Over the holiday I had reason to do some research on two products.
Both were products I had researched in the past. One was a product that I was considering purchasing for myself (the enameled pot I wrote about last week); the other was a product I was researching for a client.
The enameled pot was available as a brand name product and also as a “knock-off.” I had already researched the brand name possibilities, but not the knock-offs. Since this was a fairly pricey item, I really wanted to buy a knock-off but every time I looked at one, I just felt nervous and didn’t want to take a chance. Particularly since I would be using it for cooking food.
I knew the materials used in the brand name pots because I could call their customer service and get the information. But the knock-offs…you can’t even find out who to call. Store brands usually don’t manufacture their own goods and can’t answer questions. And so in the end I went with the brand name item and felt confident that I knew what the materials are.
That said, researching the other product for my client was a completely different experience. With this product it was very difficult to get any information calling the manufacturers. I really got the runaround. But I did persist and finally did get some of the information I was looking for. By contrast, when I contacted the smaller manufacturers who make this product, most of them responded immediately and were happy to talk with me in detail about their materials. One man had worked for the company for thirty years and we had a long talk. On the other hand, one brand had no manufacturer listing at all and I could even find a website for them.
My conclusion from this experience was:
- MAJOR MANUFACTURERS may or may not know much about their product materials, but at least you can generally contact them and ask
- KNOCKOFFS probably won’t know anything about their materials and you won’t be able to reach the actual manufacturer
- SMALLER MANUFACTURERS generally know most about their materials and are happy to tell you
Transparency and disclosure is a big issue I am working on for 2017. As I’ve said before, every product should fully disclose all materials in a format that is easy for consumers to understand.
This is why last year I started Debra Lynn Dadd Recommended Products, to help business communicate with consumers about their materials. Through this program, I write a Materials Review for products, which lists the materials and also gives background information to help consumers make decisions about the products.
Until all products have this level of transparency and disclosure, stick with brand name products and small businesses, where you can actually talk with someone and ask your questions. If there is no brand name or contact information, don’t buy the product.
Buy from reputable companies that know their materials and are willing to communicate about them.
