Thoughts and concerns regarding the CPSIA going into effect 2-10-09

For those consumers that are unaware – change is coming to the children’s product business – and it’s not necessarily going to be a good thing. The CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) oversees the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that will be enforced beginning February 10, 2009 for products intended for children ages 12 and under. How does this affect me, and many other WAHM/D’s and others within the cottage industry? Well, unless changes are made to the laws, and exemptions added, many of us will essentially be out of business. To sell anything after February 10, 2009 that does not have a compliance certificate stating that is is lead free, phalate free and non-flammable, it will simply be illegal to sell items without compliance certificates. The financial fines are pretty steep as well. For those of you that love recycled wool products, at this point in time under the current law, you will no longer be able to obtain them because the testing process is cost-prohibitive to many of us. This also affects cloth diapers. Clothing. Toys. Many items that children use are directly affected. They are claiming testing will cost anywhere from $150-4,000 per unit (i.e. item) depending upon the end product. Since recycled wool is different for each piece, it will be nearly impossible to do the testing required (which for wool would be lead testing, as it is already cleared for flammability). If they come up with a way to afford testing within the home with some sort of home testing kit, then perhaps this will save the many small businesses and give us the ability to survive. Otherwise, the end is nigh.

This also affects you as the consumer. If the many small businesses, both in home and those who have actual physical store front or factory locations, cannot afford to test their end product – there will be a reduction in products available for purchase. The larger companies that can afford the testing will have to raise their prices to compensate for the testing costs. The loss of income from the businesses forced to close will put even further burden on our suffering economy. While I agree that some testing needs to be done, especially in the case of imported toys and children’s items, it is unfair of the CSPC to lump everyone within the same pot and call for the same rules for everyone, regardless of size and product. They need to come up with some solution so that we all can survive this while still being able to comply with the laws.

I am asking you to please review the links I will be including. There are many many more links you can find by simply “googling” but these are what pertain to my business at hand – mostly children’s apparel. Contact your Congressman/women, contact your Senator. Ask them to review the laws and to please stand in for not only the businesses but for the buyer as well! What people don’t fully understand is that this also affects resale of children’s items, as currently worded within the CPSIA. You will not legally be able to buy or sell used children’s items without having them appropriately tested. Goodbye to resale shops. Goodbye to selling or buying on Craigslist or Ebay. Completely forget about selling on Etsy. They have already made it known that after 2/10/09 that Etsy will pull any listing for children’s items without the proper documented compliance certificate. Please, will you help us out and let your voices be heard? Join us making this work for everyone’s sake.

www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-what-must-be-tested
www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-requirementswww.fashion-incubator.com/archive/national-bankruptcy-day
www.fashion-incubator.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=32
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