Carry Out 793 Global Scale Raids, Mercedes-Benz Announces War Against Forgery Of The Parts Of The Cadang

JAKARTA Fixing cars, both in official workshops and independently, often feels expensive. One of the reasons is the price of real parts (OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer) which is not cheap.

This price label that drains the pockets often encourages car owners to look for cheaper alternatives online. However, behind the offer of tilted prices, great dangers are hidden, namely fake and low quality spare parts.

Vehicle fake parts have a much more serious impact. Although it looks identical to the original and can function for a moment, the mock parts below this standard can seriously endanger the safety of vehicle owners and users.

It was this concern that prompted Mercedes-Benz to step up its fight against the fake parts industry. According to the German automaker's latest statement, by 2024 alone, they have helped customs, trade supervisors and law enforcement around the world confiscate more than 1.5 million fake Mercedes-Benz products in 793 global raids. This means more than twice the daily raids targeting illegal sellers and unregulated producers.

Mercedes-Benz revealed that many of the counterfeit items they find are dangerous items, such as air filters made of flammable materials and brake camps made with toxic substances such as lead and accessories. These substances can pose a direct safety risk for drivers and passengers.

"The original product symbolizes the proven quality. These products meet technical, environmental, and work safety requirements, ensure road safety. Therefore, we are working closely with the authorities to prevent the spread of counterfeit goods. Through our extensive struggle against the counterfeit industry, we protect road users from serious accidents, keep customers from fraud, and strengthen trust in our brand," said Member of the Mercedes-Benz Group AG Management Board for Integrity, Governance & Sustainability, Renata Jungo Br\"ungger, quoted from the manufacturer's website, Friday, August 1.

In response, Mercedes-Benz has formed a global Brand Protection Team, a special internal task force in collaboration with law enforcement and other relevant authorities to help protect the brand. These specialists are investigating online listings, following up on clues about potential sellers of counterfeit goods, and helping to organize raids. They specifically focus on counterfeiting relevant to safety parts that if disabled, can cause accidents.

In fact, this task force notes a phenomenon in which counterfeiters target spare parts for premium and high-end Mercedes-Benz products such as Maybach and AMG. This counterfeiting situation is so severe that there are individuals who make and use fake parts to modify and recreate all Mercedes vehicles, such as modified S500 with grips, badges, and other fake parts to make fake Maybach or fake G63 AMG.

Beware Of Online Shopping For Parts Of The Cadang Tribe

Mercedes-Benz urges its customers to do due diligence when buying spare parts online. Cermat selects the store and is wary of prices much lower than the original OEM parts, visible quality defects, or if the website or list looks very suspicious.

"Remember, safety on the road is priceless. Always choose genuine parts for your vehicle," wrote the Mercedes-Benz message.