Pep Boys and Baja imports

The Pep Boys -- Manny, Moe & Jack -- aren't smiling. Last week, the Philadelphia-based national automotive aftermarket and service chain agreed to pay $5 million in civil penalties for importing and selling Chinese motorcycles, recreational vehicles and engines that did not comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements.
Baja Inc., the Phoenix-based supplier of the ATVs and other vehicles, is also settling with the federal government. It has agreed to pay $25,000.
"Equipment imported into the United States that does not meet our pollution control rules is bad for human health and the environment, and unfair to those companies that play by the rules," the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance said in a statement released May 10.
The vehicle- and engine-importation case is the largest ever brought by the government under the Clean Air Act. The complaint alleged that Pep Boys and Baja imported and sold at least 241,000 illegal vehicles and engines between 2004 and 2009 -- sales that resulted in 620 tons of excess hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions and more than 6,520 tons of carbon monoxide emissions, the EPA said.
Under the settlement the EPA reached with Pep Boys and Baja, the two firms are required to offset the excess emissions from the vehicles and engines sold, and Pep Boys will need to export or destroy more than 1,300 noncompliant vehicles and engines. The firms will also need to reimburse consumers for emissions-related repair expenses and offer free extended emissions warranties on certain vehicles and engines.
At least 45 models imported and sold by Pep Boys and Baja failed to meet federal emission standards; the vehicles and engines were built by more than 35 manufacturers in China.
-- LA TIMES
May 17, 2010 | 11:04 am

:clap::clap::clap:

About time federal agencies starting doing their jobs and checking imports from China. The sad part of this is that it's the greedy American companies that have to pay the bill instead of greedy Chinese companies that created the problem.

There's a reason the Chinese are winning the global trade war and both sides are to be blamed the problem.

Cheers!
ChinaV

The liability begins at the port, vehicles have to meet specification and sidestepping that is the liability of those that do it, Baja did it and then handed it to PEP Boys.
They did not fine Baja in force because it would have shut them down and then all that bought Baja products would then be what higher and drier, higher and drier then they are already are with those products and with Baja “supporting” them?
I will go out on a limb here and say that none of the products they sell have any sort of servicing documentation, some do not even have owners manuals or parts books.
I would say that documentation as well as it not spitting out excessive hydrocarbons is important…before its sold to consumers.
So once it enters the port its the liability of who imported it, its totally and wholly their responsibility and linked legally through agency. The hammer fell were it should under the law.
Baja should not have got off lite, they should have gotten the full penalty. The virtual model they are offering is not something that should be favored by anyone. They are avoiding accountability and responsibility.
The “coming soon” is BS they should all be required to have documentation! Not just EPA conformity but all that is needed to support the products. There are all kinds of people searching for information on the products.
The whole industry is like an episode of Jerry Springer.

Meanwhile fat westerners (I won't just single out the USA) all over the world produce billions of tons of emission gasses in keeping themselves in relative luxury with air-conditioning, heating and surrounded by throw away consumer goods. They rape and destroy the earth and its peoples to ensure they can 'cruise ' in comfort a few more miles, a few more years. And on the other hand a few billion Chinese and Indians race to catch up, doing just the same things and self-indulgent self- satisfied intelligentsia talk about it on the Internet using high-tech, high emission devices and methods and congratulate themselves on a very minor victory that is meaningless compared to what they themselves produce in their own complacent lives.

Total hypocrisy, nonsense, a farce. Get real. The world is destroyed by evil and greed and stupidity and that is led by the western world at this phase of history. Nothing changes, just the faces of the fools as they clap and the innocent as they suffer and die.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jape

The world is destroyed by evil and greed and stupidity and that is led by the western world at this phase of history. Nothing changes, just the faces of the fools as they clap and the innocent as they suffer and die.

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I'm afraid the Chinese have caught up Jape. The progress of China is far beyond what the average Westerner can imagine. They have more air conditioners, more cars, bigger cities, and far less accountability and awareness when it comes to environmental matters.

