25 May 2013
So say almost 90 UK and international scientists; WHO states chemicals are ‘global threat that needs to be resolved’: EU considers market regulation
 
As the EU prepares to consider its position on the regulation of chemicals, a powerful group of scientists is arguing for much stricter controls.  Leading specialists have signed the 2013 Berlaymont Declaration calling on member states to introduce more rigorous testing of chemicals used in a huge variety of domestic and consumer products. 
 
What are EDCs (Endocrine disruptor chemicals)?
Phthalates and bisphenol A are among the chemicals that scientists are particularly worried about.  Belonging to a group known as EDCs (Endocrine disruptor chemicals), experts have found that these chemicals can have a significant impact on human, and animal, health. They affect hormones and the endocrine system that produces them, and sometimes mimic the action of hormones. 
 
Why are EDCs important?
Studies have shown that EDCs can affect the reproductive system and fertility, the likelihood of developing cancer, and the likelihood of developing obesity.  Indeed, Declaration signatories state that they can lead to ‘high and rising serious levels of disease’. They point to the striking increase in instances of breast cancer in the South and East of Europe, and to the significant jump in the number of cases of prostate cancer across the European Union, as particularly worrying.   
 
Considering the rise in the prevalence of particular cancers, in conjunction with the huge increase in diabetes cases and rocketing obesity levels, scientists suggest that mounting levels of hormone-related diseases cannot be explained by changes in lifestyle or by genetic factors alone.  Campaigners CHEM Trust also point out fertility problems such as the decrease in male sperm quality as posing a significant issue, related to exposure to EDCs.
 
Where are EDCs commonly found?
Endocrine-disruptor chemicals can be found in a huge range of everyday household items.  For instance, phthalates can be found in plastic items, from the dashboard of a car to floor coverings, from deodorant to shampoo. Bisphenol A can be found in sunglasses, till receipts, hard plastic bottles, drinks’ cans and food tins.
 
Because of concerns over the impact of these chemicals on the development of babies and young children, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) moved to reduce their use in babies’ bottles and other products three years ago.  Indeed, the State of California went even further, banning the use of phthalates in toys and baby products as far back as 2009, to help protect consumer health. 

What are scientists calling on the EU to do?
In view of the upcoming review of these products by the EU, scientists are calling for a tightening up of chemical testing.  They suggest that although inexpensive and effective tests exist, they are rarely employed.  Not only do they believe that the damage caused to consumers can be permanent, they also suggest that there may be no safe level of exposure at all to some of these chemicals.  Therefore, they are calling on the EU to regulate the use of such products, based on the results of scientific studies.
 
Currently, it seems that the UK is in favour of very light regulation of these products.  According to campaigners, this is because of the strength of the chemical industry lobby in this country. 
 
Consumers depend on their governments to protect them.  If the situation is as serious as scientists suggest, consumers must hope that both the UK government, and the European Union law-makers, see sense and follow the lead of the United States in reducing the public’s exposure to EDCs.  If the World Health Organization was able to declare, earlier this year, that such chemicals pose a worldwide threat that needs to be addressed, this is clearly far from scare mongering.  Consumers need remedial action now, and lawmakers need to act.

 24 May 2013
The Co-operative Bank launches 400 'talking' cash machines today with more to follow; RNIB urges HSBC and Santander customers to complain
 
In a very welcome move to help disabled consumers access mainstream services, and live independently, The Co-Operative Bank today became the latest UK bank to start moving to 'talking' ATMs. Blind and partially sighted consumers can now simply plug a headset into a cash machine, and then follow audio instructions to access their accounts.
 
As many bank customers who have impaired vision have had to rely on the assistance of friends or family to withdraw money from their accounts up to recently, this technology is a huge step forward. Many people really value the sense of independence that it gives them.
 
RNIB launched the successful Make Money Talk Campaign in 2011, with many financial institutions lending support
Since the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) launched its Make Money Talk Campaign in September 2011, Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide Building Society, RBS and NatWest have all confirmed that they will upgrade to 'talking' machines. LINK and VISA also support the campaign. 
 
