Made In The Uk?

[barry1010]

What exactly does it mean when a company claims its goods are made in the UK?
As an example, a washing machine. There is a huge company in China that makes these unbranded and will customise cosmetic items to the buyers' requirements. That way Curry's, Tesco etc can sell it as 'exclusive' to them so they don't have to price match.

If a company in Leeds ordered a thousand of those to be delivered minus the doors and a thousand doors in orange and simply put the doors on to the machines when they arrived in the UK, could they be described as 'made in the UK'?

[Old_Geezer]

These days it often means put together from supplied parts. It ought to mean fully created in the UK IMO.

[barry1010]

I agree, OG.

[bigbanana]

This is a bigger scam than you can imagine.

CurrysPCworld still have a price promise in place in which they state they will reduce the price of say, a washing machine instore if the customer can prove that it's being sold cheaper elsewhere. Yes, they have conditions in place but that's only the start.

We went to a store to buy an induction cooker that was around a grand in price online. We had looked at it online and discovered that CurrysPCworld were selling it for around £1400. When we inquired about the price promise, the salesman said they'd reduce the cooker subject to the terms and went off to check the website we had mentioned.

When he returned, he said it wasn't possible to price match because the model number on the website wasn't the same as the one in store. It was crazy as the online model had a number like ABC1234567 whereas the instore one had ABC1234567-1. The cooker was identical and it really did look as if the salesman knew we were on a hiding to nothing from his remarks.

Now bearing in mind the comments above, I've always thought that Curry's simply ask the manufacturer to add letters to the appliance plate to get out of their obligation to price match. I'm convinced you won't find their model numbers elsewhere. - I've certainly never found the exact manufacture's model number on any high value item they sell although a websearch for the model will show they stock it.

I came across exactly the same thing with CurrysPCworld when looking for a Panasonic microwave oven a few months ago.

[bhg481]

It's not only Curry's that do that; John Lewis do it on white goods, at least they did when I last looked a few years ago.

[barry1010]

Yes, I have encountered that several times, big banana. Sometimes there has been a visual difference such as a different shaped knob or different coloured panel (both cosmetic) but other times the only difference has been the model number.
A few years ago there was a row of electrical appliance outlets next to each other at my local huge shopping centre - Curry's, Dixons, Millers, Appolo 2000 and a couple of others - making it easy to compare. They all offered price match and if there was a difference in price the model numbers didn't match, or there was some other difference such as an offer of interest free credit or trade in or free delivery.
Nigh in impossible to get a meaningful price match.

[barry1010]

They all do it, bhg.

[bhg481]

barry - I don't doubt it for a minute. I only quoted JL because you expect them to be above such tricks.

[barry1010]

Good point, bhg.

[THECORBYLOON]

Section 36(1) of the 1968 Trades Description Act states,

"Country of origin.

(1) For the purposes of this Act goods shall be deemed to have been manufactured or produced in the country in which they last underwent a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change."

If a washing machine needs a door for it to work properly, attaching a door to one in the UK is a substantial change.

That means it can be described as, "made in Britain".

[barry1010]

Thanks very much for that, Corby. It's quite shocking really. I wonder how Ebac make their washing machines? I am tempted to ask them

[barry1010]

I have discovered that 87% of the components of Ebac's washing machines are made in the UK by Ebac so I guess that is a big tick for them :)
My next washer will be an Ebac