So the EPA did their job and checked emissions, I think that's a small victory. Now the DOT should do their job and get the rest of the junk off the road. I'm sure the world would be "shocked" to find out how much of the safety approvals on these machines are bogus. I'm not trying to advocate for big brother, but we do have agencies in the western world for a reason. Imagine what the greedy corporations would push on us ignorant consumption pigs if these agencies didn't exist.

We could go on and on for hours citing examples of why the west sucks and why so many Chinese companies make poor products. I just find it a little disappointing that as the west has become more enlightened about sustainable development, countries like India and China have chosen to take the same path that screwed things up for everyone so badly.

Think I'll go burn some petrol... :riding:

Cheers!
ChinaV

G'day ChinaV, I don't exempt myself from consideration, just that I know what I do, I choose to do it and find my own balances where possible.

I believe the emissions and gas laws mentioned are a smoke-screen (;-0), not that in an equal and positive world they wouldn't have value but that they hide the root causes which are simple human nature. And they tend to hide the facts of the initial part of these equations, the raw materials - where they come from, by whom and how they are sourced/mined, who is suffering in the processing and manufacturing, the slavery and powerlessness that is the part of life for so may on this planet. The source of most of this is the wants and the simple greed of the plain ordinary self-satisfied citizen too complacent to think and to ready to punish any that are caught out supplying their greed (the greed is NOT that of the Chinese or the USA companies, it is OURS, the consumers), and then to crow about it. These laws started in part in California, one of the richest and most self absorbed societies of anywhere in the world, from an outside viewpoint anyway. They can afford the lies they delude themselves with, they live on the fat of others. Few hunger there, none are murdered in their beds alongside their children, by 'smart' missiles. It is a cruel delusion to think they are helping to save the world from the evils they themselves deal in.

I resent no-one who wants what I have.

The world is still and always was and will be one complex organism, not easy to redress the wrongs or balance the diverse wishes of the populations, but certainly not dealt with by fining a paltry few companies a paltry few million while the 'powers' and 'leaders' are so obviously corrupt and evil over generations.

I do like a rant on a grey saturday morning. As you say, lets go for a ride and forget about it all, cruise along while Rome burns!

I find it interesting that the L.A. Times reported this. If I am not mistaken, the corporate headquarters of the "big 4" are somewhere in the greater L.A. metropolitan area. If not all 4, then at least Honda is. Honda has had it in for the Chinese bikes since they started coming here. Lifan is still not California certified, coincidentally as they used to pose the biggest threat to Honda when they started coming en masse to the US a few years back (Honda is part of my anti-Chinabike conspiracy theories, especially for California :eekers:).

Let me now throw a spanner into this little discussion.

I just heard today that Shanghai authorities have decreed that from 1 July 2010, all motorcycles registered in the city will have to meet China's Level 3 emissions standard, which is actually more stringent than whatever the Level 3 European standard is called -- EC3? More to the point, of the seven or eight models in the H-D shop, only 3 meet this standard.

I'm hoping that for the JH600, it will be a simple step of refining the algorithm in the Bosch ECU. I suppose this is something Jialing will have to pay for...

Is Shanghai alone in this, or are other cities making similar moves?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by euphonius

Is Shanghai alone in this, or are other cities making similar moves?

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I think this regulation is for the whole country, but I'm not sure if it's just for newly registered motorcycles or all registered vehicles.

Pretty sure Europe is following EURO 3 currently for bikes, with EURO 4 going into effect by 2012.

