Saw this on BBC2 last night, particularly surprised by the bit on GSF. I've been using them for years and have never had a problem. I have asked for genuine parts and they have always been honest and said they are just 'pattern' parts. The only problem I have had was with some Golf door handles which only last ~6 months, brake components have always been well known brands.
Andrew
www.hispecgolfs.co.uk
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Andrew Barnes wrote:
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> Saw this on BBC2 last night, particularly surprised by the
> bit on GSF.
I did not see the program last night, what did they say??
I have always been very impressed by my local GSF. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
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Surely the point of the show was that many parts which are vital to safety are made in Turkey and are not of the required quality.
Not because they were made in Turkey but because they were poorly made in Turkey.
It was more a warning about the general scene than GSF in particular.
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I too have bought a lot of parts from GSF, and always bought the cheapest parts and never had a problem. I have the show taped and will watch with interest now I know GSF is in it!
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The problem was with the 3 out of 4 salesman saying the Mercedes bonnet badge was genuine, when it clearly wasn't. What do you expect at that price?
Andrew
www.hispecgolfs.co.uk
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I was really puzzled by the program - there is nothing illegal in copying and manufacturing "must fit" car parts - this does not infringe the car company's intellectual property rights. Of course it is another thing to stamp the parts with the car manufacturers logos and pass them off as genuine.
I bet there are a lot of excellent car parts manufactured in Turkey perfectly legitimately. It drives me nuts when investigative journalists try to make a mountain out of a molehill.
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As regular readers may recall I recently had cause to replace a rear door handle on my Golf, thanks to advice here I was able to fit a replacement very easily. Getting an acceptable replacement was not so simple however. I went to my local GSF on a Saturday having rung them a couple of days previously to check they had some. I was told on the phone that they had one sort of handle that was about £16 and another that cost roughly £8, the cheaper one was described as "not all that, really" so I resolved to buy the more expensive one.
On the Saturday I wasn't offered the choice between the two, only the cheaper one so I took it and went home to fit. Unfortunately the part wasn't made properly and it wasn't possible to get the fixing screw through the relevant gap. By this time GSF had shut, so I couldn't change it. The cheaper one wasn't very well made in my opinion and as I had just cause I thought I'd take it back at a later date and get my money back, while trying to get a better handle from a scrapyard that day or Sunday because I really wanted to get it sorted, but that failed (another story).
In the end I got a VW one (which was much better) from a scrap yard by mail order but it didn't have the little bit of black plastic trim with it and I'd mislaid the one that came from the broken handle.
Anyway GSF were surprised by the error in the handle and refunded my money with no fuss, this aside anything I've got there in the past has been good.
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Oh s**t!
I bought the cheapest rear susp bushes for my 414i from a motorfactor. £8 each.
I assumed these will be of reasonable quality? How could I have told the difference between a good pattern part and a bad pattern part?
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Personally I too thought it was rather obvious that the Mercedes badges were not going to be genuine and could easily be spotted as fakes by anyone with half a brain.
I've found GSF OK in the past and the most I've been told by a salesman is that some parts are sourced from OEM factories but not stamped with car maker's badge. Certainly, steering components I bought for an Audi coupe were on the face of it of VAG quality, came in a box with a German maker's name, and fitted perfectly. My brother-in-law had the car from me and used it for 3-4 years without complaining of those parts.
What I would have liked the programme to do is look at the reasons why it is profitable for counterfeiting to take place ie question the high cost of OEM parts.
On a sidenote, a Nigerian friend with a Ford tries to buy his spares (carryable items) in the USA when he is on business trips there because the local market is flooded with fakes.
David
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"I've been told by a salesman is that some parts are sourced from OEM factories but not stamped with car maker's badge. "
Oil filters for my bike definately are.
If you hold the pattern next to the genuine they are identical down to the serial number *except* the serial number ends in G for genuine and something else for Pattern. (and yes, I think it may have been a P...)
I've often wondered how car makers get away with claiming that their parts are better.
