ban on sales of VW logo parts

[mike202]

had an email from C&C where I had ordered two VW logo'd hub caps. They say VW have put a block on suppliers selling stuff with 'VW' on and cancelled my order! :roll:

Anybody else heard this?

 

[RICH-I-AM]

Heard VW had put something like this into place a few years ago. Apparently you cant buy mudflaps with the VW emblem on, you buy the mudflaps n stick your own badge on.
Baught a set of 4 hubcaps a few years back from C&C with no probs.
Must be a new thing.

Rich

 

[andynods]

Had also heard this about mudflaps but a first for hub caps...

 

[neilswheels]

This has been going on for a while. VWoA came down hard on companies in the States 6 or so years ago, and now they are trying to do the same over here. I know companies were 'approached' at the VolksWorld show by VW about logos and images and told they couldn't sell stuff. But what I dont get is that you can still buy t shirts etc at shops like fat face and tesco with split bus pics (licensed) and vw logos on. Maybe these companies are too big for VW to have a go at. From what i understand, VW want all old stuff or repro stuf to go through Heritage, their prefered supplier. Stuff could get really hard to get hold of or very expensive, and small VW parts companies may be closing.

 

[andynods]

You do get a lot of camper t shirts and kids toys with different logos tho. Peace ones etc. I expect that is why

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[steamo]

Same happened when BMW acquired the "mini" brand I think

 

[Pete B]

From what i understand, VW want all old stuff or repro stuf to go through Heritage, their prefered supplier.quote]

Quite rightly too if it has the VW logo on it. Any manufacturer has the absolute right to ensure control of products which could be presumed to have been produced by themselves.
All companies will turn a blind eye if it's in their favour, t-shirts with a happy, positive images are great free advertising......

 

[Birdy late bay]

Part of me wants to go "that's utter rubbish Pete" but I actually agree with you. Who knows, we may even start to see even better quality products being sold albeit a bit more expensive.


Sent from my iLife4 suite of applications.

 

[fire3500]

This might explain the dearth of hubcaps on all of the sites then...

 

[user 14475]

I had heard a similar explanation from Heritage regarding logo'd hubcaps.

 

[andynods]

At least I prefer logo less baby moons anyway!

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[Wannabay]

I know this is the case because I had first hand experience of it recently
I ordered a set of sandblasted refurbed steel wheels (narrow 5s for a 1971) from Karmann Konnection in Southend
When I collected them back in March, I thought I'd get a set of flat logo'd hub caps - but they only had 2 (ie half a set) left in stock and would not be getting any more because of the copyright issue, so I thought I'd get them anyway if they really are getting scarce. On the way home to SE London, I dropped into Coolair at Erith - same story, they had 1 hubcap left, so I bought that too - tellingly, the printed off invoice carries the tale, "VW chrome hubcap - last ever stock - no longer available"; then I tried Megabug, who luckily had 3 sets left, but would only sell a whole set, so I now I have a few spares as well

 

[easy]

Lets just hope that they start making some decent quality ones now, otherwise VW are shooting them selves in the foot with a lack of free advertising and disgruntled VW owners! :evil:

 

[fire3500]

This is a very complex issue clearly... on the one hand the t-shirts and mugs audience are not really depriving VW of income, whereas the pattern parts companies are (tenuously) doing so... but are they?

If I pop in to my local VW dealer and try to order genuine parts for my Beetle or Bus I find that very few parts are available to me. If VW were selling original Volkswagen parts (not even bringing pricing into it) that would allow me to keep my VWs on the road and in good shape then I could understand the conflict... but the fact is that VW won't sell the parts and are now depriving VW owners of an alternative source. Add to this that many specialists will have their income reduced by this action and potentially their businesses could be jeopardised, taking with them other channels for parts supply and it all adds up to a poor deal for the owners of classic VW cars and commercials.

I understand that VW have a very valid claim to their trademark and are protecting their brand, but it feels that this is being handled in an insensitive way.

Fair enough to remove poor quality pattern parts that bear the VW logo from sale, that actually helps to "clean up" the market and helps the owners out, but I would appreciate this more if they would ensure that when parts are taken from the market through action by VW there is an alternative source of those parts available (ideally available from VW themselves or an approved agent like Heritage).

I do worry though, protecting the logo at the expense of enthusiasts seems understandable but if it's handled without care and sensitivity it will end up hurting their own customers. I'd be interested to learn whether VW have looked into how many of their classic "customers" also run a modern VW group vehicle as their daily? Brand loyalty is pretty deep with Volkswagen customers...

An ideal outcome from this would be a solid channel for Original VW parts through the dealer network or approved agents to keep our vehicles on the road, and some direct support for events from Volkswagen (they might do this already? I am not aware of it though) and some decent communications in the community online to explain why they are taking this action and what it means for enthusiasts. Probably naive of me to hope for this, but as we have seen... shortage of Splits drove interest in Bays, which then knocked on to T25, T4, T5... how many of us and our kids (i.e. next generation customers) have an emotional attachment to the VW brand?

Consider how much VW spend on advertising globally, if they subsidised their classic parts supply you could reasonably consider this a rolling endorsement of how durable their products are... keeping Beetles and Transporters on the road as icons that reinforce the VW brand.

Come on VW... step up! :msn4:

 

[Clem]

I guess many of the parts that are reproduced dont intrinsictly feature the VW logo, so wont be massively affected, but decent hubcaps, badges etc will become harder to find. As long as an approved route of reproduction items is available then its something that can be lived with .... it'll just mean £100? on a set of hubcaps as opposed to a new £20 set every other year!
The t-shirt/lifestyle market has been under attack for a while now, most t-shirts featuring VW's wont have the logo in its correct form on it, often just an x in a circle or similar.
VAG have stepped up in recent times and supported events and produced a memorablia range for old time enthusiasts, too late for many who think they are cashing in, but better than nothing. They support Bristol Volksfest and Busfest as two small examples of some scene involvement, again, small beer but its something.

 

[ib-bus]

Try finding a new earlybay front badge in the States , nobody has them , even the used ones on ebay are going for a lot of money this days.

 

[easy]

I am trying to contact VW head office to get an official answer on the subject. 8) Bet i dont get **** :roll:

 

[quentinfarquar]

I managed to get some nice stainless hub caps with logos from JK last week, after having the same problem. Good price to.

 

[rockandrollcamper]

Well this is a bitch !! Fortunately/unfortunately I can't decide, the only bit I'm missing Is a front badge. I've called all over the place and can't find one anywhere so I've resorted to a panic buy plastic effort.

I had this idea in my head, the day I get it mot'd I'd proudly reward it with a new nose badge.

Other thing is they're so so easy to pull off. In the current climate You'll have to take it off when parked up at a show!

 

[Geeze]

oh well, we can all always go back to the 90s and just debadge everything :lol:

got to be said that I'm not sure this is going to work out well in the long run, haven't had the best results with the quality of some of the official (brazilian) VW bits.