SKF warns consumers about countefeit bearings in Latvia

Counterfeit consumer goods are not exactly a rarity in the Baltics but now fake products have started to penetrate the region's industry, potentially causing both economic and reputational damage, writes news2biz LATVIA.

This January, Latvian police seized a batch of over 6,000 counterfeit bearings from a Lithuanian company in Riga. The investigation is underway.

The event has prompted Swedish SKF, a major global bearing producer, to warn its Baltic customers of the risks. "We have had many cases in the Baltics where customers have bought counterfeits, but without identifying the source of their purchase, such cases have been more of sharing information and recommendations not to use, mount and/or sell the product," says Rebecca Ehlinger-Janzon, press relations director at SKF, to news2biz.

"In the Riga case the source was identified and therefore the Latvian police could act, seize counterfeit products and initiate a criminal case towards the seller of counterfeits on the Latvian market. SKF contributed with expertise knowledge to support the Latvian police in their case."

SKF's spokesperson notes that "counterfeit bearings look almost identical to genuine products. They are marked with SKF logo as well as with other markings SKF has on the product. The package is a close look-alike to an SKF package which makes it very difficult to see the dif-ference. It requires a trained expert to tell the difference. The best way to safeguard authenticity is to buy from authorized distributors".