HSBC and Santander customers urged to complain to their banks to end discrimination
Of the big high street banks, only HSBC and Santander have yet to indicate their commitment to this important imitative. The RNIB is currently in talks with both of the banks concerned to get them to make the change. Until they do make a decision to introduce talking cash points, the RNIB is urging customers of both HSBC and Santander to complain to their banks, asking them to end this discrimination.
 
Barclays has already enabled over 75% of its ATMs to talk to customers
Barclays became the first bank to launch the upgraded machines on the high street, and confirmed six months ago that it had achieved its target of audio enabling over 75% of its ATMs, or over 3,000 cash points in total. The Co-operative Bank plans to roll out another 1,000 talking ATMs by the end of this year, with another 1,000 to follow next year. 
 
Large-scale upgrade of bank machines and in-store cash dispensers over the next two years
RBS and NatWest plan on upgrading 80% of its 4,800 cash machine network, beginning early next year, with the programme due for completion by the middle of 2015. Lloyds TSB and Nationwide Building Society are expected to start rolling out their talking cash machines later this year.
 
Come on, HSBC and Santander! Listen to your customers, and help visually impaired consumers listen to helpful, talking cash machines. For information on the RNIB Make Money Talk Campaign, visit http://www.rnib.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/yourmoney/cashmachine/Pages/ATM_Latestnews.aspx

23 May 2013
Over 130,000 cars in the UK recalled due to fears over faulty steering wheel, less than a month after passenger airbag scare
 
Japanese car manufacturer, Nissan, was today forced to announce a recall of 133,869 Nissan Micras that were sold in the UK. In total, some 841,00 vehicles have been recalled worldwide in the latest safety alert. Almost 600,000 of the vehicles concerned, Micras and Cubes, were built at the Nissan plant in Sunderland.  All the cars concerned that were sold on the UK market are Micras. They all have manufacturing dates between 2002 and 2006.
 
Some Japanese consumers have had steering wheels come off!
According to Nissan Motor GB, the problem concerns a nut that holds on the steering wheel. It has been found to loosen over time, leading to a wobbling of the steering wheel. If it is not fixed, the steering wheel can actually come off altogether. Although luckily, and remarkably, there have been no serious accidents due to the issue, some Japanese drivers have had the worry of seeing their steering wheels come away in their hands. However, according to the company, the wobbling should become evident to the motorist long before there is any risk of this happening.
 
Cars built between December 2002 and May 2006 will be called in for safety check
The manufacturer has issued as statement saying that Nissan is contacting owners of Micras that were built between December 2002 and May 2006 about the problem. Consumers who own these vehicles will be invited to take their cars to a Nissan dealer for checking. If a problem is found with the steering wheel nut, steering wheel fixing bolt will be tightened correctly, or the steering wheel may even be replaced, if necessary. According to Nissan, the safety check should take just 15 minutes, and there will be no cost to the consumer.
 
Nissan states that it is committed to delivering good customer service and safety
Nissan states that it believes in delivering a high level of customer safety, service and satisfaction. The company is trying to resolve the issue with dealers as quickly as possible.
 
Any concerned Nissan Micra owners can contact the company's customer service department in the following ways:
 
Email:      gb@nissan-services.eu
Phone:     01923-899 334

22 May 2013
ASA refers Sit-UP Ltd, maker of Bid TV and Price-Drop TV, to regulators, due to repeated failures to ensure pricing and product claims are not mis-leading
 
Television and telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has begun an investigation into TV Company Sit-up Ltd, following the ASA’s (Advertising Standards Authority) decision to refer the case to the regulator.  Although the ASA found that Sit-Up TV has been in breach of advertising standards on 27 occasions since the start of 2012, it does not have the power to make the broadcaster clean up its act.  The ASA wants Ofcom to consider applying ‘statutory sanctions’ against the company. 
 
Sit-Up Ltd operates three channels and an online-only channel in the UK
Sit-Up Ltd holds the licence to broadcast three free-to-view channels in the UK.  Only two of these channels, Bid TV and Price Drop TV, have been referred to Ofcom.  Sit-Up Ltd also owns Speed Auction TV and an online-only channel called pricedropper.co.uk.
 
