[bills_X3MC]

Fitted my carbon fibre seat back covers today. Oh they look amazing

[KayTees]

Yep, they look and feel amazing.

[anthemavm]

Do those just go over the plastic or replace them?

[///minh]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Do those just go over the plastic or replace them?

It'll go over with double sided tape.

[anthemavm]

Originally Posted by ///minh

It'll go over with double sided tape.

Looks great, but is it flush?

[MisPWR]

Love mine also, now I drive with the back windows down all the time 🤣😎

[DCC]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Looks great, but is it flush?

Good question. I like to know as well

[///minh]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Looks great, but is it flush?

Yes it does for the bottom piece. At certain angles, it'll look like it's not though but great fitment nonetheless.

[Shaun170]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Looks great, but is it flush?

They won’t be perfectly flush as your sticking something over something else which is flush to begin with but it’s so slight that it really won’t notice. I think they look like replacement parts rather than add on. Here’s a close up of mine.

[anthemavm]

Originally Posted by Shaun170

They won’t be perfectly flush as your sticking something over something else which is flush to begin with but it’s so slight that it really won’t notice. I think they look like replacement parts rather than add on. Here’s a close up of mine.

Thank you, looks great and appreciate the honest response and pictures.

[anthemavm]

Originally Posted by Shaun170

They won’t be perfectly flush as your sticking something over something else which is flush to begin with but it’s so slight that it really won’t notice. I think they look like replacement parts rather than add on. Here’s a close up of mine.

Thank you, looks great and appreciate the honest response and pictures.
Who did you but them from?

[95wildtt]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Thank you, looks great and appreciate the honest response and pictures.
Who did you but them from?

https://www.rgsportshop.com/index.ph...roduct_id=1426

[Shaun170]

Originally Posted by anthemavm

Thank you, looks great and appreciate the honest response and pictures.
Who did you but them from?

￡170.83 26％ Off | 2Pcs Dry Carbon Car Seat Decorate Back Seat Shell Trim for BMW M8 F91 F97 F98 G80 2020-2022
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrExYKa

They’ve gone up £20 since I bought mine. Carbon is flawless.

[spta97]

Originally Posted by Shaun170

￡170.83 26％ Off | 2Pcs Dry Carbon Car Seat Decorate Back Seat Shell Trim for BMW M8 F91 F97 F98 G80 2020-2022
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrExYKa

They’ve gone up £20 since I bought mine. Carbon is flawless.

I'm really beginning to think that that all the parts made in China are from the same factories and companies rebrand them and sell them at a markup.

I have no evidence to support this, but just bought a set of progressive turn signals off ebay for $35 or could have got the same from a known vendor for almost $200.

[M3Pilot09]

Originally Posted by spta97

I'm really beginning to think that that all the parts made in China are from the same factories and companies rebrand them and sell them at a markup.

I have no evidence to support this, but just bought a set of progressive turn signals off ebay for $35 or could have got the same from a known vendor for almost $200.

I guarantee your assumption is correct on many of these products. I thought about buying the $200 ones on alibaba

[spta97]

Originally Posted by M3Pilot09

I guarantee your assumption is correct on many of these products. I thought about buying the $200 ones on alibaba

Worth a shot - especially with the pics above.

I noticed this pattern on Amazon when reading reviews. This one guy said that all of these items (these were wheels for office chairs) were the exact same thing from the same place and to just buy what is cheapest. He was right.

I like to see good reviews but I have noticed a lot of products are literally the exact same thing with different markups.

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by spta97

I'm really beginning to think that that all the parts made in China are from the same factories and companies rebrand them and sell them at a markup.

I have no evidence to support this, but just bought a set of progressive turn signals off ebay for $35 or could have got the same from a known vendor for almost $200.

Yes and no.
I have helped my dad's business from buying bicycle parts from multiple manufacturers in China.
There are multiple scenarios on this.

1. Happens a lot of time. Reject products.
Manufacturers hired a company to destroy or recycled them. But in the process, there are bad workers that leaked them out and sell it on the side.

