STANDARDS CORNER
It has become customary at this time of the year for parents to purchase new school outfits and items such as, bags, school uniforms, socks, books, etc, for their children to return to school in the new academic year. Another item that is widely purchased is footwear, one of the twenty commodities monitored by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) under its Standards Compliance Programme. In this week’s feature, the GNBS will focus on the purchase of footwear in an effort to better educate consumers on the guidelines that will help them purchase quality, well-labelled footwear. This information, if adhered to, will prevent consumers from purchasing very poor quality and inadequately labelled footwear that may be displayed for sale on the market, and can avoid the waste of hard-earned money due to premature damage.
The GNBS monitors footwear according to the requirements of the Guyana Standard Specification for the Labelling of Commodities Part 4: Labelling of Footwear (GYS 9-4: 2003). This standard is a mandatory standard, and as such, all importers and local manufacturers must ensure that the footwear which they exhibit for sale comply with the requirements set out therein.
The standard requires that the label of each item of footwear has the name and address of the manufacturer or supplier or his/her identification number or brand name or trade mark. The footwear must be labelled with the size, country of original and the materials from which the sole and the upper or body of the shoes are made. An added parameter to be considered now, especially for the ladies, is whether the shoes are wide width or not.
For example, the label should state: leather sole or leather upper, genuine leather, synthetic or man – made materials etc. In addition to the above labelling information, it is important that the colour of the footwear be clearly stated on the box or container.  The label must not be deceptive, be legible or durable up to the point of sale and even afterwards.
Consumers also need to visually examine the footwear to ensure that they are not dry-rotted or have peels and cracks, since this can significantly reduce the “usage span” of the footwear due to premature damage. When purchasing footwear, especially for children, parents need to consider the sturdiness of the footwear they are going to buy (e.g. a pair of shoes that is pasted and stitched would most likely last longer).
A higher priced or “brand name” footwear, although more expensive, would be of a better quality than “lower end” or cheaper footwear, because manufacturers of “higher priced or “brand name” footwear need to ensure that they consistently manufacture quality footwear according to quality standards to maintain their reputation through consumer satisfaction.
Finally, after taking all of the above information into consideration, when purchasing your children’s footwear or any other commodity, it is important to ensure that a receipt is given for money spent. This receipt could be presented as proof of purchase if there is a need to return the commodity to the place of purchase.
Consumers should first find out the store’s policy for refunds and exchanges in the event that this may be necessary. This is very important, as dissatisfaction on the part of the consumer can result in confrontation and poor customer relationship, especially if the store owner refuses to facilitate exchanges and refunds.
For further information please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0065, 219- 0066.