Hi--- In all fairness to buyers and others, the problem is not related to price alone---it's also a function of availability. The center of the component world has moved to China and with it a whole new set of opportunists having no trouble finding willing buyers. The re-marking of parts has been with us for years and years --- and any component dealer at any stage/level in the distribution network can tell you horror stories. Years ago I was saved from a mess in Singapore because I knew the salesman selling re-marking equipment who knew the source ---- his customer. The issue is to buy from qualified sources and retain recourses. First there are reputable, reliable sources here in the USA who bring in goods from China and guarantee the parts. Second, for the do-it-yourselfers, there is the escrow route ---- you're one step up if the source is willing to send goods for inspection before the funds are released. Then there are the sources who will sell on open account for limited term--- enough to permit your inspecting and testing the parts. The real sad part of all this is that precautions are necessary and not only from Chinese sources. Parts from European sources have also been troublesome because they are also buying parts from China and re-selling them here. While many complaints have involved deliberate acts of fraud --- some are inadvertent and that makes it all the more difficult to deal with. By the way, the latest approach to trying to avoid the problem is to request photos with the quote and/or prior to shipment. You can't always tell whether the part is real or has been re-marked but it's a way of confirming that the source does have the parts and the simple request tends to eliminate some of the predators. Two steps that we, as an organization, can take as a service to our membership----- 1. Set up a Component Procurement Committee chartered to collect information on sources anywhere and everywhere that have shipped counterfeit parts, shipped re-marked parts or otherwise attempted to defraud the buyer. Important is the issue of remedies. Companies do make mistakes and ship parts that are counterfeit without being aware of it. If they refund your money or replace the goods or take whatever corrective action is requested, that would not be reportable. The interest is in the negative element to be avoided. (The positive tends to encourage endorsements which is a different matter.) 2. Have a segment on the IPC web in which the collected and confirmed information re these companies can be accessed. Be aware that there are forums in the broker community that already do this. We're not re-inventing the wheel --- we're just bringing into our own scope as a membership benefit and developing our own experience set. For those of us active in the prime and second markets, the problem of counterfeit parts is a frustrating one in that it tends to make all non-franchised sources suspect. The ethical surplus dealer and broker has a large stake in keeping his business environment clean and professional. Solving the problem of fraudulent parts helps everyone. Good luck Bernie Kessler --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------