Cheers!
ChinaV

I think it would be NHSTA that could expand the requirements, but ideally they would offer it as a value adding service. Data as in the requirement to propagate data tables with defined fields, the fields would be the specifications. That’s all the needed documentation, the information has to exist because a product cannot exist without it. Seriously if a component failure is life threatening then identifying it is necessary. It goes beyond emissions but include that and also assemblies and components.
When I read so many inquires as to who made my bike, its disturbing.
The underlying issues are not flattering, it may not be just the design that is copied, sometimes its actually the associated paper work as well. So being able to sell into this market should be a matter of documentation and that propagated in the source manufacturer. The designs the tests, the components all entered into data tables at the inception. The specification can be approved and if found later to be false then they get sent back or destroyed. But not just for emissions, it all should be exactly what it says it is and offer complete documentation. Having that and it being open to public view keeps it all in the market and actually free to compete, if a part or assembly of specific part are unique the rights are granted for exclusivity and set for a duration.
How difficult is that? I can assure you its not and those against it are against it because they are out side the rule of existing laws. Each unit getting a bar code and then collectively they ship and collectively tracked not only for that but for all other matters, like titling and registration as well as servicing and parts consumption.
It’s a common shared data system and would streamline the process and would be totally open and accountable.
To get access to the information it all would be primary on an assigned Vehicle Identification number and that associates it with all other associated data.
So advertising has to align on that, citing claims have to be based on that verified and confirmed data.
LOL it would be illegal to make false claims.
If it has to have emission test then can the VIN and related bar code be scanned and then propagate the data tables for that VIN? How about a Dyno test and related results?
I personally would like to see metrics on a WMI, like average labor rate or how about EPA sheets on them?
How about hyperlink to sites? You could really get advanced and map capital exchanges and associations.
I’ll go out on a limb….the future is all about efficiency and that’s a breakeven and mathematically profit and losses are equally as inefficient in the use of capital. That will be difficult to ever change, but looses are often walked away from or written off, but never profits those are always directed to a certain group. Those are who have you in fear of big brother they are gamming the system and brainwashing is part of that. But even they are brainwashed its all generational socialization and its ingrained. But in reality the future is all about diminishing resources and that’s ruled by supply and demand, its optimization is the break even. The competition is on that point and if not totally open and transparent its unattainable.
Doing it better for less meets demand at a better place on the line, if all open then the opportunity to be innovative exists.
But it is all really about the costs of living meeting the income at a break even or above and how high above is another issue and that’s about accountability to real and actual ability. In other words are you really worth that much or are you actually worth more?
Its all related to efficiency, we are just misguided and misdirected, thats all, its not growth that is ideal thats inflation, deflation is when you go to far it's the market trying to adjust. We need real metrics we need ratios and values it all has to be day lighted, no more secrets.
I have no issues with wealth and in a more perfect world that path to wealth would be a valid and verifiable one and likely highly admirable path. But I would say that in a more open society, a more fair society, maintaining that wealth through generations may be more challenging, I suspect that trust fund babies would not be that efficient to carry in a more efficient society. They would have to have an active role or they would be a burden to maintaining the wealth. LOL

Please Gentlemen, don't be so doomed. If we live, nothing are loose. Today on the world rising alternative structures, like for example "fair trade" net and others. South America inspire the rest of people's movements on the world to change thinking about society, community... The capitalist suckers expect some kind of "Big Bang", like in Russia in 1917. But the todays revolution has completely diffrent face. The revolution take place now, but in silence in shadow big westerns cities, skyscrapers. The Revolution is a built alternative structures that imperceptibly permeate the current system like a mold or something like that.

VIVA ZAPATA! :thumbsup:

That's what we old hippies and revolutionaries thought man. Still got sold out, jailed, shot, too stoned, too greedy etc and ended up with the skyscrapers and nightclubs being hit by planes and bombs, not mould. Viral society change? Nah, it is all a power trip and an illusion (on both sides). Its the devil we are dealing with and he is us! Just get your bike, love your missus, support your mates and riiiiide. That is is all there ever was and will be. The laws and the chaos are just the balance.

I'm not a hippie, beacuse I'm too young. Punk is my origin. I saw in my life two changes of system. So, the current world crisis for me and, I think, many peopple from East Europe, is the only another change. Today neoliberalism died. So, what "ism" will be next? Will this new "ism" be more peacefull or agressive? :D
You said: "law and chaos". I ask: Law by Who?
The emissin limits are a merchandise on market. Good merchandise for rich corporations. If they need some, they goes to buy it and everything is alright and accordance with the law. They don't need breaks the law. But small importer, who sold several ATVs without homologation for emission... this is a horrible criminal. Who knows? Maybe a terrorist from Al Kaida.

