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Hi,

You are right in what you are saying. Plus, I can't defend some of the things that go on. Taking your first point, yes, the manufacturers 'get out of jail card' is not to put a manufacture date on at all. But this can lead to even more abuses than there is now. Better they put something on than nothing at all, in my view. 

Taking your second point, you are spot on. When we get our first drops of stock in January, if a product is running through unchanged from the previous season, there is a chance that some of those initial drops will contain 'old' stock that in theory should have been sold in the previous season and been bought and sold at the previous seasons prices. Our problem is that it is simply not possible for us to open every tent box that arrives to inspect the swing tag to verify the manufacture date. We rely on the manufacturer to be open and honest about whether this is new stock or old and unfortunately, they not always are.

As a consequence the retailer understandably believes that what they have received is new and current stock (unless they've been told otherwise) and we will then go ahead and advertise it as such - why wouldn't we?

It is frankly only through the eagle eyes of customers that we actually do identify 'old' stock issues and at that point we do go back through our stocks of that line item to verify production dates. If we do discover there has been wholesale supply of 'old' stock we'll demand a refund in the cost price of that product from the manufacturer and pass it on to the customer(s) who has been wronged. 

Generally, I think the tent retailers in the UK work ethically and well within legal guidelines. It is the manufactuers misrepresenting their goods to us that can potentially lead to problems.

Regards,

Paul Roberson

Where is the date label on a tent?

We've recently bought a Minny 6 plus extension. The extension had the competition leaflet with a closing date for 2008. We thought nothing of it tbh, the bag was sealed etc. and didn't think it would make any difference?

Hoping the tent's okay now, hubby did a check of that, he hasn't said anything about the leaflet but then he may not as he knows I'd panic.

Hi,

On Outwell product there's usually a swing tag with a date in tiny print either at the top or bottom. As I said in my earlier posting, it does not make any difference how old the product is so long as it has been stored correctly. 

Paul.

Thanks Paul, is that a sewn in swing tag or an attached one ( removable)?

Hi,

Usually one tied on to the outer bag.

Paul

Thanks

Paul ,  I thank you for your response on this matter , and I understand that you may feel it is retailers that may be being mislead by the manufacturers as well as the consumer , though this is different to what you posted in your first post as you quite clearly stated you knew this practice was happening?

Unfortunatly it still has no releavence as the buck stops with the retailer to sell what they are advertising , this includes the year of manufacturing and its down to the retailers to check that the goods are sold as stated.

Can I also add that the retailer that I bought my tent off didn't excactly jump at the chance to refund the difference , from an 08 to 09 price which should have been in the region of £400 pound , instead I decided to to take off  them a tent which probarly cost them in the region of £70 but I wouldn't call this good customer service and as such I wouldn't buy anything off them in the future.

It is nice to see that you would give your eagled eye customers good customer service and I will definatly think about buying off your company in the future , that is of course if you would have me   

Hi Pemb,

I think what I trying say to is that we do get mislead and we understand that it is happening and how it is happening. But, if Outwell tells us that what we are getting is 2009 production stock for the 2010 season it is quite reasonable for us to accept that that is what we are getting. I agree that we probably should try to do more to ensure that the manufacturer is supplying exactly what they say they are supplying but we sell over 300 different models of tent and 15,000 tents and awnings every year. As I say, there are manpower and cost implications to check each and every one of them for a production date. It is far more cost effective for us to address the issue once it becomes an issue.

I can't comment on the retailer you bought from but as I say, it's in everyone's interests to chase down instances of mis-selling rigourously and we'd certainly ensure our customers are properly compensated in a timely fashion.

Regards,

Paul

If your happy with your tent and the price you paid what's the fuss!

Would you moan about a 59 plate car that was built in 08 and sat at Bristol waiting for 12 months to be sold - don't rally see the difference.  There's always a chance that the wrong label got sewn in at the factory an easy mistake.

Bertie - thats the whole point why should you have to pay for any goods at an inflated price , I am not moaning about something thats made in 08 for the 09 market(thats just common sense) but when they are made in 07 and then sold in 09 at double the price of what they sold for in 08 its just a p**s take surely.

I love our tent and i'm in no way moaning about it , but what Mr Robson said in his first post is that he has been to Outwells factory in Denmark and has seen this practice happening , and that at least Outwell finds that satisfactory as they obviously have the storage facilities to hold large numbers of thier stock for a number of years .

You may find this practice ok , but personnaly I don't  and neither do trading standards on the other side of that If all the tent companies and Retailers where to offer thier goods at the same price until that stock batch has been depleated ,I would be more than happy.

Bertie , could you explain to me then what warrants a £400 raise from an 08 tent to 09 tent when they have both been made in 07? Because I don't understand it. 

The price increase is due to demand - well why then weren't they all sold in 08? and the price increased at the end of last year.

Credit crunch is surely a reason to keep the price down to make sure you sell your product, not put the price up , what companies do is hold goods back to create a demand for them so they can raise prices

Exchange rate hasn't differed that much to warrant a £400 increase

The bedroom pod probarly cost the company peanuts to alter and it was the only modification made to the Norfolk Lake, anyway I am not just talking about one tent here.

The £400 I quote is not  the rrp its the real prices the tent was selling for last year and what it is selling for now the so called rrp is about £1150. have a look at the start of the thread