Authentic filmtec membranes!!!!

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we thought we would expand the reefers knowledge of what to look for in future when purchasing a r.o.unit as there has been alot of fowl play in the trade.

well we all know that the best reverse osmosis membranes on the planet are filmtec!
and it was inevitable that people would try to copy them.
the truth is many have and all failed.
there are a few other brands that have a good reputation but none as strong as filmtec for its economical, robust, efficiant performance with maximum results.

so then came along those who realised they could rob the end user ands make a quick buck by simply pulling off the sticker on the film casing of any budget membrane and replace it with a filmtec membrane sticker that could be made at any digital printer.

i heard this story from the filmtec agent about a year ago but never thought anything of it as this was all occuring overseas......well that is until 4 months ago
when we noticed some of our clients telling us they had been offered some r.o.units with filmtec membranes for ridiculous prices.
i called the filmtec agent who confirmed it was possible that a few water purification importers had bought these membranes (some knowing and others without knowing) and have pushed them through in there machines.
we began to investigate and boy did we find a rat.

it became so bad that we had people sending there units (which were not even ours....to us for inspection and repair) costing them even more money.

anyway filmtec have since begun to take care of the matter and therefore you will notice that from now on there membranes look like picture no.2
they have changed there label and added hologram writing and logos, aswell as encrypted codes with batch numbers etc etc aswell as standard bar codes.
further more if you read the label, you can see a formal warning to those trying to copy the label.

so make sure when purchasing you get membranes that look like picture 2 ond not like picture 1

so bottom line ......if you in the market for a r.o.unit and you think you getting a good deal.......ensure the following.

1) your supplier issues you with a membrane that looks like picture no.2

2) ask the supplier for his certificate of approval from filmtec as proof that they are certified filmtec dealers and thus the membranes are authentic as seen in picture no 3

3) if supplier issues with a membrane that looks like no 1 ask for a dealer certificate, if they cant issue you with one.....simply walk away

i feel like isabel jones here.......lol....well at least you guys , the end user have learned something new today and have the power to stop some con artist from stealing your money and potentialy harming your marine eco-system.....

cool


picture 1 - old membrane

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picture 2 - new membrane

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picture 3 - certificate of approval

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spread the word guys......
the drinking water trade has been hit pretty hard by all this fraud, leaving the end user (the customer) with inferior product for premium price.

from reports from lfs' that have contacted us , i can tell you there are quite a few who have landed up with these membranes......most of them bought them from a company which i cannot name just yet as they still under investigation.

what i can tell you is about 4 differant companies had been e-mailing price lists to most lfs stores and water purification outlets for the last 4 to 6 months
 
for sure!!!
however the end user now has the tools to be well informed.

if you ever in doubt , take a pic of the encrypted code and send it to us along with any other details you can get from the membrane label and i'll send it to filmtec for verification.....
 
Not good! Marco, I've seen many other suppliers selling RO units for marines, do you think they could be selling pirated filters? how could they check autentication if they have the "old" type marked filter?

I suppose the pritated filters would also have a high PPM?
 
Not good! Marco, I've seen many other suppliers selling RO units for marines, do you think they could be selling pirated filters? how could they check autentication if they have the "old" type marked filter?

I suppose the pritated filters would also have a high PPM?


if they are accredited and buy the membranes from the agents then no hassels....just ask for there certificate,
problem comes in with the importers.

we import from around the world, we do 2 containers a year of housings, fittings, tubing, from one country, 1 container of cartridges from another, 3 containers of industrial 1500 litre per hour to 5000 litres per hour machines from another, and we fly in membranes and t.d.s meters from one country and the wiseman klein t.d.s meters from another.

some companies buy all from one source, and this is where the biggest problem lies as they will order a few boxes of membranes on there shipment some filmtec, some appiled, some g.e, some vontron, and a host of other brands, if the agent overseas is dodgy, well you know how it goes.....the boxes get packed with imitations branded as the real deal.

trick is to buy from the source, and keep your nose kleen, if the end user doesnt want to pay premium....then he wont get premium.....
what pisses me off is when the end user pays premium and gets rubbish....while someone has a pocket full of cash:nono:
 
well this is so easy for me to avoid - I'll just keep with my trusted supplier for the past 4 years - the waterboy :p
 
just got the official letter from DOW - FILMTECH e-mailed to me, it was sent out around the world in November last year already......only now is the s.a market getting wammed with this crap
thought id post it so you can be well informed before buying inferior r.o.machines with
counterfeit membranes.

IMG_0001.jpg
 
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heads up reefers

we had about 5 calls over the last two weeks from non clients with complaints and problems they encountering with dodgy marine r.o.units making there rounds in jhb and cape-town..............
most common problem found was housings cracking and t.d.s readings rising to over the 130 's either immediatly or within a few weeks......
we dont want to name and shame the the brands but keep a heads up.........
it saddens us when people who dont specialise in there field or the hobby, try to play the market by offering lower prices and they take no recourse for damages made to the aquarist in the matter of a few water changes..............
i have redirected the people who made contact with us to where they purchased the units and told them to take action aswell as guided them where to get official testing done with certifictation as proof............seems like these suppliers will be spending alot of there "quick profits" supplying there newly lost clients with phospahete removal and algae removal medias aswell as salt for water changes in future:yeahdude:

Remember to ask For certification and authorised dealer details if purchasing elsewhere
as-well as membrane codes or approval of genuine items..........
especially if its the worlds best FILMTEC brand as alot of companies just buy cheap rolled membranes and try to change the sticker on the membrane to sell there item....refer to the first few threads on this page with the documentation regarding this

we Supply filmtecs top quality brand with all certification
and will be revising our dealer and agents list throught south africa this week as we have had various reports of clients asking the agents for our products and being sold imitations
especially in the jhb market.

watch this space!
 
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