CONSUMER FRAUD ALERT

As a part of our ongoing surveillance of the marketplace under our DownCheck program, we will be posting items that are being misrepresented to the consumer. We purchase several items each year at the retail level and send them to an independent lab for testing. If the items fail testing, such as those listed below, we send a complaint to the Competition Bureau of Canada, who then launch their own investigation.

The following is a listing of products which failed testing within 2010-2012. You can find the full explanation by clicking on "click here" for each item.

International Clothiers- Super Triple Goose jacket- 50%down/50%feather      Click Here

          

Walmart - Hometrends-Goose down blend duvet                                          Click Here

Jysk - Retreat down duvet - 75% down/25% feather                                         Click here

Jysk - white down duvet              Click Here        

Jysk - white down duvet              Click here

Jysk - white goose down duvet    Click here

Canadian Down & Feather Company

Hutterite white goose down duvet - (eBay)                                           Click here

  

** this item also failed in 2009 -                    Click here

Home Outfitters - white down duvet

                                                     Click here

Walmart Canada - white goose down duvet                                            Click here

All Season Quilts & Things - white goose down duvet                                            Click here

Want more examples of fraud?     Click here

INTERNATIONAL CLOTHIERS - Feb. 2012 - Super Triple Goose jacket -  labeled as 50%down/50%feather - this jacket failed  on down cluster content at 18.2% which is well below the 37.5% required to label as 50% down. It tested as 99% duck so should not be advertized and labeled as goose.

 

WALMART - Hometrends-Goose down blend duvet- January 2012-this duvet failed on specie - it tested at 100% duck so should not be labeled as goose.

 

 

               JYSK - 3RD AND 4TH TEST FAILURES

August, 2011 we tested a white down duvet from Jysk. Advertised as white down, made in China. This duvet failed on down content at 23.9%

 

August, 2011 we tested a duvet labeled as Retreat Down - 75% down 25% feather, made in China - this duvet failed on down content at 35.2% down

 

JYSK- 2ND TEST FAILURE

April, 2011 we tested a duvet purchased from Jysk. This duvet is advertised as White Down, made in China.

The CA number for this duvet is 32874, which is registered to Jysk Linen 'N Furniture Inc.

We sent this duvet to an independent lab for testing and the results show that it failed for down content at 18.3% which is extremely far below the minimum 75% required to label a product as down.

 

CANADIAN DOWN & FEATHER COMPANY - sold on eBAY CANADA- 

2ND TEST FAILURE

In Feb. 2011, we tested a duvet purchased on eBay. This duvet is sold by the same seller as listed below from 2009. His seller name on eBay is Ikspecstyle. The manufacturer is listed on the law tag as Canadian Down & Feather Company Inc., Toronto ON. Their CA# is 50814

The product is being advertised and sold as 100% Canadian Hutterite white goose down.  Canadian regulations do not allow a product to be advertised as 100% down.

This duvet failed testing on both content and species. Content of 70.3% is below the 75% minimum required to label a product as down. Species tested at 1% goose. To be labeled as goose down a product must be a minimum of 90% goose. This duvet is duck, not goose.

This duvet tested at 610 loft, not even close to the 800+ loft they claim in the advertising.

We have once again sent a complaint to the Competition Bureau of Canada regarding this seller and manufacturer.

Recently this seller has removed the "Hutterite" duvets fom his eBay store. We will be checking back often to see if they reappear at any time.

 

                              JYSK

In January 2011, we purchased a duvet at Jysk. This duvet is advertised as White Goose Down. The law tag states content as White goose down, made in China. The CA number for this duvet is 32874, which is registered to Jysk Linen 'N Furniture Inc.

We sent this duvet to an independent lab for testing. The duvet failed for both content and specie. It tested at 56.8% down content, well below the 75% minimum required by law. Specie was 71%, which is also well below the 90% minimum required to label a product as goose.

 

HOME OUTFITTERS

In October 2010, we purchased a duvet at Home Outfitters. This duvet is sold as 300 Thread Count White Down Duvet. The law tag states content as White down, made in China. The CA number for this duvet is 54009, which is registered to Les Textiles Jeridan Inc.