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Regarding the Mercedes trim parts, this show did not represent proper consumer journalism. It merely allowed MB UK to make its case without challenge. The main bit was the sprung MB bonnet sight-finder for a 190E. Now, though they were great cars, the average 190E is now worth about £1,000 and top ones are worth no more than £3,000. So if some scumbag rips off the sight-finder, what are you going to do? Buy the Mercedes part at megabucks? Or buy the cheap part? Why were we not told the difference in price? And why did the reporter find it necessary to whisper secretively to a camera on the floor when she was in a taxi? The show had good points to make: like the integrity of essential parts like suspension components and brake pads. So why make itself look stupid by getting into bed with MB over bits of trim, enabling MB to continue to charge the earth for them?
HJ
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Ford dealers are not required to supply Ford parts;what the must be prepared to do is match the Ford warantee on any parts they supply.
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Thought GSF were a bit hard done to. They obviously edited it all to give the worst possible relection on the company. The assistant didn't seem too interested in what the shopper was saying, and all the questions asked of him were very leading.
Would have hoped that the BBC were above this gutter journalism, but it would seem not.
Lee
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DB,
Unbalanced reporting when it occurs does journalism no favours and discourages the discerning public. Safety however is an issue that should concern us all.
Counterfeit car components by definition have to be cheaper than the original equipment, and component quality will almost certainly be impaired by the very nature of the operation and its underground business methods. Without a component testing programme to confirm their integrity, these exploitative cowboys are putting every road users life on the line. Motoring is particularly expensive, and low cost components are a magnet for some. It is when the punter is unable distinguish sub standard components from well made non OM items, that trouble is on the way.
I remember the horrific accidents in the 1960's when bonnet mascots were rigid and car speeds were going up as roads improved. Quality design is as critical on these components as it is on suspension and brake components.
Regards,
Julian L
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What did I miss?
Somebody please tell me.....
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I have bought parts from German & Swedish for over 10 years and without fault. They tell u when the parts are pattern and when genuine. I have taken parts back to German & Swedish that I have actually *fitted* and found to be either wrong (my fault and theirs) or I just don't like and have got a full refund.
AGAIN - this show was total pap and not worthy of my licence fee. Totally staged, fronted by some over-zealous actress who obviously never passed her "stealth documentary" exam. Pathetic.
U pays ur money - u takes ur choice.
SIMPLE.
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I did not see the programme, but I have been more than happy with the service received from GSF. I have had some contact with the media throughout the course of my job and one thing that sticks in my mind is that good news doesn't sell, sensationalism, bad news, overdramatisation and hyperbole do.
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Is the show repeated? I would like the chance to see it, if only for a good bout of talking down to the telly.
Sounds like it was up(?) to the quality of the previous week's show when we were told that the would-be-ringer was a pro "because he was wearing gloves".
Is this another case of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story?
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Trawl around BBC's digital output and you will probably find a repeat somewhere.
HJ
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This is one rare occasion when I wish I actually had the means to receive the digital output to trawl around.
I've found GS&F pretty upfront before now about what they sell - more so than some other outfits...
David
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I watched it last night, and did think that GSF was hard done by. I always deal with that fella they filmed in the Heathrow store and have always found him to be knowledgeable and helpful. If it was my company I would be miffed by the way they were portrayed. I am sure that programme will cost them thousands in sales.
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13th March 2002
Dear Friends,
May I please express my thanks for your overwhelming support following the BBC programme ?Lifting The Bonnet? last week.
I was approached to comment on the results of the ?hidden camera? and felt it necessary to put our view across rather than allowing the BBC to have free licence. The content was of course chopped to portray the worst elements, but I felt GSF would be damned if we appeared and damned if we refused. I chose to give the interview to relay an honest opinion.
Our employees are human and will make mistakes, but never would I allow my staff to knowingly try and deceive our customers. It is obvious that you all know GSF and their track record and there will be no deviation from our promise of quality parts at competitive prices.
Many thanks again.
Stan West
German, Swedish & French Car Parts Ltd
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