Yeah, I enjoyed punk too! Especially the girls with torn singlets and no bras.
Laws? Well it doesn't matter by whom. I disagree with all laws and prefer consensus, responsibility, commonsense, compassion. And if all else fails it comes down to a choice of using power or the strength to 'turn the other cheek'. I fail in that just about every time, hence 'the devil is us'.

Probably more pollution in one unnecessary trip to a tourist island by jumbo jet than in a lifetime of riding my bike I reckon.
You can do a lot in your lifetime if everyday you are mindful of waste and greed. No need to forget technology, just learn and research and make choices and accept responsibility. You won't stop any big corporation (or monarchy or empire or state or tribe or clan) using power for its own purpose until we survive another millennium as a world society and maybe evolve.

How many here ride big bikes when in reality a 250cc or less would do them fine? It is up to them but being mindful of what we do in such choices would do more for nature than suing a few companies, large or small. Production of a few plastic coated stickers supporting 'ecology movements' for the bike panniers probably costs the equivalent of a meal or six somewhere else. Just my few cents worth.

If they have to return or destroy 1300 products, that means that those products are not on the list of products that went through testing.
I can guess how that happened, they may have said they were something other than what they claimed to be at the port.
There are lists of products that are approved and if approved they are fully documented….but does that include technical documentation? Does it include access to parts and service documentation?
Hey I am a practical person the products are not that complex but they do have specifics that need to be defined and related to operation and maintenance.
Were is the check of that? I say yes it should have emission testing and DOT only means it has what is required to be ridden on the public roads, I would not assume its a safety test. But what about the relationship with operation and maintenance?
What I desire as a goal is low cost reliable and safe products in the market. I also would like a variety of choices within that. What is preventing that is both greed and ignorance.
So before it enters the port it should have a full set of linked documents, I keep saying it that its a Vehicle Identification Number and should be linked to all the information. It is and should be the primary code that links to all other necessary data, that’s all the needed documentation to ensure it is what it says it is and also so that collectively and objectively everyone as consumers can see the metrics of and related to it and also its performance in the market.
That’s what NHSTA the National Highway Safety Administration role is, if the VIN (model) has a propensity for its wheel to fall off they should see that and the manufacturer then obliged to address that inherent weakness in a design. The resolution documented on the associated VIN and for all to see.
　
These are metrics and if a one hundred enter the market then the parts associated with those the service associated with those all a matter of public record.
Maybe the concept of Big Brother policing bothers people…that’s really self defeating ignorance. The role of government should be primarily that of tracking numbers and data, then regulating on that in the open for all to see and based on actual know values and actual real derivations that some of us can see and understand. Mathematic are not subjective they are objective the more you see the more accurate the extrapolation.
If you want to address the future of mankind…I’d say you better have a quotient in the noggin higher then one hundred and thirty. Understand that many are functioning in or society with less then one hundred and if that’s the case they will or may never come to terms with their own ability to comprehend or compose the complex thoughts . So what is this revolution the legions of narcissistic learning disabled and developmentally handicapped rising up in self righteous ignorance? That’s what I get out of it, lead by average ordinary dickheads that use logical manipulation based on gut feelings?
The leaders of tomorrow need to be brilliant and not afraid to say sit down and shut the fuck up you dumb asses.
People that take everything personal is that evidence of the epidemic, the narcissism?
Tell me the total costs and I tell you what it is worth and based on your contribution to that value chain and I can tell you what your role is worth and that based on the actual cost of living. Oh please look around you have people that would struggle finding their way out of a paper bag making six figures. If the door is locked you can bet they are naked with their hands all over each other. Its a crime and a sin children even if the tree falls in a desolate forest it still generates wave lengths.

It s not a matter of opinion it’s the reality of values, real numbers and opening it all up to view.

Lol that was amusing to read. It all comes down, you seem to say, to a numerical value that is mathematically quantifiable? Or maybe I misunderstood you? Despite my Mensa IQ of 169!

