Reply To: 1959 Lark flywheel hanging up on magneto

[need2fish]

WRT the shoddy quality: I have some experience working for a company that did manufacturing offshore in Shenzhen. I observed that the fault lies in several places.
o The factory has been given worn or damaged OEM parts to duplicate.
o The factory has been given hand-drawn specs.
o Sometimes the manufacturing is back-door business, where by day, the factory turns out creditable products for other industries and grey market by night..
o Inferior raw materials
o No or little quality control
o Machinery is old, worn or inappropriate for making consistent quality.
o A local agent has been hired by the American purchaser to oversee the operation and is producing products without the management’s knowledge.

These are all activities we’ve seen or heard of going on in our own backyard. Many or none involve the factory workers themselves.

With North American-based businesses and a decent level of competition, those activities would be short-lived as market conditions would prevent or kill them.

Not all outsourcing is bad. Trade between the US, Canada and Mexico has been quite successful to all parties because of the mutual benefits.

It doesn’t help that CEOs favor their pockets over their country.

The difference with the overseas companies and individuals is there is no way to make them accountable for the quality and safety of their knock-offs (or any other products, for that matter).

IMHO what we are seeing is a trade problem that needs to be addressed at its roots – that is, through the organizations such as the US Trade Department. We and all others who have been victimized by inferior and possibly dangerous products need to lean on the Department to take some sort of action.

…………………………………..(silence followed by the sound of NEED2FISH stepping off his soapbox).