My understanding is that plenty of companies, both in China and everywhere else, make products marketed as "OEM" and then the exact same thing not as OEM. The car parts marketplace (and, scarily, the airplane parts marketplace) is full of them. Maybe it is important to get OEM components for structural parts, although the Mazda dealership had no complaints about putting third party calipers on my Miata; they suggested it because of the cost of the OEM parts.

Which opens up a huge hole for "fake" products. If something is marked Louis Vuitton and is made in the same factory as the official Louis Vuitton item but is not sold by Louis Vuitton at the offiicial Louis Vuitton price, it is magically inferior? The Louis Vuitton people would say yes.

 

I agree with you. However, if an OEM Co. wants to become a T1 - Tier 1 - OE supplier, that co. has to sign an NDA with the OE Co. The OE Co. allows the OEM Co. to sell that particular product in the aftermarket industry with its name, logo, and PN. One thing the OEM Co. wouldn't do is, sell the same product to an aftermarket co. breaking the lucrative agreement with the OE Co. We're talking about producing 1M + spare parts for the OE Co., which isn't something that any OEM Co. would tear their agreement for a small pie in the aftermarket industry.

 

I'm not sure of what the guessing around is about, how to install?

There are many non oem filters out there, as long as the dimensions are the same....

I always install cabin filters so the writing can be read.

If the writing is upside down, most likely the filter is installed wrong.

 

With the OE or OEM CAF, the direction of flow is printed on the same side of the PN. No, guessing around, and is always right the first time.

 

“If something is marked Louis Vuitton and is made in the same factory as the official Louis Vuitton item but is not sold by Louis Vuitton at the offiicial Louis Vuitton price, it is magically inferior?”

In that situation, Mr. Vuitton might need to have a little talk with his supplier.