The guy on the Bennett’s YouTube channel is often warning us of crap riding kit being imported. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702450
Does anyone know of a single parliamentary petition that led to a change in law or a law being implemented? I know they have to respond to more than 10k signatures and debate it if there's more than 100k but even the 4 or 5 million signature Brexit petition didn't get more than 10 minutes in the side chamber. They appear to be a complete waste of time.
Counterfeit goods in general are a huge problem not restricted to just the UK. Clothing (including handbags, shoes etc) engineering items (bearings and such like) prescription drugs, anything that can make a fast buck and the perpetrators aren’t limited to China. The volume of international trade is immense, so huge, Customs and Excise haven’t got a hope in hell of intercepting 1% of illegal goods entering the UK. If you want to stamp it out, stop buying cheap shit …… sadly it isn’t going to happen. Andy
It used to be counterfeit goods imported from China. Thanks to successive governments, an unions to a point, selling out a skilled labour force that once led the world in innovation, excellent in engineering and manufacturing, it’s no longer counterfeit goods, its just goods imported from China and its 100% state funded. Sorry, rant over
There are two aspects here. Fake stuff that is outright dodgy and made to deceive to rip people off. But in the main you are your own worst enemy if you buy ‘quality’ kit off the back of a lorry. However it does sometimes make it into the supply chain e.g. fake parts sold through Vauxhaul dealers a few years back. The second aspect is cheap stuff sold cheap. There is a shop in Brum that sells stuff dirt cheap. It claims to pass all the regs and I have heard some of it is UK made but I wouldn’t trust it. But if it was a young kid wearing that of a pair of jeans, which is worse? I have never bought cheap kit but understand some don’t have the budget/ different priorities and they will always risk being done over by dodgy people.
I understand this has the backing of an upstanding member of the House of Lords… she and her husband will do the right thing!
Maybe not a popular opinion, but I don't need a law to prevent me buying a cheap jacket or to make me choose an expensive one. Over the years I've had several of both kinds and no problem. Adults can choose for themselves.
I think you might be missing the point here. You may well be able to differentiate between genuine and fake kit, but with the dodgy kit becoming more and more difficult to tell apart from the real thing, others, not as astute as your good self, could be easily mistaken. The whole point of the petition is to stop the buggers getting it into the country in the first place.
It seems to me we already have this with the kite mark, SHARP and many other EU and UK regulations, as well as Trading Standards, Citizens Advice, Action Fraud etc. I'm not too sure what other checks can be put in place, if people want to buy cheap substandard kit from far off places they will and unless it's reported by someone to the previously mentioned agencies they will get through. To my mind the checks and balances are there, the government can't and shouldn't legislate for stupid or wilful decision making, that is down to the individual. Take ownership of your own life and stop trying to palm off the responsibility to others or the system.
