Why are brand-name clothes also frequently on the black list？ Weak punishment makes some enterprises ＂fearless＂
A security guard stood in front of the sign of ZARA’s dress. Xu Xiaolin surging information
Xinhua Online Haihai reported on November 16 that there will still be quality problems in international brand-name clothes that cost thousands of yuan and tens of thousands of yuan. Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce recently announced the results of sampling inspection on the quality of fast fashion clothing in the circulation field in the second quarter of 2014, which showed that among 65 batches of unqualified products, a number of "international famous brands" were impressively listed.
Why are internationally renowned brands frequently listed in the "blacklist" of clothing quality announced by local quality supervision departments? Experts believe that the weak punishment and low illegal cost are the reasons why some enterprises are fearless.
What "international famous products" are on the quality "blacklist"
A dress of Armani, the color fastness to wet rubbing is not up to standard; Ports’s two dresses are unqualified in fiber content; Martha’s shirts and trousers have many problems, such as cracks. In the latest sampling results of clothing quality in the second quarter of this year released by Shanghai Administration for Industry and Commerce, CC&DD, ELLE HOMME, Etam, Ralph Lauren and other "internationally renowned brands" are also "famous on the list" due to various quality problems.
The case investigated in Shanghai is not a case, and the results of market quality inspection will be announced one after another every year. In recent months, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Industry and Commerce has carried out several batches of quality sampling inspection of clothing products in the circulation field, and international brands such as MUJI, ZARA, H&M, Polo Ralph Lauren, FNRN, VERO MODA, Benirall, Givenchy and Disney have all been on the list. In June this year, Guangzhou Consumer Council also announced 16 unqualified children’s wear brands, including HELLO KITTY, ELLE, Disney and Adidas.
The quality problems of international famous brands have frequently sounded the alarm. According to the regulatory authorities in Zhejiang Province, there are many quality problems in Korean clothing among foreign brands. In the first half of 2013, Zhejiang Industrial and Commercial Bureau randomly selected 20 batches of Korean brand clothing from 12 brands, and the pass rate was only 45%. PAW IN PAW, LAND KIDS and other brands were "famous on the list"; In 2012, the pass rate of sampling inspection of imported clothing from South Korea was only 50%.
From textiles to garments, which links are likely to cause quality and safety problems?
These "brand-name" clothes, which have won the trust of domestic consumers, frequently expose the "quality gate" incident. What are the problems in those links?
Judging from the spot checks by local industrial and commercial quality inspection departments, clothing quality problems mainly include formaldehyde exceeding the standard, PH exceeding the standard, color fastness, fiber content not meeting the standard and so on. The reporter’s investigation found that there are loopholes in clothing quality problems from textile, printing and dyeing to garment processing and sales.
-The printing and dyeing process is a "frequent place" for chemical problems. A person in charge of a chemical enterprise in Hangzhou told the reporter that problems such as excessive formaldehyde and substandard PH value are generally in the middle reaches of the industrial chain. "All dyes are chemical substances, and in order to speed up dyeing, printing and dyeing enterprises will also use additives containing formaldehyde, which should be the main source of formaldehyde in clothing."
-clothing label tampering. "Garment manufacturers will buy fabrics of different quality according to the level of their own brands. The fabric quality of these internationally renowned brands should be the best." A clothing salesman who did not want to be named said, however, in order to save costs, it is common for enterprises to do something on the label of clothing components in the process of OEM.
-In the sales process, some brand enterprises "build a smooth road, and hide their positions". According to the reporter’s investigation, brand clothing has to undergo strict testing before entering large shopping malls. "Some brand enterprises are all qualified products before entering the mall, but in order to increase profits after entering the mall, it may not be possible to guarantee the quality of the products they sell." A salesperson said.
Although clothing safety is not as direct as that in food safety hazards, it attracts people’s attention, but the harm of clothing quality problems to human health is still serious, which can be said to be a "chronic killer". According to industry insiders, if the PH value exceeds the standard and the color fastness is not up to standard, it is easy to cause some sensitizing and carcinogenic dyes and heavy metal ions to be absorbed by the human body, thus posing a hazard to human health and safety. Formaldehyde can enter the human body through diet, breathing and even skin contact, which is harmful to skin and mucous membranes.
Weak punishment and low illegal cost have led some enterprises to be fearless.
Why are some internationally renowned brands frequently blacklisted? Experts believe that weak punishment and low illegal cost are the reasons why some enterprises are "fearless".
Hu Gang, a member of the Lawyers Group of China Consumers Association and a lawyer of Beijing Chaoyang Law Firm, told the reporter that according to the current Product Quality Law, enterprises that violate the law and regulations are only fined less than three times the value of the goods, and the punishment is too low, and there is still much room for flexibility in operation. "The overall framework of the Product Quality Law currently implemented is also a version formulated in 1993. After more than 20 years, some terms and penalties can no longer meet the needs of market economy development."
In addition, according to the newly revised Law on the Protection of Consumers’ Rights and Interests, the main punishment for consumers to buy unqualified products is to return them, and for those who commit fraud, punitive damages will be increased by three times. According to reports, in the United States, for product quality issues, lawyers will take the initiative to convene victims to conduct class actions, especially because of the existence of the "jury" system, illegal enterprises may face "sky-high" compensation; In some European countries, relevant consumer protection organizations have the right to organize arbitration tribunals to effectively protect consumers’ rights and interests in the form of industry self-discipline, and enterprises that refuse to fulfill their obligations may face severe punishment of "market ban".
Experts in the industry believe that once international famous brands are frequently blacklisted, they are still widely sought after in large shopping malls. On the one hand, the punishment is weak, on the other hand, it also shows that domestic consumers’ awareness of rights protection is indifferent. Many young interviewees told reporters that although it hurts to buy substandard clothes, it will not cost more money and energy to protect rights.
In addition, although the sharing platform has been established at present, the departments of industry and commerce, quality inspection and finance and taxation are still fragmented, and the data application is still "single-handed". "A company that has been investigated by the quality inspection department is still a credit level in the industrial and commercial sector." Shen Huaqing, director of the product quality supervision and inspection department of Zhejiang Quality Supervision Bureau, believes that a unified enterprise code and a unified blacklist system should be established to strengthen the "ensemble" of supervision.
Therefore, Qiu Baochang, head of the lawyers group of China Consumers Association, believes that it is important to strengthen punishment, but it is more urgent to establish a unified credit system. In order to make it more convenient for merchants and consumers to consult, corresponding inquiry mechanisms should be established according to the types of goods. For example, for clothing, an inquiry system should be established according to clothing brands, so that consumers can check the credit status of a certain brand at any time, so as to eliminate the "information asymmetry" to the greatest extent and constitute a substantial deterrent to illegal enterprises and manufacturers.