All Selle SMP saddles are comfortable and safe. Every day, we strive to give our saddles these features. So when we discovered the existence of fake Selle SMP saddles, we immediately took action to limit this phenomenon.
A bitter discovery at the trade fair in Taipei
It all began at the 2014 Taipei Cycle trade fair in Taipei. We discovered the first fake saddles at the stand of a Chinese company. Since then, many fake saddles have started to appear, not only at trade fairs but also on many Internet and e-commerce websites. Some of them are very well-known worldwide, whereas others are linked to local organisations in different countries around the world.
Fake Selle SMP Full Carbon: the most copied model
Most of the fake products on the market are reproductions of our Full Carbon model, the SMP saddle entirely made of carbon fibre and one of our most top products.
The saddle is not only lightweight but also designed down to the smallest detail in order to guarantee maximum physical and mechanical resistance for all cyclists, regardless of their body weight. It also undergoes many tests and its design is patented. This is why we can say that the Selle SMP Full Carbon saddle is comfortable and safe, like all our saddles.
How we have tackled the problem
Starting with these essential values and with the determination that sets us apart, we immediately decided to tackle the problem, in two different ways:
- Investigations and legal action in China: we tracked down the producers of fake saddles and launched a lawsuit against them, which we won, both in the first instance and on appeal.
- Online monitoring and crackdown: we started screening all sales platforms worldwide to identify fake products on sale. Then we destroyed every single advert selling fake products.
A question of safety
We also carried out many tests: both in-company and with the help of certified external bodies. We checked the difference between the performance of our original SMP Full Carbon and that of the Chinese company. The results showed completely different levels of stress resistance, clearly in favour of Selle SMP saddles.
It is therefore not a question of protecting our reputation with you cyclists. It’s about your safety, protecting you from the risk of buying low-quality products that put your safety at risk.
We have also received complaints from cyclists who are unaware that they purchased fake Full Carbon saddles, which proved to be of poor quality and broke.
The outcome of the battle against fake Selle SMP Saddles
Since 2014, we have destroyed more than 10,000 adverts for fake saddles on e-commerce websites worldwide. We can therefore say that the phenomenon has been significantly reduced. Of course, fakes are still being sold despite the fact that we have made a huge commitment and effort.
There is just one reason why we haven’t stopped battling against fake saddles, but it’s an important one. Forgery harms everyone: you as cyclists, us as a brand and everyone involved in the distribution chain. We will always be taking action to protect you and ourselves from this phenomenon.