buying a product manufactured by Brembo, instead always provides the assurance that a product designed and manufactured according to the highest quality standards required by the world's most prestigious carmakers is being purchased.

A non-original braking component could show severe limits both in regard to being used in all conditions as well as operating properly in the course of time.

When some counterfeit products have been tested as normally Brembo's original products are, we have come across various failures, that ranged from the braking system being less effective to actual cases of the braking system.

The lack of studying how a part has to work when combined with a specific vehicle could show various limits beyond the safety problems. These concern performance (from a delay in the system's response, to an increase in the brake pedal's travel), comfort (from squealing and/or pedal roughness) or durability (fast and early wear).

Brembo instead relies on a system approach and studies the integration between the various parts. This ensures the highest reliability, comfort and durability based on the car's weight, power and mechanical characteristics.

In order to avoid some of you from falling into a unwise purchase, here are 3 clues that will allow you to recognize an original Brembo product from a fake.

1) Anti-counterfeiting card or seal

The first (and also the most reliable) clue for understanding if you are in front of a fake Brembo product is that the anti-counterfeiting system is missing.

All Brembo's products (except the standard components) are always characterized by a anti-counterfeiting system (a scratch card, a hologram or a QR code) which assures that the part is genuine. This allows to check immediately if the product that the purchaser has in front is original, just by tracing it on Internet with its unique code.

Two different anti-counterfeiting mechanisms can be found according to the type of Brembo's product:

1. For the High Performance line's products: the anti-counterfeiting scratch card is inside the boxes;

2. For the Aftermarket line's discs and pads: a hologram (only for the discs) of Brembo's hallmark and a QR code that to check if the products are genuine.

But let's take a close look at how they work.

Anti-counterfeiting card for Brembo's High Performance product line

Brembo's High Performance product range is made of products (brake discs or complete braking systems) that improve the performance, aesthetics and comfort of your car's brakes.

The anti-counterfeiting card ensures that this product line is original. The card is inside a sealed wallet with the instructions. The purchasers have to “scratch” the silver strip on the back and uncover the 6 digit code that has to be entered in the www.original.brembo.com website to find out if the part is genuine. Unlike other scratch cards, the chances of success with Brembo's card is 100 per cent. And the prize? A perfect long lasting braking in all conditions.

To check, enter the card number, the type of component and country of purchase in the website. By entering additional information, including the email address and the model of the car or motorbike the part is for, a PDF certificate of authenticity can be downloaded. This can be done right at the store, since the website can also be navigated from a smartphone.

Anti-counterfeiting hologram and QR Code for Brembo's Aftermarket product line

Brembo's Aftermarket range of original or equivalent to original spare parts that ensure excellent performance, reliability, durability and comfort in any use condition.

The authenticity for the discs and pads of Brembo's Aftermarket range is guaranteed by a QR code that has to be used to check it's authenticity.

It's important that the box shall not show any signs of being tampered: For the pads the QR code can be found on the seal used to close the box while for the discs it's placed on the product's label, together with Brembo's unforgeable hologram.

Of course, in both cases Brembo's products are stamped with Brembo's code and logo, in addition to the ECE R 90 certification. For the pads there is also the WVA code while the discs bear the minimum thickness value that is specified with the Min Th abbreviation.

2) The sales price

If a product passed off as Brembo is sold at a price that is decidedly too low compared to the price exercised by other vendors for the same type of product, ask yourself why it has been discounted. It could be a warning of an attempt to sell a fake: it is less expensive because it is shoddy and the Brembo brand was affixed on it fraudulently. If in doubt, ask the salesperson the reason for the unusual discount.

Obviously, you must bear the type of sales channel in mind. In certain situations, on-line vendors, for example, are likely to offer more competitive prices than traditional vendors for the same Brembo original products.

3) The sale of the calipers alone

If someone is trying to sell you Brembo's car calipers alone, without the other parts of the braking system, then you are definitely dealing with a fake or with an original equipment part that is being handled incorrectly. In fact, Brembo never markets car calipers separately from the other elements of the kit (that included discs, calipers, adapter brackets and pads).

The counterfeiters, on the other hand, often sell the calipers alone, an option that Brembo's sales programs don't considers. This because selling car calipers separately from the other braking system's components, like the discs or the adapter brackets, must be considered inappropriate.

Therefore, whenever the calipers are sold alone, it's most likely a matter of forgery or anyhow ti's a product lacking all Brembo's guarantees.

We say this because often the counterfeiters recycle Brembo's original equipment calipers, or original equipment spare parts, after having painted them. In this case also we are in front of a product that is potentially dangerous. Although it's one of Brembo's calipers, it was manufactured to be used as an OE component for a specific car. Therefore it is not suitable for being fitted on another car because the risk is that the technical compatibility between the caliper and the car will not be ensured. In all such cases, a quick check that the anti-counterfeiting card is missing will be the final proof that it's a fake.

On the other hand Brembo's pad or disc can be bought alone without having to buy the caliper. Also because the service life for one of Brembo's calipers most of the times coincides with life of the road going car for which it has been designed.

For the discs and pad is a different case as they are both subject to wear. It's better to check the brakes every 15,000/20,000 kilometers but a check-up must be carried out immediately if any signs of vibration had to arise. The only cases when the brake calipers need replacing is when they suffer accidental deterioration or breakage.