Fake fuel tank?

[Norbert]

Hi all,

I ordered a new fuel tank made in Italy with the CE mark but the quality seems poor and there is a typo in the label which makes me suspect it may be fake. The typo is "Whith". Anyone has a suggestion that it is real or fake ?

 

[TANSL]

Welcome to forum.
In addition to checking their spelling, which might seem like a minor problem to an Italian writing in English, why not ask the manufacturer for the CE-registration certificates?

 

[gonzo]

There are a lot of products coming out of China with "CE" markings. The letters are slightly more separated and mean China Export.

 

[Norbert]

The manufacturer has certificates of conformity in their website but how do I know this is just a copy?

 

[gonzo]

Unfortunately, it is not easy. We used to install Bosch sparkplugs on german engines to keep them same as factory. Our customers started coming back with lots of ignition issues, so we switched to NGK. It was found that chinese company were making fake Bosch parts and mixing them with genuine ones. They had import companies that brought in the real ones so they could use the certificate of origin, and then fulfilled shipments to retailers with the fake ones. In general you can see the lower quality construction, but it is not always obvious. I think contacting the manufacturer in Italy would be the best.

 

[jehardiman]

Differences Between CE (Conformité Européenne) and CE (China Export) - HQTS https://www.hqts.com/differences-between-ce-conformite-europeenne-and-ce-china-export/

 

[philSweet]

I've bought tires from Walmart that had an inflation pressure listed as 142 psi. I though they missed a decimal point, because it was a low pressure tire. But the kPa rating didn't convert to either 14.2 or 142 psi. And the diameter wasn't even close to what was indicated. Buyer beware. The trouble is having to explain to people line item by line item why I don't buy the garbage they have seen on Temu and Youtube videos.

Same nominal size listed on sidewall. Not good on hydraulic four wheel drive machines. The diameter needs to be within 2% of spec.


Even OEM suppliers have gotten screwed bigtime with counterfeit supplies. I was told by a high-end service department tech that they only sold genuine parts through the online order system, but they didn't have enough OEM stock, so their in-house service department used mostly non-OEM parts rather than wait for backorders to arrive! For safety critical items, you need to work with distributors that give a damn. Some do and some don't, and their price points have nothing to do with it. Keeping garbage from killing people is a team sport.

 

[Ad Hoc]

The manufacturer has certificates of conformity in their website but how do I know this is just a copy?

Compare against their website:
Certifications – Fuel tanks – CAN-SB Marine Plastics https://cansb.com/en/certifications-fuel-tanks/

And see if everything matches correctly on your tank to their published cert.

 

[gonzo]

I suppose you could email the photo to the manufacturer for verification. If it is a fake, they will be interested to prevent the sales.

 

[kapnD]

If you doubt the integrity of the tank, and don’t have the option of returning it, gently test it, and maybe even cautiously put it in actual use it to determine its integrity.
Not everything that comes from China is automatically bad product, you’d be surprised at how many Chinese parts are successfully involved in just about everything manufactured in US.

 

[TANSL]

Not everything that comes from China is automatically bad product

I completely agree, Chinese products are no longer bad by definition. They represent enormous, very aggressive competition due to their low prices, quality, and guarantees. Their technology, in general, surpasses that of most developed countries. "Chapeau," as the French say.

 

[montero]

A good quality tank can be felt with your hand . I like e.g. Tohatsu .
Chinese products changes thru the years also. Yes it's industrial progress on steroids .
Companies seeking profits raised true Dragon...

 

[montero]

Killing own industries...

 

[TANSL]

Many of our industries have moved their factories to China because labor was so cheap. They've been taught how to manufacture, and now we can't compete with them. But hey, they've got what they've got.

 

[kapnD]

The greed of big business (always in bed with government) has created this situation, and now the consumers/taxpayers are being called on to bail the corporations out!
Citizens are the pawns of lawmakers, who in turn are the slaves of big business, sold out in order to get elected.
If you want to escape the cycle, build your own fuel tank from a recycled container.
Poly drums may not be certified for the application, but I’ve hauled them across oceans loaded with volatile materials without any problems.