[Pheonix]

Lesson learned. DO NOT buy anything from ANY CHINESE website unless you want to buy fake/knocked off stuffs.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by BeEmVe

My suggestion is to contact Dunlop. Mfg. are sensitive to counterfeit issues.

Agreed.

[bmwstve]

Thanks for the replies guys, I've sent a message to Dunlop but they have not yet replied.

I checked all the tires, there are actually manufacturing dates on them, only on 1 side of each tire. For the 2 pcs they are located in the inside of the tire while the other 2 are on the outside. It depends on the rotation of the tire.

For the fronts manufacturing date says 0815 and the rears are 0715

I'm NOT SURE, but I've researched for quite a while, these tires have no "service description" ex.(108Y,105V) it only has 325/30ZR21, I think the letter "Z" means that they are "open ended" others call it "unlimited Z" top speed is anything above 149mph, But it does not have an exact value such as tires with the letter W, Y or (Y). Also, I think not all tires have service descriptions cause
some websites say:"• For unlimited V Tires without Service Description, the speed category is over 210 km/h (130 mph) ** For unlimited Z Tires without Service Description, the speed category is over 240 km/h (149 mph)"
source: http://www.sumitomotire.com/tireabc/loadIndex.aspx


ANYWAY, As of now, I have temporarily installed the tires on my X6 since my old tires are already unusable, BUT I'm already in the process of ordering another set of Michelins in the same size from a reputable vendor to be sure. Wont be using my car that much till the new tires arrive.

I didn't purchase these because they were cheaper but the reason is that I don't like the stiffer ride of the run flat tires.

I hope Dunlop will already give me a reply, so that we can have a confirmation.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by bmwstve

Thanks for the replies guys, I've sent a message to Dunlop but they have not yet replied.

I checked all the tires, there are actually manufacturing dates on them. For the 2 pcs they are located in the inside of the tire while the other 2 are on the outside. It depends on the rotation of the tire.

For the fronts manufacturing date says 0815 and the rears are 0715

As of now, I have temporarily installed the tires on my X6 since my old tires are already unusable, but I'm already in the process of ordering another set of Michelins in the same size from a reputable vendor. Wont be using my car that much till the new tires arrive.

I didn't purchase these because they were cheaper but the reason is that I don't like the stiffer ride of the run flat tires.

So your front tyres were manufacturered in August 2015.

What date did you receive them?

.....

[bobblehead]

first two digits correspond to week #, NOT month

[///F80M3]

Originally Posted by bmwstve

Hi, I purchased a set of tires online (Alibaba)

The tires are Dunlop SP Sportmaxx 285/35R21 and 325/30R21

When I purchased the tires, it was written in the webpage that the tires are NOT RUNFLATS. I'm ok with that since I don't like the stiffer ride of runflat tires

I received the tires few days ago, upon inspecting it, I noticed that there is no Load Rating and Speed Rating on the tire sidewall. Example: (108Y, 106W)

This raised my suspicion, I then searched several websites and I cant seem to find Dunlop SP Spotmaxx sizes 285/325 that are NOT RUNFLATS, all I found available in those sizes are DSST tires which are RunOnFlat tires.

Is there a way for me to check if the tires are original DUNLOPS or are fakes?

Pls kindly see the attached photos of the sidewall of the tires.

I will appreciate any help.
I'm concerned with the safety of the tires.

Thanks

After reading the first sentence I knew it was fake lol

[NickyC]

Good grief, the thought of something like this never even crossed my mind. Good luck OP.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by ///F80M3

After reading the first sentence I knew it was fake lol

Yeah same here.

Was rather obvious .....

Everyone knows it's Tyre's

[bmwstve]

Originally Posted by Pheonix

Lesson learned. DO NOT buy anything from ANY CHINESE website unless you want to buy fake/knocked off stuffs.

Originally Posted by NickyC

Good grief, the thought of something like this never even crossed my mind. Good luck OP.

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

Is there a 'DOT' stamp on the sidewall?
I now see the DOT stamp but not reading the month & year of manufacture as I thought it would appear after the DOT stamp.
It could be a euro spec market tire ?

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Yes.

They are not real tyres.

Originally Posted by bobblehead

you bought them from Chinese online site.

FAKE. I don't see date of manufactured.

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Are knock off tires a big issue?
I hadn't really considered it before.

Originally Posted by BeEmVe

My suggestion is to contact Dunlop. Mfg. are sensitive to counterfeit issues.

Originally Posted by K_style

I personally never seen a counterfeit tire before... Learn something today,,,

Originally Posted by Brigand

As mentioned, look for DoM.

There was a big thing over here a while back with Michelin getting hit heavy with counterfeit tyres.