There are other values and there are balances between such things as the individual and the society that are not just economically, politically or market-value based. 'Cost of living' for many is that they die from hunger while we debate emissions standards of our luxury goods and pastimes.

The old world control by European States or the USA model now in practice world-wide, especially the continued destruction of other civilisations does not contain any 'emission control' as far as heavy metal weapons, landmines and pharmacological products are concerned.

Nature is to live from the death of others, that I accept, but mensuration of minor details and prosecution of minor entities in the game just misses the point.

A single value….no, not a single value ,sets of values that are all interrelated. The value are all tracked in real-time data feeds. As you proceed you are a set of variables or values that are for the most part ratios. The sum of all cost is the cost of living it does have component costs and collectively that active value would be a math function. f(x) the variable would be time if active then real-time as it happens with no lag. You as in we all have either income or savings that we draw from to cover costs. So you could say f(x) = f(x) one function is money in and the other money out.
The cost of transportation….that as a percentage of the total costs.
The cost of housing…..
The cost of food
The cost of insurance
The cost of taxes
If your costs exceed your income then you usurp if your costs are below your income you’re a donor if it breaks even it’s a point of equilibrium. It is the point on the supply and demand curve and the point of optimization.
Each component cost has its own set of criteria and two sides and interrelated the more you get paid then the more the product costs and then those that buy it either pay more or are disfranchised.
A mensuration is a measurement of an area, we exist on a parcel of land it has area and the use of the space in value is a costs per square foot for one and then also the cost to maintain the space, related and interactive all part of it. If you are spending too much then your percentage of total cost relegated to that, doing better or perhaps not? Too much would compromise other needs or perhaps other obligations? Maybe the value is distorted and then that skews the allocation of resources and is inflationary and has a chain reaction across the economy.
Its all about running feeds through series of programs, its about artificial intelligence. A mensuration would be one criteria and for optimization values on land use, then other would be stochastic models and event probabilities….lots of value and lots of formulas.
All the numbers day lighted all the values out in the open not by name but collectively for revue and summarizations and analyses, currently claims are made that are not qualitative and certainly not quantitative they are often just lies and manipulations. Some people lie and then believe their own lies.
When the financial markets failed the transaction processing should have been separated from those that have conflicting interests to your optimizations, they actually force you to inflate and continue to borrow beyond the real and actual limits….the limits are hidden as are the real detriments. That’s already been proven and the results were to push the event further ahead the event is facing the fact its beyond a limit. The limit is real and can be or should be seen mathematically and not conveniently ignored as it is by those that simply cannot understand it.
The transaction processing has the information systems its the VISA network it’s the ATM network and its secure and it has interfaces that can support it. It could be and is sometimes called a dashboard and would be your set of data and within it you have choices, but if empowered then you have access to what only the rich have and that being able to game it. You could request optimization options and then see the options as real and legitimate choices instantaneously.
A better job and housing could result in a higher level of disposable capital, what if the job paid less and the housing cost less and the transportation cost less. Would you see the result being a higher residual balance as better? Would you see that you actually had more free time and more capital that’s disposable? Some might say why would I do dat it’s a step down!
I had my IQ tested when I was eleven and I did not ask to be measured….I never really thought much of it, but they said that I had the comprehension of a college student and it helped me understand why everyone seemed….so…dumb. It was my fifth grade math teacher that felt compelled to clock me…..do mensa men measure themselves often? The last person I heard make that claim…when asked whats the calculation for IQ he did not know it….I thought then how can you be mensa?
I checked it later in life…its a simple ratio your theoretical intelligence in age/actual age (20/11) multiplied by one hundred. But I was only tested on comprehension asked what did you read, asked questions about what was right in front of me. It was not valid the answers were right there.
Nothing really changes it just keep repeating in an endless loop, like a terrier chasing its tail. How long will it take for the monkeys to progress beyond flinging shit at each other in recourse? Perhaps one bright monkey can bring them all to reason?
Its all for amusement dude.