We sent this duvet to an independent lab for testing. The duvet failed on down content. In Canada a down product must be a minimum of 75% down to be labeled as down. This duvet tested at 18.4% which is obviously well below the allowed minimums. This is misleading to the consumer.

 

WALMART CANADA

In July 2010, we purchased a duvet at a B.C. Walmart store. This duvet is sold under the name Westland Premiere White goose down , 300 thread count, baffle box.

The Law tag states content as White goose down, made in China. The CA number for this duvet is 54009

We did a search of this CA number and it is registered to Les Textiles Jeridan Inc.

A small sewn in tag attached to the duvet says Westland Signature

We sent this duvet to an independent lab for testing. The duvet failed on both down content and specie.

In Canada a down product must be a minimum of 75% down to be labeled as down. This duvet tested as 71%

In Canada, for a down product to be labeled as Goose Down it must be a minimum of 90% Goose. This duvet has no Goose Down in it at all. It tested as 0% Goose. 100% Duck.

This is clearly misleading to the consumer. Goose down is a more expensive product in the marketplace and consumers should be confident they are getting what is advertised, and not overpaying for an inferior product.

*********************************************

          ALL SEASON QUILTS & THINGS

In July 2010, we purchased a duvet at All Season Quilts & Things in Richmond, B.C.  This duvet is sold as a White goose down duvet. The law tag states content as White goose down. The CA number for this duvet is 41036. We did a search of this CA number and it is registered to C & C Top Enterprises Ltd., Burnaby, B.C.

We sent this duvet to an independent lab for testing. The duvet failed on content.

In Canada a down product must be a minimum of 75% down to be labeled as down. This duvet tested as 65.4%.

This is misleading to the consumer. This duvet should be advertised and labeled as a down/feather product, which is less expensive to produce.

CANADIAN DOWN & FEATHER CO. - sold on eBay - July 2009

 

DON’T allow yourself to be cheated!!  A seller (Ikspecstyle) on eBay is advertising  “Ultra Hutterite” Goose down comforters in various sizes. When we saw these items being sold as Hutterite white goose down at such low prices, we purchased one of these duvets in July, 2009, and sent it to the International Down and Feather Laboratory  (IDFL) for testing.

SELLER’S CLAIMS:

1. Superior Canadian Hutterite white goose down – 100% white goose down

THIS IS FALSE – the duvet tested as duck down – no goose down at all

2. 800+ loft hand harvested white fill

FALSE AGAIN – this down tested at 600 loft, not even close to 800+

3. This is premium Canadian Hutterite white goose down known to be the finest down currently in the industry

FALSE – he is not selling Hutterite white goose down but an inferior duck down

4, It is hand collected/harvested from geese natural shedding process in the cold vast northern regions of Canada by Hutterite farming communities

FALSE – we have already shown his product is NOT Hutterite white goose down or any other white goose down – it is duck down, There is no natural shedding process from which down is collected – this is just more misinformation

5. Natural cold climate is a crucial factor that determines the quality of Canadian goose down because the colder the larger the down clusters

FALSE – geese and ducks do not grow larger clusters of down because the weather is cold – they simply grow more down to keep warm, the down clusters grow larger as the bird matures

6. Fill power is a measure of the quality of the down

IT is true that fill power is a measure of the quality of the down– but the problem is that he is not advertising the true loft of the down he sells – it is not 800+ as he states,  it is 600, a much lower quality down

This seller has been making these false claims and misleading the consumer for a long time. We have made several complaints to eBay, who have done nothing, we have written to the seller, who also has done nothing and we have notified the government who are following up on it.

BUT the seller is still there, still selling to consumers who believe his false statements about the items he sells.

True 800+ lofting Hutterite White Goose down is a high quality down used by superior manufacturers. It is not sold at bargain basement prices.

There are many honest manufacturers and retailers in Canada. We hope that consumers will take the time to do some research and make their purchases from these reputable companies, rather than from those who are committing fraud. 

For  more information on IDFL please click here.

 

Our Down√Check program of surveillance has found the following examples of fraud or misleading advertising.


  1. Three duvets were advertised by a major national retailer. They were priced at three levels as part of a good, better, best program.