ASA worried about misleading pricing and product descriptions
According to the ASA, complaints that it upheld against the broadcaster fall into two main categories.  The first concerns presenters making misleading statements regarding pricing, and the second refers to misleading product descriptions. For instance, in one case a Bid TV presenter demonstrated an Oskar Emil watch that he said was made by a company that had been known for its high standards since the 1930s, and its logo had been around since then.  However, the Oskar Emil brand ceased trading in 1939, before finally being revived in the 1980s.  Therefore, the ASA felt that the comments would mislead consumers to think that the company had been making watches ever since the 1930s.  The body upheld this complaint.
 
A number of the cases against the Sit-Up Ltd channels refer to the original price of items appearing to being overstated, thus making the final selling price look like a better bargain.  In other cases, it seems that the final price can be considerably higher than the sales price quoted by other retailers. 
 
Trained actors know how to get audience reaction
There are also concerns that consumers may be getting carried away by the hype and excitement of the situation and therefore bid for items that they do not really want, or bid more than they should.  A number of presenters are trained actors and entertainers, so they are familiar with techniques used to get an audience to react in certain ways. 
 
Consumers urged to use common sense
While consumers, theoretically, always have a choice if they want to watch shopping channels or not, as well as a choice between buying and not, these situations often seem to be contrived in such a way that they can become almost addictive, and where common sense goes out the window.  Clearly, a watchdog can only do so much to protect consumers, but it is certainly important that they prevent the public being misled by sales patter.  However, ultimately, only the consumer can save himself from himself!  Anyone who is particularly susceptible to falling for ‘bargains’ might want to consider switching channel, or otherwise, hiding his or her wallet.
 
Ofcom can take channels off the air if they do not abide by guidelines
In terms of what the regulator can do, unlike the ASA, Ofcom has the power to take channels that it finds to contravene standards, off the air.  Perhaps this time, Sit-Up Ltd will sit up and listen to warnings about complaints.

21 May 2013
1,200 bank customers get reprieve as Bank of Ireland UK bank admits it should not have raised their tracker mortgage rates; CEO admits customer complaints led to review
 
Earlier this year, Bank of Ireland announced that it was raising the tracker mortgage rate for some 13,500 customers. Consumers, consumer groups and politicians were outraged by the announcement that threatened to almost double what some mortgage holders would have to repay each month.
 
Buy-to-let customers have to pay and extra 2.24% from this month
The bank invoked a 'special circumstances' clause in its mortgage contracts, claiming the higher levels of bank capital required under current regulations, and the increased cost of maintaining tracker mortgages. The increases were based on a decision to raise the amount that consumers have to pay on top of bank base rates from 1.75% to 3.99% for buy-to-let customers.
 
Residential customers will see rates rise twice this year, by a substantial amount
Residential homeowners face an even more appalling rise, phased across the year. Since the beginning of May, they have been expected to pay 2.49% above the base rate. The second increase will come in six months time and will result in them paying 3.99% above the bank base rate.
 
U-turn due to individual consumer complaints
The bank's chief executive, Des Crowley, has said that the company has been reviewing all consumer complaints on an individual basis. The decision to remove these 1,200 customers from the list of those facing increases was made because of such complaints, and was announced this morning. 
 
Two main groups benefit from reprieve
It seems that those consumers who have won a reprieve fall into two categories. Some 200 customers had moved to a base-rate tracker mortgage and, although they were told that their rates could change, their terms and conditions did not specify reasons why this could happen. The larger group of approximately 1,000 mortgage holders were availing of flexible arrangements on their mortgage account. They had been sent a letter relating to these supplementary transactions. However, the bank suggested that the letters had led some consumers to think that the different rate applicable in these circumstances referred to the remaining life of the loan.
 
Bank of Ireland UK customers who move from tracker mortgages to other lenders will not face early repayment charges
Bank of Ireland UK has stated that its tracker mortgage customers will be allowed to move to other lenders, without having to pay any early repayment charges. The majority of consumers affected by the increases have buy-to-let mortgages with Bank of Ireland.
 
