Lately our distributor in Novosibirsk, Wais Avto, found a filter in its market from the brand Euroguard claiming on the box that it should be used for the FRAM filter PH8A. Though the filter does not claim to be from the FRAM brand, it does use our brand name on the packaging, our part number and also uses the FRAM slogan ‘Pay a little now instead of a lot later’, which is patented by FRAM.

How to distinguish the copy from the original?

The packaging of the FRAM filter looks neater than the Euroguard filter and also contains the image of the PH8A on the box. The differences between the filters are also not too difficult to find if you give the filter a closer look. The sure grip lacks on the Euroguard filter just like the production batch code to trace the product. The FRAM PH8A contains some patented features and is authorized by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). Also the FRAM PH8A was tested according the SAE norms (Society of Automotive Engineers) which cannot be said of the Euroguard filter. And, last but not least the FRAM filter has a better paint quality which reduces the chance of rust.

Unfortunately we, Sogefi Filtration, experience every now and then that our Sogefi filters are copied. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish the Sogefi filter from its copy by only the way it looks. In that case both filters are tested in the laboratory where the Sogefi filter always performs better than its copy because the Sogefi filter is produced according the OE standards and the filter media of the copy is, in the majority of these cases, made of cheap, bad performing filter media.

The ‘companies’ copying our filters cannot always be traced. Several months ago we were lucky to locate this Chinese shop where several women were pleating the filter media manually. However, in many cases the ‘companies’ cannot be found and we continue to warn people, mainly in the Asiatic regions, to be alert and to
buy the original quality product.