    When tested they were found to all have exactly the same fill. There was no difference at all.
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
    Status: Retailer was contacted
  1. A duvet was advertised at a major discount store as a Queen White Goose Down Duvet
  When tested it was found to contain a mixture of duck, chicken and goose feather.....NO goose down! In fact, no down at all.
74% duck feather
16% chicken feather
10% goose feather
This item also had a fraudulent law tag (right). The CA # was non-existent...a fake.
***did not carry the Downmark label
Status: Removed from shelves by Government order
  1. A pillow was advertised at a major discount store as a Goose Down Pillow, labeled: All White Goose Feather & Down Pillow.

    When tested it was found to contain a mixture of duck and chicken feather.... no goose down..... no down at all.
  
Law tag on items # 2 & 3 -
both were fraudulent
  73% duck feather
27% chicken feather
Grey feathers found inside pillow.
This item also had a fraudulent law tag (right). The CA# was non-existent.... a fake.
***did not carry the Downmark label
Status: Removed from shelves by Government order
  1. The duvet shown in the image to the right was selling at a bedding chain with stores across Canada. The packaging stated a fill weight of 25 ounces.

    When tested the weight was actually 10% less than stated and the down content was 8% under Canadian standards.
    22.5 ounce fill
    69% down
    18% feather
    13% fibre
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
     Status: Unknown
  
  1. A pillow was carried by a major Canadian department store and is manufactured by a well known brand name. The pillow was advertised as 20% down/ 80% feather.
    When tested it was found to contain only 1.6% down.
    95% feather
    1.61 % down
    3.39% fibre
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
    Status: Under investigation

  2. A duvet was advertised by a major national department store as a Premium White Goose Down Duvet. It was sold as part of a "Designer Home Collection", made in U.S.A.
    When tested it was found to contain 72% down, 23% of which was duck down. Minimum requirements to call a product "Down" are 75% down. This item failed..
    72% down
    11 % feather
    17% fibre
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
    Status: Under Investigation
  1. This duvet was advertised by a major national department store as White Goose Down.

    When tested it was found to contain duck down, not goose. It also contained less down content than regulations require for labeling as down.
    68% down
    14% feather
    18% fibre
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
    Status: not found on shelves
 
  1. A duvet was advertised by a major Canadian department store as a White Goose Down duvet.

    When tested it was found to contain only 64% down, under the minimum requirement of 75%. This down was a mixture of goose, duck and chicken rather than the goose stated on the label.
    64% down
    16% feather
    20% fibre
    ***did not carry the Downmark label
    Status:No longer on shelves

        9.    Feather pillows sold on a TV Direct advertising promotion.

               When tested, the feather was found to be raw, feather,

               never cleaned.
               ***did not carry the Downmark label
               Status: All items recalled by vendor.


       10.    A duvet selling at a large retailer with stores across Canada is

                advertised as a  White Goose Down Duvet. It carries a well

                known brand name. When tested this item was found to be

                only 71.3% down,  well below the 75% required by law. This

                item was mainly duck down, not the goose down stated on

                its labels and advertising.

                ***did not carry the Downmark label

                Status: Under Investigation

        11.    A flyer sent out by a national retailer with over 400 stores in

                 the U.S. and Canada advertised two Down Duvets. One

                 is actually a polyester fill, the other an 85% feather/15% down

                 fill. Clearly their flyer was misleading. They repeated this

                 misrepresentation in their next flyer..

                 Their web site continues to list duvets which are NOT down

                 as down products. We found 5 such items the last time

                 we looked at this site.

                 ***these items do not carry the Downmark label

                  Status: Changes were made to this retailer's web site

        12.     A pillow selling at a national retailer has very large inserts

                  stating it to be Feather & Down filling, Feather & Down                      Pillow as well as stating it is a special blend of naturally

                  luxurious feathers and down. When tested it was found to be

                  Waterfowl feathrs with a down content of 1.2%. This does not

                  constitute a special blend. This item should be advertised as

                  feather only. The amount of down in this fill is negligible. This is

                  very misleading.

                  ***this item does not carry the Downmark label

                  Status: manufacturer was required to make changes to the

                  packaging inserts. The retailer's web site ad for this item was

                  also changed.

