The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee today took
evidence on the sale of real fur as faux fur from online
retailers Amazon and Not on the High Street, in addition to
Camden Market, Trading Standards, and representatives from the
fur industry.
The Committee heard that online retailers often do not have
policies for the missale of real fur as fake fur, and the
Committee is concerned that businesses such as Amazon and Not on
the High Street are not taking responsibility for the issue, or
acting urgently enough to resolve situations involving real fur
sold as faux fur.
Following the session, MP, Chair of the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said:
“UK customers deserve to know what they are buying online,
particularly when ordering products containing real fur that are
advertised as faux fur. Many individuals have ethical,
environmental, or personal reasons for choosing faux fur. Any
customer should be able to have confidence that there are
adequate safeguards ensuring that products are as advertised.
“Major online retailers should take greater responsibility for
the products on their websites, and should act with more urgency
when they find that these products are available. We are also
worried that these retailers show a lack of real concern when
cases of mis-selling are brought to them.
“Today we heard that major retailers do not have policies for
contacting Trading Standards when they find vendors to be
knowingly or unknowingly mis-selling fur. We expect such policies
to be put in place as soon as possible.”
The witnesses in today’s sessions were:
- Ceri Davies, Operations Director, Camden Market
- Lesley Smith, Director Public Policy, UK & Ireland,
Amazon
- Kate Burns, General Counsel, Not on the High Street
- Nicola Tudor, Trading Standards, LB Tower Hamlets
- Mette Lykke Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer, Fur
Europe
- Michael Moser, Chief Executive Officer, British Fur Trade
Association
-
, Chief Executive Officer,
International Fur Federation