While it is clearly great news for those consumers who have managed to get the bank to back down on raising their rates, the entire situation can still be seen as a dangerous precedent, as other banks and lenders could conceivably invoke special circumstances to increase rates to their customers too. It is also worrying that the bank introduced these changes without giving sufficient attention to whom should pay the new rates.
 
Consumer complaints result in positive action
If there is a silver lining in this fiasco, it must be that the bank has had to admit publicly that the U-turn is directly attributable to consumer complaints. Therefore, should there still be any Bank of Ireland UK customers who have been warned that their rates will increase, but who have not yet complained, they would be foolish not to do so. There is a great deal to gain, and little to loose.

20 May 2013
Supermarket giant announces plans to revise promotions and reduce pack sizes; no announcement regarding effect on prices
 
Philip Clarke, chief executive officer of Tesco, has announced that the company has decided to embrace the good of the planet by reducing the size of promotional packs on offer at the supermarket.  The launch of the Tesco and Society campaign claims to target reducing the average £700 that each UK family wastes on food every year.  However, Mr Clarke also suggests that UK consumers need to be aware that the Earth cannot continue to produce sufficient food to feed everyone.  There are also significant energy and resource cost, such as water consumption, involved.  Reducing every consumer’s annual level of food purchasing, and subsequent wastage, would therefore help the entire planet.
 
This clearly seems like a very admirable step but most consumers are far too cynical about the motives of retailers, and other big businesses, to believe that Tesco could be doing this for entirely environmental and social reasons.  Even though price has become an increasingly important factor for most consumers, there has definitely been a stronger interest in ethically sourced food, such as the Fairtrade initiative, over the past decade.  However, few consumers would consider Tesco to be a leading light in this regard.
 
Consumers cynical about Tesco’s motives but company claims consumer data should be used to help improve consumer behaviour
With renewed concerns over how large supermarket chains cut margins for local and international suppliers leading to such scandals as the recent horsemeat debacle, few consumers are likely to view such large-scale retailers as ethical champions.  However, Mr Clarke claims that Tesco has now realised that it can use its scale for good.  He suggests that supermarkets should be using the data that they collect to improve their understanding of their customers, and to help UK consumers change their behaviour.
 
Many consumers expect reduced pack sizes camouflage price increases
As Mr Clarke has failed to indicate that Tesco will overhaul its pricing structures to reflect the reduced size of packs and portions that it sells, consumers are unlikely to start flocking to Tesco in support of its Tesco and Society campaign.  Retailers have a long history of using changes in pack sizes as a way to increase prices.  Consumers will take a great deal of convincing that this campaign is any different.
 
Tesco needs to improve customer service, redesign its stores, and reduce prices to appeal to consumers
What Tesco really needs to focus on is improving its dismal customer service record, improving the appearance and layout of its stores, and making its prices more attractive, as demanded by consumers in a study published in February this year by Which?  The retailer only managed to scrape a mere two stars out a possible five for customer service, the only supermarket other than Lidl and Aldi, to do so.
 
Tesco at bottom of UK supermarket rankings, according to consumer survey
It also scored just two stars for pricing, and for the quality of its fresh produce, putting it bottom of the entire table.  In fact, it received just a 45% customer satisfaction rating overall.  Addressing all of these issues are a far higher priority for Tesco, and for its customers.

20 May 2013
So finds a Which? consumer study carried out by mystery shoppers and evaluated by a team of experts 
 
A recent study of the quality of advice offered by UK pharmacies has raised some alarming inconsistencies. While many UK consumers seek advice from their local pharmacy, it seems that such advice should be used with caution. In some cases, it may have significant detrimental effects on health.
 
An unsatisfactory visit meant that the interaction did not meet minimum standards, such as asking the appropriate questions to ensure consumer safety. A satisfactory rating meant that the advice given achieved the minimum level to protect patient safety, while a visit was rated as good if the assistant also gave extra advice and explanation, above ensuring patient safety.
 
