Beware - parts being mis-sold

[MSS]

Something to be aware of when looking for parts.

1. I came across this couple of years back when looking for an alternator for the CDT. One seller on the well known auction site had a history of selling reconditioned parts. The alternator of interest looked like a new item so I phoned to confirm that it was indeed a rebuilt item and not a cheap far-eastern imported one. He just didn't want to answer my questions which confirmed my suspicions. In the end I had an old Valeo rebuilt by a local auto electricians shop who confirmed the manufacturers and origins of all the parts they were going to use in the rebuild process.

I've just experienced the same last week when looking for a re-manufactured steering rack for another car. Many racks advertised as re-manufactured looked new. I went to a well established re-building workshop to purchase a rebuilt rack and they confirmed the practice of selling cheap imported parts as locally re-manufactured to be widespread.

2. In my search for a steering rack, I also came across a number being soled as "genuine, new old stock". Yet the boxes were all like new, one of the sellers has a business name ending with "trading" and listed many different items. Also, none of the sellers of these parts seemed to know the fact that on this particular car, racks with two different ratios were used and you have to select the right one as a replacement.

Something to consider when looking at allegedly rebuilt or "genuine new old stock" parts.

[victorgte]

Sadly I think this will become more common.
I seem to remember a thread recently regarding rear upper suspension arms being difficult to fit as the pattern was wrong. Copies and fakes starting to take over?