"Chinese counterfeiting". Speak those words with a little raised eyebrow and a dose of bad praise around the corners of the mouth. But in China they don't copy, they also make according to the drawing. And, if you have good contacts locally and you have watertight agreements, then you can get great quality at an unlikely price.
Friend 'X' had things well organized, he thought. Certain parts for his favorite motorcycle brand 'Y' could not be found worldwide. But because friend 'X' had a technical background, he carefully dismantled a broken one that he still had and made a set of neat drawings based on his findings. His brilliant idea was to have - perhaps fifty - of those sets made in China and sell 48 of them.
Shopping in China
“X'is not known in China, but he knows the way well on the Internet. He came into contact with a Chinese metalware manufacturer from the automotive corner. He turned out to be specialized in 'Chinese counterfeiting' and even thought seriously, because he suggested that the original article numbers be added to the parts. The approach was that the factory would make the production molds and ten - let's call it by name - exhaust systems. After that, 50% of the agreed price would be paid. Delivery from China was 'FAS', free alongside ship. And for embarkation, the other half would have to be paid. The first ten exhaust systems arrived after a few months. They were neat.
No happy ending
After reporting that the rest was ready for shipment, the remaining 50% was paid. When that shipment arrived about six weeks later, transport by sea is sometimes a bit slow, the fit and finish of the exhaust systems seemed sub-optimal. And the Chinese suddenly spoke only Chinese. That was a sad experience and cost quite a bit of tuition. But the story wasn't over yet. Because recently our friend 'X' saw his' exhaust systems offered on Aliexpress. Because the Chinese apparently thought the molds too good to throw away.
It can also be different
Another well-known person regularly has motorcycle parts made for a specific, well-sought, brand of European motorcycles. He only mentions in his communication - via his private mail, not about that of his company, no brands or types but he just uses his initials and the date of the first contact. He also claims that the delivery of the molds is with the delivery of the products. And he has agreed that he will only pay after the entire shipment has been satisfactorily delivered. It costs a little more, but it has not yet competed with its own products.
A bit of back cover
Because with '100 pcs chainguard for product EHW160317', the enterprising Chinese have not yet managed to do anything there. Even if they accidentally have a second set of molds. What also helps: he does not pay the Chinese a squeezed price. And if a Chinese is kept tight on the line and has the idea that he will also be awarded some profit, then he is prepared to deliver value for money. Because below the line, the Chinese are not only born traders, but they are also extremely sensitive to loss of face.
In short: Chinese counterfeiting can be of high quality. There are even Chinese companies that pay production rights to companies such as Harley and Honda. But doing business with the Chinese is not for everyone. And about the concept of originality we can only say: 'better expensive than unavailable'.
