The president of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, filed charges of consumer deception against the companies Lord and Polskie Sklepy Clothing (Lavard brand).
Information about the actual raw material composition of clothing should be found on labels or package inserts. The consumer cannot verify this information himself and must rely on the manufacturer’s or distributor’s specification. The composition of the materials used influences consumer decisions – their assessment of the quality, application, price of the product. Sometimes it even applies to health and safety, when the choice of the right material is due to allergies. The type of fabric is also important to how the garment is used or maintained. Washing or ironing that is not adapted to the actual composition of the clothing can lead to deterioration, loss of value or even destruction.
Trade Inspectorate inspections and detailed laboratory tests showed cases that the raw material composition of clothing declared by distributors of the Lord and Lavard brands did not correspond to reality – consumers were misled as to the type and percentage composition of the used fibres. The investigation revealed significant mismatches between the declared and actual composition of the raw material, for example a complete lack of wool, while the label contained information about about 70% of it. participation.
Chróstny: We help the consumer
– Consumers have the right to reliable information about the characteristics and quality of the product, it is necessary to make an informed purchase decision. In the case of clothing, buyers cannot independently check whether the specification on the tag or insert is true. They must be able to rely on the specification of the trader responsible for the product. We help consumers and test the composition of various products in accredited laboratories of the Bureau for Competition and Consumer Protection to determine whether the statements are true. We periodically inspect clothes and check their quality to ensure that consumers have access to correct information about the composition of the raw material, says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.
UOKiK, in cooperation with the Trade Inspectorate, regularly checks the labeling and quality of clothing available in wholesalers and shops – both women’s, men’s and children’s clothing are checked. In 2021, inspectors assessed 780 batches of formal menswear. Unfortunately, the percentage of irregularities is still comparable to previous years, namely 26 percent.
Big differences
From the documentation in the possession of UOKiK and provided by the Trade Inspectorate for the purposes of the procedure currently under way, it appears that the investigated: 11 samples of Lord brand clothing – as many as 10 had no declared raw material composition; 27 samples of Lavard clothing – as many as 24 did not have the specified raw material composition.
Proceedings against the companies Lord and Polskie Sklepy Clothing are further actions to check whether the statements of entrepreneurs are reliable. In March 2022, the president of UOKiK, Tomasz Chróstny, imposed a total fine of more than PLN 2.1 million on the formal menswear manufacturers: Kubenz, Recman and Dastan Logistics.
If the allegations against the companies Lord and Polskie Sklepy Clothing are confirmed, the entrepreneurs risk a fine of up to 10 percent. marketing.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