Consumers received unsatisfactory advice on 43% of visits
The study was carried out in January and February by mystery shoppers who then reported their findings back to a team of experienced pharmacists. They were concerned to discover that on 43% of occasions when advice was given, it was unsatisfactory. When counter assistants gave advice without checking with the pharmacist on duty, poor advice was given 67% of the time. When a pharmacist was consulted, poor advice was given in 27% of cases.
 
Alarmingly, in the case of consumers supposedly taking the anti-coagulant medicine Warfarin, used to prevent blood clots, pharmacy assistants failed to ask about other medicines being taken when the consumer asked for heartburn medication, Pantoloc Control in 71% of cases. If these medicines were taken together, they could result in the patient being taken to hospital due to bleeding problems, causing a major problem.
 
Supermarket pharmacies and chains of pharmacies provided best service
Interestingly, the quality of advice given to consumers by supermarket pharmacies and chains of chemists was significantly better than that given by independent pharmacies. 34% of visits to the branch of a chain resulted in the consumer getting unsatisfactory advice, whereas 58% of the advice given by independent pharmacies was unsatisfactory.
 
Pharmaceutical sector bodies to improve training and monitoring
The consumer watchdog shared the results of the tests with the General Pharmaceutical Council and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The two bodies have now decided to collaborate on improving training by running a joint event in the summer, and plan on checking member pharmacies more carefully, based on the findings of the study.
 
Consumers need to be able to trusts the advice offered by all pharmacies
With strain already placed on 999 and the new non-emergency 111 helplines, it is crucial that consumers be able to trust the advice given by all pharmacists, and counter assistants in the local chemist's shop. In the meantime, clearly any advice given should be treated with caution. However, it would also be worth paying greater attention to where such advice is sought, as the following table demonstrates quite clearly.
 

Pharmacy	Good	Satisfactory	Unsatisfactory
Supermarkets*	33%	50%	17%
Lloyds Pharmacy	17%	67%	17%
Superdrug Pharmacy	31%	46%	23%
Boots the Chemist	38%	23%	38%
The Co-operative Pharmacy	8%	54%	38%
Independent pharmacies / small chains	15%	27%	58%
Rowlands Pharmacy	0%	27%	73%

 
 * Supermarket pharmacies included Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco outlets

19 May 2013
Annual Which?  survey reveals Apple is customers’ favourite as consumers rate best and worst UK shops
 
14,478 consumers across the UK gave their verdict on high street shops in a survey conducted in February and March.  As their assessment only included retailers that they had visited in the previous six months, the scores should be reasonably accurate. 100 stores, including large chains, were included in the polls.
 
While quite a few of the top ten names are stores that have a high reputation for service, and personal attention, all of which comes at a cost, value clothing retailer Bonmarché managed to secure fifth place. Consumers were asked for their evaluation of price, products, service, and after-sales service or returns on their last visit to the store concerned.  Their total satisfaction scores were then combined with their likelihood of recommending the business to a friend to reach the overall customer score.
 
Good customer service and keen pricing still key to attracting customers
Despite the impact of economic woes on consumers’ ability to spend, customers still clearly feel that good service is important.  The message to retailers is that they need to be careful not to cut costs in the wrong places as they struggle to keep going.  Key points that helped Apple Stores secure top spot were great customer service and the unique look and feel of its outlets.  At the opposite end of the scale, WH Smith stores were criticised for being too expensive and ‘messy’. 
 
Consumers still prefer high street stores to shopping centres, retail parks or shopping online
While some 52% of consumers now admit to shopping online, it seems that they still prefer to visit high street stores.  Indeed, the high street ranks even higher than retail parks or shopping centres. This may be why 81% of respondents claimed to be concerned about how many units are closing on UK high streets, while 88% expressed regret at the closure of established UK retail chains.
 
Consumers’ Top Five Shops:
According to consumers, the top five high street shops in the country are:
 
1.  - Apple Store, with a score of 85%;
2.  - last year’s winner, Lush, with a score of 82%;
3.  - Disney Store on 80%;
3.  - (joint) Richer Sounds, also on 80%;
5.  - Bonmarché with a customer score of 79%.
 
