IRISH CONSUMERS HAVE been warned to remain vigilant after revelations that some fake fur products available to order online contain real animal fur.
A Sky News investigation yesterday revealed that a number of ‘faux fur’ (fake fur) products for sale in UK High Street stores contained fur from four animals.
Fibres consistent with rabbit, racoon dog, mink and cat fur were all identified by an expert in certain clothing items from two named companies – department store House of Fraser and clothing outlet Missguided.
Both firms have multiple locations across the UK.
House of Fraser has one outlet in Ireland – at the Dundrum Town Shopping Centre in south Dublin. Missguided has no outlets in the country, but its products are available to buy online for delivery here.
Both companies say they have ‘no fur’ policies.
House of Fraser confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the product highlighted by Sky News as containing fur was not available for sale online or in its Irish store.
The British broadcaster identified a pair of gloves being sold in House of Fraser which were found to have a rabbit fur trim. While two pairs of shoes with pom poms on sale in Missguided contained fibres consistent with cat and rabbit fur.
Irish animal protection charity, the ISPCA, warned Irish consumers to take care when buying what they believed were faux fur products.
“The ISPCA would like to see a fur-free EU and the phasing out of fur farming in Ireland,” a spokesperson said.
We would also warn consumers to ensure that if they are buying clothing with fake or faux fur that it is not real fur being passed off as fake fur.
Products
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, House of Fraser also confirmed that the product highlighted by Sky News was never available in its Irish store. Nor was it available online.
The company said that the brand which supplied the gloves - Moda in Pelle – was an “extremely small concession brand” and only available in a small number of its outlets.
It confirmed that all existing stock of the product in question was being removed from its stores and returned to the brand. Customers are being offered a full refund.
“House of Fraser has a strict no fur policy and we ensure all of our suppliers and brand partners are aware of this,” a spokesperson said.
We would never knowingly mislead our customers, who we believe have the right to know what they purchasing.
The Missguided products reported to contain animal fur were available online to purchase for delivery to Ireland.
The company has since removed the affected products from its website following the Sky News investigation.
A spokesperson said it was examining all allegations around the products.
“Missguided does not condone the use of fur in any of its products therefore we take the allegations made by Sky News very seriously,” the company said.
We have launched an internal investigation with the relevant suppliers and will ensure these matters are addressed urgently.
Despite requests from TheJournal.ie, Missguided provided no details as to other products that may be affected and did not state whether refunds would be offered to customers.
The Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said that it did not comment on individual cases. However, it provided general guidelines for consumers.
The CCPC said that under a consumer law, something purchased must match the description given by the retailer.
If it is discovered that the purchased item isn’t as it was described, then the consumer is entitled to return the item and be granted a full refund.
Full details of right afforded to consumers in Ireland are available on the CCPC’s website consumerhelp.ie.
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