On Jan. 13, organizers of Claim Check Verified announced the launch of the program. In this open letter to building products retailers, Florida Building Material Association president Bill Tucker explains why Claim Check Verified matters.
To Building Product Retailers:
A salesperson calls on you with an incredible deal: high-quality, "green" windows for a price far lower than comparable ones. Based upon the manufacturer's representations, your company sells several whole-house jobs and everything appears to be going well. That is, until the Federal Trade Commission files a truth in advertising claim against the window company and it turns out the product attributes claimed by the manufacturer are false.
From a tarnished reputation to defending legal actions, the effect of a false product attribute claim can be devastating to a building product retailer. The concern over such claims is what drove the formation of the Building Product Retailers Alliance, its partnership with Intertek and the development of the Claim Check Verified(™) program.
The Claim Check Verified verification program provides independent, third-party verification of product claims, assuring retailers and their customers that products perform as professed. Products verified through Claim Check Verified are listed in an online directory, showing discriminating retailers which manufacturers have taken this important step.
By requiring Claim Check Verified verification as part of their due diligence process, building product retailers can be confident that building products will perform as claimed. When doing so, retailers:
- Differentiate themselves from their competitors by demonstrating concern for their customers and their customers' clients.
- Preserve and enhance their reputations and reduce the possibility of liability arising from products not performing as claimed.
- Reduce the cost and time involved in verifying manufacturers' product attribute claims.
- Demonstrate their concern for their customers and their customers' reputations.
- Reduce the reluctance to sell and use alternative and new building products.
- Can verify green claims.
The Claim Check Verified program is not burdensome for manufacturers and adds little cost to building products. For building product manufacturers that have invested in product testing by reputable testing facilities, Claim Check Verified™verification can be performed in a relatively short time and in many cases for the minimum cost of $2,000 per product line. For your company's and your customers' protection, when considering handling new products, make sure their product attributes have Claim Check Verified. For further information visit www.claimcheckverified.com.
Tucker is president of the Florida Building Material Association, Mount Dora, Fla.Contact him.
