Friday, December 26, 2008

Tis the season

Merry (belated) Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless Everyone!

Now that the Christmas chaos has concluded, we are ready to start focusing on some serious issues at hand. The CPSIA has a lot of small businesses, retailers and manufacturers alike, up in arms. As a manufacturer, I have to do a lot of research (and by I, I mean Hubby) about these issues and decide what actions we should take. There is a lot of misinformation out there and rumors are spreading like wild fire. So, do we get a lawyer to look at the legalese of the new laws? I don't want to be overly reactionary, but I have to do something. I have potential retailers that will not entertain carrying Dapper Snappers without certification that it meets the new standards whether or not they apply to our product. Our first attempt will be to get certifications from our suppliers and from that create our own certification that we comply fully with the new laws. But what if some of our suppliers aren't required to provide certification because of the nature of the product they sell? Will that mean we have to get it tested independently? 
It really is difficult to make heads or tails of this. The new laws are a source of confusion for all of us. We just have to take a step back away from the confusion, separate fact from freak-out, and do our best to comply. We will have to do something though because I can't not sell the one product that makes life easier for so many moms all over the world. Save the Dapper Snapper, Save the world! (Okay, I'm a Heroes fan)

2 comments:

Kathleen Fasanella

Our first attempt will be to get certifications from our suppliers and from that create our own certification that we comply fully with the new laws. But what if some of our suppliers aren't required to provide certification because of the nature of the product they sell? Will that mean we have to get it tested independently?

We aren't permitted to use vendor supplied certificates. Likewise, we aren't permitted to do component testing but UNIT testing. Unfortunately, you are required to test independently. Through August, you can use XRF guns. After that, you must do unit testing (destructive testing) per SKU.

And yes, there's a lot of misinformation on the web so I recommend Fashion-Incubator. All the information there is vetted by third party attorneys and engineers. I also went all the way to Washington DC to meet with Falvey, general counsel of the CPSC.

Chelle

Thanks for your comment Kathleen. I must say that I am flattered. I know it sounds silly, but I've read your posts on Fashion-Incubator and am very impressed by your knowledge and writing skill. It's the first time I've read anything that didn't sound like angry, misinformed rumor mongering.
Unfortunately I read your posts about CPSIA after I wrote this post, so changes are in the works. I'm about to write a post about our new plans, our fire sale (can't afford to test Snapcessories too), and a letter to consumers. It won't be as well written as I want it to be, but it's something.
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I think you are the only one...lol.