2. 50% chance happening. Original designer paid for the mold and contract a manufacturer to make, just say, 1000 unit. Manufacturer cheat and made 2000 unit and sells it on the side.

3. Also 50% chance. Mold need to be replaced after certain amount of production run.
Old mold are being sold as scrap metal by weight.
Somehow someway it got bought by 3rd party home manufacturing.

There are more which getting worst and worst.

All I can say (this is why I don't want to get into manufacturing, even though I grew up in manufacturing family and have manufacturing degree), support the original designer or manufacturer.
With supporting those cheaper knock-offs, more and more manufacturers are not going to spend their time and effort to design and make.

I got many inquiries on LCI Front lip. I talked to a few brands that I work closely and they said no.
Tired of getting knocked off.

For this particular product, I know for a fact that AutoTecknic spent money and effort in making them.
Because this item was my idea to them.
We bought OEM back seat, 3D scan it, made a mold, made a prototype, test fit it on my X3MC, until it is ready for production.

It is your money, you do you. Just don't be surprised that no one making things anymore.

[Bestle]

r33_RGSport Do you know if the Autotecknic covers are made in China?

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by Bestle

r33_RGSport Do you know if the Autotecknic covers are made in China?

I was told that they have factory in China.
I helped in test fitting a lot of their stuff, most of the time they have things before others do.

For example the red volume button.
This was my idea and I happened to have spare OEM button.

[DCC]

we need a CF center console for the LCI... the gloss black is driving me nuts

[Shaun170]

Originally Posted by spta97

I'm really beginning to think that that all the parts made in China are from the same factories and companies rebrand them and sell them at a markup.

I have no evidence to support this, but just bought a set of progressive turn signals off ebay for $35 or could have got the same from a known vendor for almost $200.

There are several sellers on Ali selling these covers at different prices but using the same photos to show the items. At the time I just picked the cheapest seller I could find. I thought like you that the sellers individually aren’t making them and it’s probably just one manufacturer selling them on, so in all likeliness they will be the same product on Ali from one source .

[spta97]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

Yes and no.
I have helped my dad's business from buying bicycle parts from multiple manufacturers in China.
There are multiple scenarios on this.

1. Happens a lot of time. Reject products.
Manufacturers hired a company to destroy or recycled them. But in the process, there are bad workers that leaked them out and sell it on the side.

2. 50% chance happening. Original designer paid for the mold and contract a manufacturer to make, just say, 1000 unit. Manufacturer cheat and made 2000 unit and sells it on the side.

3. Also 50% chance. Mold need to be replaced after certain amount of production run.
Old mold are being sold as scrap metal by weight.
Somehow someway it got bought by 3rd party home manufacturing.

There are more which getting worst and worst.

All I can say (this is why I don't want to get into manufacturing, even though I grew up in manufacturing family and have manufacturing degree), support the original designer or manufacturer.
With supporting those cheaper knock-offs, more and more manufacturers are not going to spend their time and effort to design and make.

I got many inquiries on LCI Front lip. I talked to a few brands that I work closely and they said no.
Tired of getting knocked off.

For this particular product, I know for a fact that AutoTecknic spent money and effort in making them.
Because this item was my idea to them.
We bought OEM back seat, 3D scan it, made a mold, made a prototype, test fit it on my X3MC, until it is ready for production.

It is your money, you do you. Just don't be surprised that no one making things anymore.

I hear you and understand and appreciate your perspective. But from a consumer view these are all products made in China and it is hard (impossible) to tell what is "original" and what is marked up beyond reason.

I have also seen the situation where products sold on Amazon have a markup because they are here in the US as opposed to waiting several weeks to get it (like a 300% markup). I saw this with a 12v test circuit board/power supply which uses a computer ATX power supply (you provide). Same exact product on Amazon for 300% more than Ali. It becomes a game of "how long can I wait?".

Perhaps the better thing to do for companies is to make this known and explain the situation - to the end consumer it just all appears as "made in China".

I feel differently if the product is made elsewhere (Germany, US, etc.) and often will pay a premium for some items as a result.