Bearing manufacturer NTN-SNR has become the latest company to join the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association.
NTN-SNR becomes the 14th member of OESAA after signing up to the group and its slogan ‘Our Quality, Your Reputation’.
Keith Skinner, NTN-SNR Sales Manager, Automotive Aftermarket Division, UK and Ireland, said: “We have seen that the UK automotive aftermarket has become very price driven which has resulted in more low quality parts being promoted with tenuous OE quality claims.
“NTN -SNR is a major supplier of bearings for original fitment to vehicle manufacturers worldwide, and we offer the same product to our aftermarket customers in the UK and Ireland – all produced using the same materials, processes and quality standards.
“By joining OESAA we are able to highlight the benefits of using an OE part compared to that of a lower quality item. We believe in healthy competition and everyone has the right to choose, but we think it has to an informed choice and that is the kind of message we wish to portray.”
OESAA Chairman Nigel Morgan, Managing Director of Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket said: “We are delighted that NTN-SNR has become the latest manufacturer to join OESAA. Its decision to become a member will only strengthen our campaign for workshops to recognise the risk of fitting inferior or sub-standard non-tested parts.”
OESAA will exhibit examples of its OE parts alongside non-genuine alternative products at the Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC from April 29 to May 1 and at MechanEx at Event City, Manchester, on May 20/21.
Its members say that some aftermarket parts suppliers are claiming to match OE quality, even though it is clear by physically comparing the components that they don’t.
The group stresses that there are other brands in the market offering quality products, but that its target is to raise the awareness of the need to fit the highest possible quality parts and also of the dangers of supplying and fitting sub-standard components.
Members only use the OESAA logo on products that are fitted as original equipment; they do not use it for non-OE product publicity.
Surely the OESAA credibility is in tatters – that`s if they had any to begin with. The news that two members have been penalised for systematic price fixing comes as no real shock. The further revelation that one member was putting out false scare stories of fake or poor quality product is further proof that they will resort to any tactic to justify their inflated prices that hit the poor motorist hard.
Any established organisation in the UK should think very carefully indeed about any association with them. SMMT, IAAF take note