        13.     A pillow selling at a national retailer was advertised as Duck

                   down and feather. This pillow had two compartments, one

                   advertised as containing duck down and the other as

                   containing duck feather. Testing showed a feather content

                   of only 58.5%, far below the required 75%.

                   ***this item did not carry the Downmark label

                   Status: item was removed from store shelves

        14.      A duvet selling at a national retailer across Canada is being

                   sold as a White Goose Down duvet. When tested it passed

                   on down with a fill of 75.2% (to be labeled down it must be

                   a minimum of 75% down). It failed on species. To be labeled

                   White Goose down the down must be a minimum of 90%

                   Goose. This was 72%, well below the standard.

                    ***this item does not carry the Downmark label

                   Status: we have been told this is no longer on the shelves

        15.     A web site was found to be advertising a duvet as 100%

                  down. This is not allowed under Canadian law. They also have

                  a pillow advertised as White Goose down - with the content

                  shown as 10% down - 90% feather. To be advertised as down                   it must be a minimum of 75% down. They aslo have

                   moccasins advertised as down filled with a content of 60%

                   down/40% feather. This does not meet the minimum

                   requirement of 75% down content.         

                   ***these items do not carry the Downmark label

                   Status: web site ads were changed

        16.     We found a web site which states pure goose down 

                  pillows. The word "pure" is not allowed under Canadian

                  regulations as there is no such product. We have found many

                  statements on this web site which we feel are misleading

                  to the public.

                  ***the items sold on this web site do not carry the   

                  Downmark label.

                  Status: Many of the problem statements on this web site have

                  been removed or changed

        17.      A retailer with 63 stores across Canada was selling a

                   down duvet which did not carry the proper tags. It had

                   no Canadian law tag. There was also no CA number

                   on the packaging. It was also advertised as baffle box

                   construction. It had no baffles, but was sewn through.

                   ***this item does not carry the Downmark label

                   Status: no longer on shelves

         18.    A duvet selling at a national retailer advertised as White goose

                 down. It passed on content but failed on species.

                 ***this item does not carry the Downmark label  

                 Status: under investigation

         19.   A Goose down duvet sold across Canada failed on content, but

                 passed on species. ***this item does not carry the 

                 Downmark label

          20.  A duck down duvet sold across Canada failed on content, but

                passed on species. ***this item does not carry the

                Downmak label.

          21. A duvet selling at a national retailer as White goose down

                failed on both content and species. ***this item does not carry

                the Downmark label.

 

                         

These examples stress the need for an industry watchdog such as  the

Down√Check program. None of these fraudulent or misleading items carried the Downmark label used by members of the Down Association of Canada. The Downmark label and hang tags are a mark of quality in the industry.

                        Testing of Downmark Products     

 During 2007 we tested two Downmark products - both white goose down duvets - from different manufacturers. They both passed on both content and species. This was done as a part of our random testing of our member's products.

Misleading Advertising
As in any industry, it is important for the customer to ask questions about products they are thinking of purchasing. The down industry is no exception. The following are examples of misleading advertising that we have seen in the marketplace.

  1. 100% Down -there is no such thing - In the U.S. and Canada a product with a minimum of 75% down can be labeled as down, but not as 100% down. It is impossible to achieve a down product that does not have any feather at all in it.
    Sections 29(3) and 38.1 Regulations (Canada) state:
    The declaration "down" may not be preceded by words or figures indicating one hundred percent on a plumage product filled with "commercial down".

  2. Down - signage stating a product is down and the label stating it is a polyester product. This is very misleading to the customer as well as being illegal. It is important to always read the labels.

Misleading Statements
We sometimes come across statements that are misleading or untrue and will include some of those here:
  1. The biggest difference between goose and duck down is odor. Goose down has little to no odor.
    This is incorrect. When downs are cleaned and processed correctly they do not have an odor. Any down that has not been properly processed will have an odor, whether duck or goose down.
  2. All birds have down and feathers.
    This is not true, only waterfowl produce down. Landfowl, such as chickens, turkeys, robins, etc. do not.

         3.  "100% down" or "pure down" - the words are often used to   

              describe the fill in a down product. This is not allowed in Canada

              as it is against the Federal regualtions. There is no such thing as

              "pure down" or "100% down" and this description is therefore

              considered to be misleading to the consumer.

 
 

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