Other names to appear at the top of the list were The Body Shop (76%), Dunelm Mill, Waterstones, John Lewis, Lakeland, Evans Cycles, and Early Learning Centre (all on 75%).
 
Consumers’ Bottom Five Shops:
At the other end of the scale, according to the rankings, the worst five stores on the high street are:
 
96.  - independent departments stores, that scored just 57%;
96.  - (joint) outdoor equipment supplier Millets, with a score of 57%;
98.  - discount specialist TK MAXX, on 56%;
99.  - EE (previously traded as Orange and T-Mobile), that scored just 55%;
100.- WH Smith, with a customer score of only 51%.

16 May 2013
Jamie’s Italian restaurant fined £8,000 and forced to pay costs of £9,000 after staff’s disregard for allergy sufferers needs leads to illness
 
Restaurants need to listen to consumers when they place special dietary orders, or they risk being investigated by trading standards and environmental health officials.  Indeed, in rare circumstances, they could even be investigated for causing death.  Thankfully, the recent case taken against celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italian Limited did not have fatal consequences for the consumer concerned.  However, the outcome does prove that restaurants do have to ensure that they deliver what they promise to deliver.
 
Consumers often complain about failure of restaurants to deliver their order
As many consumers who have had cause for complaint know, restaurants seem to find it difficult to serve them exactly what it is that they have ordered, and to the standard expected.  While such experiences can mar a special occasion, for those suffering from food allergies, the consequences can be much more severe.  Many of the incidents reported up to now concern cases relating to consumers who have accidentally eaten a tiny amount of an allergen they did not realise was in the food, leading to an allergic reaction. 
 
Consumer contacted restaurant in advance to confirm she would be able to order gluten-free meal
In the instance of a case heard in Fareham Magistrates Court, the consumer concerned had alerted the Portsmouth branch of Jamie’s Italian that she was allergic to wheat, having been diagnosed as coeliac some 19 years earlier, and needed to have gluten-free pasta in her dish.  Indeed, before booking a special anniversary dinner, Kristy Richardson had confirmed with the maître d’ of the restaurant that this would be possible. 
 
Restaurant failed to serve gluten-free food, resulting in severe reaction
Although Mrs Richardson advised three members of staff, including the waitress who took her order of her allergy, it turned out that the restaurant completely failed to ensure that the ordered gluten-free pasta was what she received.  As a result, a short time later, Mrs Richardson became violently ill for about five hours.  Her suffering continued when the reaction triggered a further autoimmune reaction to medication, and resulted in her being temporarily removed from a transplant waiting list.
 
Environmental health officials found ‘lamentable failures’ regarding allergy issues
A subsequent call to the restaurant established that the consumer had indeed been served regular wheat pasta.  When environmental health officials investigated, they found ‘lamentable failures’ at the restaurant over food allergy issues.  Such was the seriousness of the case that Jamie’s Italian was forced to accept guilt for selling “food which is not of the nature or substance or quality demanded by the purchaser”, in contravention of Section 14 of the Food Safety Act 1990.
 
The judge hearing the case fined Jamie’s Italian £8,000, in addition to awarding £9,212 in costs against the business.  This was in addition to an undisclosed out-of-court settlement that the restaurant made to the consumer.
 
Food outlets have to pay particular attention to consumers who have a diet-related condition, according to environmental health official
Portsmouth City Council’s environmental health spokesman Alan Cufley said that he was pleased that Jamie’s Italian has accepted its responsibilities, and has since improved procedures for handling special dietary requests.  These apparently include adding a special ‘allergy button’ to the staff order processing equipment.  Mr Cufley also pointed out that, while all premises selling or serving food have to ensure that they adhere to food safety regulations, this is even more important if a consumer has a diet-related condition.  Indeed, changes in legislation that are due to come into effect in 2014 will require food vendors to itemise all allergens in non-packaged and labelled food.
 
While it is reassuring that the authorities are finally taking note of the severe impact that food, and other allergies, can have on a consumer’s life, it may be some time before all retailers, catering outlets and restaurants really recognise that giving a consumer false or misleading information about food ingredients can be fatal.

