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Customs officials seize 46,000 fake oil filters aimed at the Kuwaiti market only days after General Motors conducts training programme
Kuwait - 21 June 2005 - Only days after General Motors completed a training programme for Kuwaiti customs staff, customs and law enforcement officers seized a container carrying 46,000 counterfeit oil filters, more than 20,000 of which were branded with ACDelco logos. The container had a total retail market value estimated at over $200,000.
"We appreciate the efforts made by Kuwait’s customs authorities, applaud this decisive action and thank them for supporting GM’s anti-counterfeit work," said Warren Hayday, Manager Investigations – Global Security for GM. "The profusion of counterfeit auto parts in this region is a serious threat to manufacturers and dealers but more importantly they endanger the lives of consumers as they are produced from substandard materials that don’t hold up or perform like genuine parts."
The training programme was carried out early May and focused on coaching customs and law enforcement officers on techniques used to identify fake automotive products as well as sharing information on commercial establishments known to deal in counterfeit parts.
To assist in the fight against this illegal and life threatening trade, GM has been working regularly in conjunction with the Kuwait Ministry of Commerce to help officials more easily identify counterfeit auto parts.
"Counterfeiters are becoming increasingly savvy, pricing products just below genuine parts and utilizing sophisticated packaging and labelling to make them less noticeable, which makes it increasingly difficult for authorities to spot the fakes," said Hayday.
Counterfeit parts are inferior in quality and performance when compared to the genuine articles. Imitation parts may be cheaper, but they can cost consumers a great deal of money and anxiety in the long run. Fakes typically don’t last as long as genuine parts and can lead to other mechanical problems and system breakdowns.
The best way for consumers to protect themselves from counterfeit parts is to buy from an authorised GM dealer – in Kuwait, Alghanim and Behbehani – if they own a GM car. ACDelco also provides a range of genuine auto parts to suit all makes and models of vehicles.
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For more information:
Saada Hammad
Communications and PR Manager
General Motors Middle East
Tel: (009714) 3143350
saada.hammad@gm.com
About GM
General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, was founded in 1908 and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today employs 342,000 people and has manufacturing operations in 32 countries. Its vehicles are sold in more than 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold more than 8.6 million cars and trucks, nearly 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters is in Detroit .
GM has been operating in the Middle East since the early 1940's. GM's vehicle brands sold in the region are Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Opel and Saab support ed by a unique set of customer focused services. GM parts and accessories are sold under the GM Parts and ACDelco brands. The regional office in Dubai covers the company's operations in Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , UAE, Bahrain , Qatar , Oman , Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , Yemen and Iraq .
In 2003, GM sold around 60,000 vehicles in the Middle East and the company continues to introduce pioneering programs in the region.
More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's consumer websites www.gm.com and www.gmarabia.com |