Obviously the main thing with counterfeit tyres is lack of testing and you just do not know if it will go at anytime.

Admittedly, a lot of counterfeits come from the same plant as makes the genuine article, just the work is carried out 'after hours'...

Originally Posted by Turbmando

Your tires are most likely real. The DOT week and year is only required on one side of the tire. Your tires are ZR and I do not believe the speed rating needs to be on the sidewall, it is considered open-ended. See this link from Toyo:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...8TJylgislM8rSA

The fact that these are non run on flat most likely means you have an older product. Check your DOT year and search online to see if a non run on flat product existed during that time.

Lastly contact Dunlop

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

All the pics are of the outside of the tire. Any pics of the inside of the tire?

And yes, counterfeit tires are a thing.

Seems strange to buy tires from China that were "Made in Germany"?

Consumer Reports recently did a tire test between several lower end tires. One of them performed really badly, turns out it was a counterfeit tire.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/n...risk/index.htm

Originally Posted by stranger

wow this is a scary thought. Never heard of anyone ever buying a fake tyre

Originally Posted by drewnel22

Probably fake. Not sure why you would buy tires off Alibaba. Do they even sell any genuine items?

Originally Posted by Brigand

Europe was flooded with them back in 2005+.

A number of companies were hit.

Michelin I thInk were hit the most.

Tyres is one area I would never skimp on.

They are pretty much all that lies between you and a nice wooden Box.

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Sorry man but ..

Originally Posted by GRANTLDN

If it's too good to be true then it probably is

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

Exactly.

What accelerates the car? Engine? Nope, the engine powers the wheels, it's the tires that accelerate the car.

What stops the car? Brakes? Nope, the brakes just slow down the wheels, the tires stop the car.

What turns the car? The steering? Nope, the steering just turns the wheels, the tires turn the car.

Tires are the absolute most important part of the car.

A car weighing 3500 lbs with 35 PSI in the tires will have a total contact patch of 100 sq inches, or average 25 sq inches per tire. That is the only thing making contact with the road. Buy the best damn tires you can get.

Originally Posted by chris82

So you cheaped out, and now you have tires that you suspect are counterfiet and could very well BE counterfeit. Wonderful

Originally Posted by David70

If you really don't care you should just skip the fakes and buy one of the Chinese tire brands that no one has heard about and if things go bad will open under a different name tomorrow.

Personally not worth saving some percentage of a decent brands cost and getting something I have never heard about, don't know if they build a quality product, don't know if they meet required tests and don't know if they will be in business tomorrow.

Also wouldn't buy a product from Alibaba that was safety related.

Originally Posted by AM4ZING

You can buy anything off Alibaba lol wouldn't be surprised if they've been re-carved lol

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Who in the world buys tires in Alibaba!!!! Your life depends on them them!!!! Wouldn't you buy tire on eBay or Amazon??? Where do you live!!!!! have you heard of fake tires blowing in the middle of a highway while going 80 mph??? People get killed by that. Get rid of those tires ASAP. Did the add says that they were fake? Complain about it, call Dunlop, call Obama and get good tires from a reputable shop or vendor.

Hi everyone,

I sent an email to Dunlop, I gave them the DOT and detailed photos of the tires.

They finally replied!!
They said the tires are LEGIT! This is really good news

Tires were manufactured at GOODYEAR EUROPE (Goodyear also owns Dunlop) that is why we can't find it in the US. I think these tires are not being sold in the US that is why Tire Rack and other online shops don't have them.

My tires don't have "service description" example: (108Y) because they are Z rated tires (>149MPH). And not all Z rated tires are required to have a Service Description.


I found these websites that sell the similar tire:
325/30ZR21

http://www.zaverski.com/pnevmatike/5...ORT-MAX-XL-MFS

http://www.gume-vulko.si/dunlop-325-...-5452000542618

As we can see, they are in a different language. And the price is also almost similar to the ones I've purchased.
They are not run flats. The tires sold in the US on the other hand, are only available in runflats.


Anyway, we should still always be careful in buying anything off the internet so as not to encounter any problems, BECAUSE COUNTERFEIT TIRES REALLY DO EXIST.

Take care guys.

[F30guy]

This is exactly what I was thinking. Tires are the last thing you want to buy from alibaba.

Originally Posted by M3Bimmer77

Who in the world buys tires in Alibaba!!!! Your life depends on them them!!!! Wouldn't you buy tire on eBay or Amazon??? Where do you live!!!!! have you heard of fake tires blowing in the middle of a highway while going 80 mph??? People get killed by that. Get rid of those tires ASAP. Did the add says that they were fake? Complain about it, call Dunlop, call Obama and get good tires from a reputable shop or vendor.

