Possible counterfeit Clarks brake pads

[washtenaw]

I recently purchased as pair of Clarks CPS 301 MTB Elite Brake Pads via eBay, and the product I received has a different appearance to what was displayed by the eBay seller and also what is displayed on the Clarks website. Basically the labeling on the pads is different but additionally, something looks a bit 'off' with them, for example the red parts of the pads are quite pale and scratch very easily, hard to explain but they look potentially 'fake' to me. Even if they are, they may still work fine, but I have heard of issues where they can rub off on the bicycle rims and cause quite a mess.

Perhaps they are just old stock.

Anyway, I have emailed Clarks, but still havn't heard anything back a few weeks later, so have emailed them again. Will also email seller on eBay.

Just curious as to what anyone thinks on here, I have included images of the pads I received and what is displayed on eBay and on Clarks website.

Brake pads I received

Back of packaging

As shown by eBay seller

As shown on Clarks website

[hamster]

Hmm, see what you mean.
Personally I would return as 'not as described'. EBay nearly always seem to side with the buyer. Anyway, if the seller is a business they have to abide by the Distance Selling Regulations, eBay or not.

Check the packaging carefully, often counterfeiters misspell words or use the wrong fonts:
Yours has a spelling mistake on the back card: 'alternatively' is spelt incorrectly and there is no capital on China.

Gotcha.

[hamster]

This looks like another:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382802690967

[Eyebrox]

The REAL Clarks stuff has the same errors in spelling and punctuation.

[Robby]

I bought some of these a couple of weeks ago , they look genuine the blocks feel right and they are made in Taiwan also the bar graph is different to your pictures . They were cheap !
John .

[Freddie]

The question I'd ask is why would someone go to the effort of counterfeiting something as cheap as brake blocks. Is there large amounts of money to made from such an endeavour? I doubt it.

[hamster]

The difference is the value of the Clarks brand: £1 for a set of generic no-name pound shop brakes, 6 for Clarks.

That's £5 extra profit. It's worth counterfeiting.