Fake BHM

[eds]

Hi everyone,
I've just bought some BHM at £40 less than the standard price on January offer at an online vendor. It's arrived today (very prompt service I do have to say) but it's not BHM! It's much, much smaller, still with the whole in in the centre but it's not Momotaro but has a rhyming name!

What should I do? Is it going to perform the same? (I'm worried the much smaller construction is going to block and not handle the solids like the proper stuff I currently have) Is it going to alter my water chemistry? (I don't want to raise the TDS any further)

As far as I am concerned I have two bits of legislation to back me up if I want to return it. The first is the distance purchasing laws and the second is the sale of goods act, as is this isn't what it was sold as. The question is is it worth the £40 less or should I return both boxes for a full refund and wait and get the proper stuff?

Looking forward to your opinions and advice guys as I'm unsure what's best to do.

[fishboyfishy]

I think when your paying this much for media, is £40 really that big a saving?

BHM is BHM for a reason, if it aint what you expected, I wouldn't risk it!

Darren at A4 has BHM, give him a call, he won't rip ypu off!

[benyiii]

Yes agree and thats no sale 100quid is the proper price. Gotta say the material dont look right at all as the holes are much smaller and not sure itsas porous at all. If it were 50quid or less than may be worth a go but for 100quid may as well spend 40 more and get the proper stuff.

Was it sold as Momotaro BHM as if not, im not sure anything against selling a media as simply bakki house media???

[colin]

I would get your money back if possible as well! But it would be rather interesting to find out if it does perform as well Momotaro BHM!

Colin

[Gazza]

Hi Ed,

I would imagine it all depends on what is was sold as and if all the names are the same and haven't a clue if it will work like BHM or not the things about BHM is the very high temperature it is fired to and the clay that is used and then if i remember correctly it takes three weeks to cool down so its a very long process and expensive one hence the cost.

[TerryKoi]

My look on this would be : say it was sold under a completely different name would you still have bought it at £100 a box for a unknown and untested (by any one on here at least) media, at the end of the day if its not BHM that's why its cheaper.
Don't no how you stand with the return postage cost.

Regards Terry

[Thorny]

I am a great believer in if things look to good to be true, they usually are. Dont think it matters which of the stockist of BHM You buy from it will always be £140 a box.

[a4koi]

if i was you i would call m*****m and tell him you are not happy and he will refund you as it is not what it says on his website as the photo shows you 2 types of media ?

there are very few dealers that sell momotaro bhm in the uk
but there are lots of dealers have the copy bhm from china what is not the same and it will not do the same job as i have a sample of the copy / fake media ???????????? and wen you look at both of them side by side there is a big diffrence in size colour and smell and the size of the porus holes in the fake media do not go in as far as the momotaro bhm so the fake media will oly work to the outside surface only .

the real problem with the fake bhm is the if you just dont know what the real stuff looks like the you will just think it is the real macoy and you have had a great deal and all those selling the momotaro bhm are just ripping everyone off withthe price tag of £140 per box .


if there is going to be a copy of the bhm why dont they call it something else and sell it as a diffrent media rather than just ride of the back of something else ?

you will also hear the story that i have heard that the copy media is made at the same factory but momotaro just have there own boxs made up with there name on it ? this is not the case as it is only made for momotaro in japan and not made in china were the copy comes from


thanks darren

[eds]

Don't disagree with any of that at all guys. If I had known it wasn't the real stuff I wouldn't have bought it (pretty much regardless of price) and I only bought it as I thought it was BHM. I took the sale on face value and assumed it was a loss-maker or something. Let's face it, it was wishful thinking and I should have known better. I bought it as I am trying to slowly build up the amount I have ready for a new pond or filter switch and want the stuff that's going to last.

[Mike Snaden]

Sorry to hear of your disappointment Ed,

The media you refer to is called Nano**** and is indeed a cheap copy that costs a fraction of the price of the genuine media. This media is not the same ceramic composition as genuine Bacteria House, and isn't fired properly either. Consequently, it is nowhere near as porous as the genuine stuff and will quickly block. If you have any genuine BHM, try blowing through it as if it were a mouth organ... you can breath through BHM but will suffocate if you attempted it with the copy. Also, when this media is mature, it becomes incredibly soft and crumbly... try it, you'll see what I mean.

Unfortunately, there are three fakes that I am aware of so far, all of which are made in China.

MTK in Japan only manufacture BHM for Momotaro. Mr Manami is a close friend of Mr Maeda, so won't manufacture for anyone else. If you want genuine BHM, be sure to only buy it from a recognised dealer of it. We are currently building a new website solely for Bakki Showers, and the dealers of it will be listed there. If in doubt, email me mike@yumekoi.com and I will happily verify it for you.

Best regards,

Mike.

[eds]

Cheers Mike. I have proper stuff I bought from Darren previously so the difference in size and porosity is clear to see. After sleeping on it I'm going to ask for my money back, just checking the legalities of it before I do but in my opinion this comes under the Sale of Goods Act as well as the Distance Selling Regulations and Counterfeit Goods (If Bacteria House Media is a registered term for Momotaro???)

[Mike Snaden]

Hi Ed,

Yes, the name is registered, so technically counterfeit.

If you send it back, keep a piece and put it in your shower for a few weeks. You will find that it becomes so delicate that you can literally snap it in one hand, I kid you not! I can only imagine that perhaps their idea of kiln firing it, is putting in the oven on gas mark 4 for 20 minutes

Mike.

[Brek]

Interesting, I almost bought some £99 BHM from an online watergarden, advertised as gen BHM wonder if its the same stuff, under sale of goods act distance selling regs your have right to full refund inc carraige.

[Chagoiboy]

Distance selling act, you have 7 days to return if unused, no question.

[eds]

Cheers guys. I won't keep any Mike as if I get the money back it isn't my property. I believe you though! It feels a lot less solid and looks very different.

E-mail will be sent today as I haven't had time yet.