Counterfeit Zipp 404 Carbon Clincher wheels - Buyer beware!

FakeZipp

Fall 2012, we have noticed counterfeit Zipp 404 carbon clincher wheels in the market place and being sold on e-bay.

See the paired images with the corresponding genuine Zipp product to the right.These wheels have the following characteristics:

• Smooth woven carbon side walls – Zipp rims have uni-directional carbon and dimples.
• Triangular rim shape – Zipp wheels have an advanced Firecrest rim shape with a rounder spoke bed.
• 3rd party black hubs NOT high quality Zipp racing hubs.
• Decals with a different font. Valve hole decals are discontinued world’s stripes not the red Firecrest symbol
• 50mm rim depth while Zipp 404 wheels are 58mm deep.
• Price is less than half the current Zipp MSRP – buyer beware, you get what you pay for.

If you are unsure, please contact our customer service department 317-481-1120, include an image of the rim, decals and hub and give us the rim and hub serial numbers if available.

Counterfeit Zipp bars - Buyer beware!

We became aware in 2005 (thanks to a proactive consumer) of fake and counterfeit SLC2 handlebars entering the market and being sold on eBay®. New product that finds its way onto eBay® should be treated with extreme caution, is not covered under the Zipp warranty, and is subject to potential catastrophic failure. As these bars are less than our normal weight, are being made and sold outside of our control, we wish to alert ALL potential buyers to the danger that these counterfeit bars could pose.

Genuine Zipp handlebars are designed and proven only after stringent manufacturing quality control checks, extensive internal testing and independent EFBe certification. Zipp bars are required to pass the most stringent known standards so as to be safe to ride. We believe there is a very real danger that these fake bars will break or fail and will not support clip-ons and extensions for which Zipp handlebars are specially designed.

We would appreciate hearing from any customers, who feel they may have purchased counterfeit bars, as we try to put a stop to this dangerous and potentially injurious practice.

Here are some ways to identify if your purchase is genuine:

Zipp bars come in a distinctive yellow and gray 'sock' cover which is missing from the dangerous e-bay counterfeit bar.

Notice how the cable groove (top) extends into the clamp area well beyond the yellow line in the counterfeit example, while the tested and certified Zipp bar's groove starts outside the yellow line.

Click this image to enlarge and see excellent surface quality on the Zipp bars and the pin holes and poor finish in the counterfeit product below.

The yellow and red Zipp warning sticker is clearly missing from the counterfeit bars shown on the left.

Notice how the woven carbon extends well beyond the yellow line in the Zipp product (top) and falls short in the copied knock-off bar (below).

Zipp bars have a rough sand paint for improved grip, while this feature is entirely lacking in the counterfeit bars shown on the right.

It is difficult to tell the logos apart. They look almost exactly the same. In the decoy copy we examined, (bottom) there was slight pink smudge in the "SLC".

The copy we obtained was also 20gm lighter in total weight making it an almost certainty that strength and hence safety will be compromised.