[Anchored]

You lucked out.

[drexplode]

Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a Chinese e-commerce company that provides consumer-to-consumer, business-to-consumer and business-to-business sales services via web portals. Wikipedia

Stock price: BABA (NYSE) $78.78 -0.18 (-0.23%)
Aug 7, 7:34 PM EDT - Disclaimer
CEO: Daniel Zhang
Founded: April 4, 1999, Hangzhou, China
Headquarters: Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Founders: Peng Lei, Jack Ma


Alibaba sounds like the dollar store of the internet. I hear they have lead based lolli's on sale. Anyone interested?

[Wolf 335]

The whole idea behind a good couterfit item is that it's hard to tell the difference from the original.

There is really no way of trully telling if these are real or not just by the photos, regardles of what Goodyear says.

Unless you start testing rubber compound and disecting the tire youll never really know.

[csu87]

Who buys important stuff off Alibaba? Almost everything on there is a knockoff

[F30lolz]

OP, as long as your tires aren't carbon fiber it's all good.

[bobblehead]

... back to the drawing board, OP.

Just be careful (esp driving at high speed) if you are going to leave those tires onto the vehicle.

[bmwstve]

Originally Posted by bobblehead

... back to the drawing board, OP.

Just be careful (esp driving at high speed) if you are going to leave those tires onto the vehicle.

Yes thanks I will soon order a set of Michelins to be sure.

Will have these Dunlops as extra tires in my garage

[Ginger_Extract]

Shame on you for buying TIRES, which are important safety items, from a site like Alibaba.

[WingZeroX5]

Lol, this is so fake. JA is made in CHINA.

Pics said it's made in germany
Plant code doesn't match

[MalibuBimmer]

Ah, the Chinese. I recently represented a client who had invented a new medical implant device and needed small plastic extrusions made from special plastic FDA-approved materials. We dealt with one of the most reputable manufacturers in China, but never told them what the part was for because we knew we'd be ripped off. We obtained 2 kilos of the special plastic from one of the two manufacturers in the world who make the stuff in Switzerland. They shipped the stuff directly to the manufacturer. The extruded parts absolutely have to be made of this material and we told the place we were dealing with.

So we eventually got a couple thousand parts. None of them appears to have been made from the FDA-approved plastic material. So we were ripped off by our own manufacturer, people we were planning to have a lengthy business relationship with. As for the plastic material, worth a few thousand dollars, we have no idea where it went. Maybe it will find its way into some dog food to be sold in the United States.

My client is now going to "buy American" where quality control is possible. China? Not in our lifetimes. And, strangely enough, in China counterfeiters who are caught (in certain industries at least) receive the death penalty after a "trial."

[bmwstve]

Originally Posted by DrFerry

The DOT Plant Code is included in the character string and yours = JA1R molded on the sidewall. Now when one looks up the plant location code = JA one gets…. LIAONING PERMANENT TYRE CO., LTD. CHAOYANG CITY, LIAONING, CHINA (see bottom of the list here http://www.harriger.com/tire5.htm). However, the tire has made in Germany molded into the sidewall, which doesn't jive with and Chinese plant code. Moreover, at the end of the DOT code character string should be the date of manufacture for example = 5215 meaning made in week 52 of 2015. Your tires show no DOT week. You can read more about how to read a DOT code here (http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=11). You should immediately call Dunlop Customer Service and alert them to potential counterfeiting scam. Seems the Chinese plant may have used their real DOT plant code (or hijacked a real one) BUT it doesn't seem like a German Dunlop plant code from what I could find.

Hi, Sorry, I didn't notice your message until just now.
Thank you for noticing my mistake in the email.

The whole DOT is:
Front: K52D JA1R
Rear: K5CB JA1R

I think the plant code is K5 based from this http://www.michelin.ca/tires-101/tir...-sidewall.page

and K5 based from your link http://www.harriger.com/tire6.htm is made in VEB REIFENKOMBINAT FURSTENWALDE, GERMANY

and the JA1R is Dunlop's own manufacturing tire code.

K5= Plant Code
2D/CB= Tire size code
2D= 285/35 21 GY(GoodYear)
CB= 325/30 21 GY
Based from this source: http://www.barrystiretech.com/rmadotcoding2009.pdf

JA1R= Dunlop's own code but I can't find an online article on how to read this code.

As for the manufacturing date, it says 0715 and 0815. The manufacturing date is on the other side of the tire (not shown in my pictures). I checked all tires, they are only printed on 1 side of each tire and not both sides.

Anyway, I'm I"ll just buy a new set of Michelins to get over with this and just to be safe.

Thanks man.

[MalibuBimmer]

What did you originally pay for the 4 tires?