15 May 2013
High-end clothing supplier Patagonia teams up with eBay to encourage consumers to sell on clothing they no longer use and extend life of products
 
It is easy for consumers to feel cynical about manufacturers and retailers, as most of their incentives eventually boil down to trying to sell customers more of their goods and services.  If they boast of their green and environmentally-friendly credentials, it may suggest that they are focusing on improving one aspect of their production process, but consumers often just see it as an opportunity to increase prices.
 
UK launch of Common Threads Partnership on eBay
Indeed, so cynical have consumers become that looking at Patagonia's latest initiative results in a feeling of bemusement; it is difficult to see what possible revenue benefit the company is getting out of it. The scheme, known as the Common Threads Partnership, has been launched in London in conjunction with online auction site eBay. Based on a similar campaign that Patagonia has been running in the US for the past two years, it aims to encourage Patagonia customers to extend the life of the company's clothing as much as possible, by selling it on to others who can use it when the original customer has no further use for it.
 
Patagonia has well-established green credentials
Patagonia products are well made, have a long life, have a good reputation, and come with quite a high price tag, often hundreds of pounds for jackets, for example. The company first began encouraging its customers to recycle unwanted or used polyester clothing such as fleeces as far back as 2005. This was because it established that recycled products result in a reduction of 40% GHG (greenhouse gasses). However, this required customers to send the clothing back to the supplier and resulted in just some 5% of the company's clothing being recycled.
 
Patagonia further encouraged customers to keep using old items of clothes purchased from it for as long as possible. Recognising that consumers needs change, Patagonia realised that a customer may have purchased one or more high-value items for an activity in which he or she may no longer participate. Rather than just leave such garments to become moth-food, the company is now persuading consumers to sell them on to other outdoor enthusiasts, who may not be able to afford to purchase the products as new. A remarkable 53,000 items of clothing have already been sold under the scheme in the US.
 
Common Threads Pledge urges consumers to actively engage in prolonging the life of products
The designated eBay site requests consumers to sign a pledge, agreeing to "help wrest the full life out of every Patagonia product by buying used when I can, and selling that I no longer wear to keep it in circulation". It further encourages customers to "Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle, Reimagine".
 
In terms of what the company gets out of the initiative, Patagonia Vice-President Vincent Stanley suggests that it introduces the business to new, younger consumers who might not otherwise become customers, as the products could be outside their price range, thus increasing brand awareness. If these new customers build a relationship with the company and its products, they can represent a future new market. Ultimately, however, the impact on the company's revenues may be small.
 
Patagonia also the leading light of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Common Threads Partnership is only one of a suite of initiatives launched by Patagonia to make its business more sustainable and responsible. For instance, it is working with factories in Asia, retailer Wal-Mart, and over 80 clothing industry leaders whom it has encouraged to get involved, as part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, to improve environmental and social standards in clothing production.
 
Proposed new labelling will provide unparalleled consumer information and choice
In future, Patagonia anticipates that clothing labels will allow a consumer to see information on raw materials, producers' working conditions and environmental impact of dyes, fabrics and other aspects of production. The business hopes that such labelling will be available on products within two years. If this is the case, it will greatly enhance consumer information and allow customers to make choices, to a degree unimaginable up to now.
 
Patagonia should be applauded for its innovative thinking and dedicated action
Patagonia should be applauded for using its position to encourage producers, retailers and other market leaders to make the clothing industry more sustainable, even if the revenue returns are not obvious. Equipping consumers with the knowledge to make informed choices about what they are buying, and how they can change their behaviour for the better is also highly commendable. This moves far beyond the common and admirable UK practice of recycling clothes through a charity shop. It will be interesting to watch just how many other industry leaders follow suit.
 
Some Common Threads eBay sales to benefit a campaign to extend the life of electronic equipment
As part of the UK campaign launch, items used by well-known Patagonia customers, such as Ben Fogle, are up for auction. 100% of the sale price of these items will go to The Restart Project, which aims to reduce waste and to encourage consumers to extend the life of their electronic items. For further information, or to take part in the initiative, visit the campaign site on eBay http://campaigns.ebay.co.uk/patagonia/