I sure as heck ain't buyin' no more from Amazon. I ran over to O'RAeilly and paid $15 a piece. Now I'm mad but happy.
I hate thieves!
Oh, for sure! The most disrespectful thing you can do is steal, particularly from those that work. We have a special kind of hatred for thieves. And we paid about the same for our plugs, lol.. same ballpark..
I *was* going to make a new thread, however I just had an experience very recently with the
scare or threat of fake (NGK) spark plugs. The tl;dr version is that the plugs were in fact authentic and I got a GREAT deal.
The longer version shares more details on the topic (of, specifically, real NGK plugs and fake NGK plugs.)
Firstly, my experience involved EBay not Amazon. I've bought parts off Amazon for about the past two years possibly three... I find I prefer EBay for specifically auto parts. Navigate through what are sometimes strange and generic blanket descriptions and you can usually find what you are looking for. I prefer EBay to Amazon. I would use Amazon in limited circumstance.
I purchased NGK plugs from EBay. I bought from a third party seller. I chose a low, but not the lowest, price.
Here is a key point: I chose NGK Ruthenium HX.
This is important because the NGK rep told me that their two most faked plugs are Laser Platinum and Iridium IX. Personal note: I purchased both of those for use on my vehicles previously, as well as G-power and V-power. I like and prefer NGK products for spark plugs on Japanese cars.
Another tl;dr - the tech said they either "have not" or "have not really" encountered any fake NGK Ruthenium HX plugs.
He told me that the fakes come from China, and that while customs is more on alert for these things now, some still slip through.
In my instance.. The packaging looked clean and crisp, printing looked rich and full in color. For the box/packaging.
As to the plugs themselves: The metal looked clean not dirty, there were not any machine marks. And this is where the differences between the products become apparent.. whereas on a Laser Platinum, if it says
only JAPAN on it, that could indicate a fake; on a Ruthenium HX, that is exactly as it should be, and indicated genuine. Also the special weld on the ground insulator that is said to make more (most?) complete combustion. They said that would be harder to fake.
A poster said it would only be a matter of time before "they" (they = the fake and counterfeit plug manufacturer facilities in China, that then steal the NGK name and put it on their fake product) make a fake Ruthenium HX. I don't know about that.. That one would be too obvious. The Laser Platinums have a dimple that can be faked and fool the naive...
Here is some info on what to look for in a fake plug, since we are on this topic: (again, the information for a Laser Iridium is not 100% interchangeable with a Ruthenium HX, but still is very helpful for generalities.)
Also, the phone number for NGK if you want to ask them based on Lot # if you have a real or fake plug if in doubt is
NGK CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-877-473-6767, dial #3
hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm
Monday-Friday EDT
Beware of fake NGK spark plugs: 5 step guide how to identify fake vs genuine by NGK spark plugs technical experts ✓
www.ngkntk.com
Again, I hope all this info has been helpful. NGK verified mine were real.. 4 for $48 for Ruthenium HX was a good deal, but not a too good to be true deal.
NGK also reminds me that their plugs have a special plating and the tech told me that they are made to be put in dry, FWIW.
No anti sieze. I'll just leave that there, but that is the school of thought I am subscribing to on the matter. (They also told me they should be torqued to between 18 to 22 ft/lbs.)
They say to buy plugs at a brick-and mortar store; If you're like me, and want a good deal (lower price) online.. I use EBay and I will seek out the seller I bought from, now that I know they sold me an authentic, good product.
Be careful with Amazon. Call the number and check, would be my advice.