The very fake and counterfeit Avid FR-5 brakes I received from Amazon

[Comrade]

I had some 18 year old Avid FR-5 brakes that worked very well and were in excellent condition, so I decided to buy another pair on Amazon. Here is what I received.

Side by side pictures of the 18 year old originals in grey, and the "new" ones in black. I really hope they are fakes. And not what Avid is selling nowadays. :lol:

 

[TrotterBob]

If only you could leave 4 out of 5 yikes for the seller.

 

[calab]

No no, he would give Zero Yikes if he could :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

If only you could leave 4 out of 5 yikes for the seller.

 

[TrotterBob]

Wouldnt zero yikes be indifferent?

 

[Comrade]

If only you could leave 4 out of 5 yikes for the seller.

People seem to be happy judging by the reviews. The "new" ones have several times more slop in them than the 18 yr old ones.

The pin that holds the lever looks like a pin used to hold a shelf in Ikea furniture.

 

[Hillhater]

Nore that the trade mark “R” is not on the new ones ?

 

[99t4]

Interesting. What is Amazon policy in this blatant forgery case?

 

[Comrade]

Interesting. What is Amazon policy in this blatant forgery case?

They take back things with very few questions asked. From what I observe Amazon is very happy to sell counterfeit products of all kinds. Ranging from copying name brand products to fake safety labels and such. The average consumer doesn't know any better.

 

[99t4]

They take back things with very few questions asked.

Good to know, thanks. Who pays return postage?

 

[machanic]

Had a similar experience with (Avid) on a ride, glad I had good rear brakes. A low quality casting, not forged.

 

[99t4]

Looks like the threads are stripped on the broken off ears at the bottom of the second photo?

 

[machanic]

Not stripped, almost non-existent the hole is too large for the tap so threads are shallow. The casting is also porous, lots of little voids.

 

[99t4]

No bueno. Do you think they are also counterfeit?

 

[machanic]

The model 7 pictured is definitely much lower quality than a Avid 5 which is a forged one piece caliper. It is either a fake or Avid has really dropped the ball on quality. I don't have a Avid 7 that is a known real caliper for comparison.

 

[machanic]

Spent some time on youtube looking at brake adjustment for Avid BB7 brake calipers. I can say positively that the brakes I had fail on me and pictured are counterfeit. Bought them on ebay.

 

[Hillhater]

Not stripped, almost non-existent the hole is too large for the tap so threads are shallow. ....

Thats most likely because they are at the bottom of a “blind” tapped hole where the end threads on the tap would be tapered off.

 

[machanic]

Not blind, open ended might have been a cast in hole.

 

[99t4]

Not stripped, almost non-existent the hole is too large for the tap so threads are shallow. ....

Thats most likely because they are at the bottom of a “blind” tapped hole where the end threads on the tap would be tapered off.

Not exotic at all, a bottoming tap cuts threads to less than 2 threads from the bottom.
https://www.yamawa.com/Portals/0/resource/en/tips/pdf/tips-007.pdf

 

[onemorejoltwarden]

Happened to me as well.
RD, brakes, apple gear.
Last was sold as BB-7 mech brakes, that they were clearly not and fake Shimano RD
I have had about a 50% counterfeit rate on anything namebrand from Amazon that was not priced at high retail.

FBA (Fullfilment By Amazon) is a nauseating scam
screwing customers and honest vendors alike

 

[machanic]

That's a pretty high percentage of counterfeit, I hope I did better, going to power up my first build this weekend.

 

[Comrade]

apple gear

Careful with the chargers. Some are so poorly isolated internally they can literally kill you.

 

[machanic]

Has there been a lot of issues with counterfeit controllers, lcd displays and motors?