This morning, the Automotive Lift Institute, Inc. (ALI), announced that counterfeit bus lift inspection labels dating back to 2016 have been discovered in various parts of New York.
The fairly believable looking labels began to attract attention over the past few months. “Various vehicle service lifts have been reported to display counterfeit inspection lift labels bearing ALI’s Certified Lift Inspector mark,” the organization stated. “Use of this counterfeit mark unethically leads shop owners, service technicians, Department of Transportation inspectors, and Occupational Health and Safety officials to believe that an inspection performed by an ALI certified inspector had occurred.”
ALI alleged in its announcement that Gemco Garage Equipment Corp. was involved in the incident, primarily in three New York City-areas.
The ANSI-accredited product certification organization stressed that, “These fraudulent labels resemble ALI’s annual inspection label but have been applied by a company that is not affiliated with ALI in any way. Representation of ALI’s registered mark on labels such as the one in the image presented above is not authorized. Automotive lifts bearing the label depicted should have this label removed immediately, and the lift should be reinspected by a qualified lift inspector.”
ALI officials stressed there have been “no reports of damage or injury presented to ALI related to this counterfeit inspection service.”
According to ALI, the counterfeit labels “were found in multiple automotive shop facilities throughout Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island. If you have contracted the services of Gemco Garage Equipment Corp., said to be located at 15375 Rockaway Boulevard, Jamaica, NY, be advised that this company is not eligible to use ALI’s Lift Inspector Certification mark, it is not affiliated with ALI, and ALI intends to prosecute this unethical approach that undermines public trust and lift safety. Consumers with lifts bearing these labels … are advised to contact ALI immediately and seek out inspection services from a qualified lift inspector.”
ALI also requested that consumers consult the Directory of ALI Certified Lift Inspection Providers to locate only certified inspectors, at http://www.autolift.org/find-a-certified-auto-lift-inspector
Legitimate inspection badges provided by ALI.
