On page 5 of this months Glass Times magazine, there is an article which explains that possibly up to 80% of the industry is still not CE mark compliant. Not that anyone would know, no one really is sure who is policing CE marking and since it’s introduction, everyone has stopped talking about. Still, this isn’t the major problem. As @graffika_media pointed out to me earlier on today on Twitter, this sort of thing could spell disaster if combined with the current wording of the upcoming new consumer rights bill.
As you may have heard, the new wording of the CRB would allow customers to demand full refunds for their installation if they deem the products not fit for use. The current wording would allow this scenario to occur for something as simple as a scratch on a sealed unit. Obviously this loop hole would be terrible news for all businesses if the current wording of the bill goes through. But let me put forward a scenario suggested by @graffika_media earlier on.
Legally, if a new window or door is installed without a CE mark, it would be deemed illegal – arguably an illegal product can be deemed not fit for use on a technical basis. So now consider the report on page 5 of Glass Times. If the figure of 80% of businesses being non-compliant is true, this could then deem an enormous portion of windows and doors non-compliant, therefore not fit for purpose – opening up potentially 80% of our market to demands for full refunds from clients.
I know that might sound extreme, but I do believe it is a possibility. The internet will allow customers to easily find out about CE marking and the ramifications of a product without it. They will also easily be able to educate themselves about the new consumer rights bill. What is there to stop the educated and professional non-payers out there from exploiting this currently very dangerous loop hole. Nothing from what I can see so far.
So as my friends @graffika_media explained, perhaps it’s time to forget about triple glazing debates and other middle of the road issues. It’s time to really bash our heads together to stop this potential flood gate from being opened!
God, the amount of mis-information there is about CE in this industry is ridiculous. I’ve been dealing with CE in other industries for years before I came into the Window industry (and now I’ve left it I suppose I should just ignore it, but I find myself drawn to trying to elevate the level of professionalism in it! ) and this is an issue upon which there is a lot of need for understanding. ‘80% not CE marked’ is a misleading headline, potentially. Here are the high level points that need to be understood at a minimum: >>>>>>>>> On July… Read more »
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Thanks, both. Glad it’s helpful.