Consuining Interest

Back to the Shop

By LESLIE ADRIAN Cases like this, which we have all experienced at one time or another, raise the whole problem of the extent to which the retailer 'is responsible for the goods he sells. In this particular case, the local consumer group in Tees-side com- plained to the manufacturers, Messrs. Clarks Ltd., and got this reply:

We fully appreciate the need for some im- mediate and decisive action when a child's shoe is involved. To this end we have gone to a great deal of trouble and expense to ensure that all our retailers are equipped to offer the public in general a most satisfactory and comprehen- sive service with regard to any matter of this sort. The vast majority of them are in constant touch with us and do, therefore, have a thorough knowledge of our products. This being so we do make a point of informing all our retailers that they are at liberty to take such immediate action as they consider neces- sary when a complaint is brought to their attention, and can be assured of our full sup- port. This is not to say, however, that from time to time our agents may feel it advisable to seek our opinion with regard to a pair of shoes and will, therefore, forward them to this depart- ment in order that we might carry out a thorough examination both here and possibly in our research laboratory.

Messrs. Clarks seem to have the right idea— though it may be worth their while to remind. their retailers to carry out their share of the arrangement. Too many retailers in all fields refer back to the manufacturers for fear that the manufacturers won't replace the goods they have to replace and too many customers accept without complaint the whole annoying business. Legally, it is perfectly clear that the retailer is primarily responsible to the customer for the quality of the goods he sells (the retailer has his own rights against the manufacturer) and the customer is fully entitled to expect. satisfaction from the retailer without any reference to the manufacturer. There are some retailers who are famed for their willingness to accept respon- sibility and not to make a fuss about making an exchange (Marks and Spencers, for one), but too often I find myself shopping at large stores which are more likely to deal fairly and quickly with complaints than small ones which might, in other ways, serve me better.

I hear that the new Federation of Local Con- sumer Groups is planning a campaign to per- suade the manufacturers to back the retailers properly when complaints arise and the retailers to carry out their legal obligations direct to the customer. I wish it every success.

*

Some weeks ago a leaflet, clearly composed without benefit of advertising agent, came into this office. Its authors, J. and M. Winser, de- scribe themselves rather touchingly as 'ageing rather old-fashioned people. We like our food as our parents made it many years ago.'

The Winsers are farmers and cheesemakers who take their wares round to some half-dozen markets in Hampshire and Surrey. They also sell their good things from the preparation room of their Petersfield farm and (if they will stand it) through the post.

I'm particularly partial to their sausages, which are a far cry indeed from the anemic, emulsified mixture that masquerades as a banger these days. Winser sausages are practically 100 per cent pork, flavoured with sage (as much or as little as the customer fancies), but totally innocent of preservative.

The cheeses they offer include a most unusual one called Coullomiers, which arrives like a large, flat butter-pat on a papier mache disc, and in fact tastes like cheese trying to be butter. It goes well with Dorset Knobs, crisp, mouth- ful-sized rolls and the only things in the Winser range they do not produce themselves.

Altogether, this enterprising couple sell some fifty different products—butter, whey-cream, home-cured bacon and ham; pâtés, pies and faggots; plump free-range poultry, eggs guaran- teed to be less than three days old; pickles, jams and honey. Write for their list to Weston Farm, Petersfield, Hants.

At the other end of the kingdom is a 54' plier of -meat: J. and W. Alexander, of Thistle Street, Aberdeen. Not surprisingly, their speci- ality is Aberdeen Angus beef. The quality is superb and even when the ,cost of postage has been counted in, their prices compare well with those of London shops supplying good They also send mutton, delicious pork—and poultry and fish, including salmon. To anyone at work all day it is a blessing to have Alexanders send meat by post once week, leaving it io them to select what is best at the time and specifying only the quantilY needed. I have been using them for nearly two years, and there have been only two occasions when the meat was delayed in transit (once by the big fog, once by a rail strike), and °I1 each occasion Alexanders deducted the cost from their monthly account. meat.

Quail virtually disappeared from the English' man's table in 1937 when the abhorrent trade in live birds between Egypt and England was put down by Parliament. Now, thanks to the enterprise of one or two breeders who have started quail farms in this country, these delectable morsels are available again. The first of the few in this field was Mrs' Gouldsbury, of the Goldesborough Quail harm (Pentridge, near Salisbury). Given a couple of days' notice (and 33s.), she will dispatch a box of six plucked quail to ally address in the country Cooking instructions are enclosed. Our family not being of the savoury-after-the; sweet school of thought, we eat them as a light main course following a substantial starter' Wrapped in bacon, grilled for fifteen minutes (0 roasted on the Kebab attachment of a Cannl turning spit) and served on a piece of toast spread with pâté, six birds satisfied three of use though the largest member of the family alt mitted he would have enjoyed forcing down Ps one more! The same farm also raises excellent guinea. fowl of a rather unusual strain. These are free,: range birds with a fine but light gamey flav°11,. costing (in feather) 1 Is. 6d. each, plus carring`r: They are meaty enough to serve three or font. I do not imagine either Mrs. GouldsbtitY, or the Denmore guinea-fowl farm in Aberdeen' shire is likely to be put out of business by he big frozen-food firm who are rumoured to "0, about to launch into the business of mass"Pri,o ducing broiler guinea-fowl. Only people bet really care for the taste of food go to the h°t.ier of buying it by post—and quick-frozen br°1,,s guinea-fowl are likely to be just as tasteless :e ditto chicken. Even so,' I reckon it wont ;uve long before someone tries to gull the perMissind British public into buying broiler pheasants an grouse. Buying food by post involves training the postman to leave parcels on the doorstep or under stairs if one is out. Otherwise, things are apt to be carted back to rot in the sorting office while all you get is a buff slip. Pilfering is an exaggerated hazard, in my experience— and I live in what claims to be the most criminal square mile in the country.

The high cost of hire-purchase shopping is a luxurS, that not everyone wants to afford. So while we are waiting (some ten to twenty years?) for the Board of Trade to see the sense of George Darling's scheme for doing away with hire purchase and replacing it with straight- forward loans, let me tell you how six families in search of a washing machine short-circuited the never-never. The families live in the same block and below their flats is a basement to which all have access, and in it a sink with cold water only and one electric point. They chose a Hoover Keymatic, which is fully automatic, works off cold water if necessary and needs no plumbing in. Clothes and detergent popped in, the user can retire to his flat above and collect the semi-dry, clean washing an hour or so later. Undoubtedly such an arrangement puts some- thing of a premium on good neighbourliness. But I am assured by a lawyer friend of mine that there need be no legal complications. As the machine will be owned. in common, simply drawup • a statement (for signature by all), listing the owners' names. Stick one copy of this 0. n the back of the machine. If one 'owner' leaves, Ills share can be sold either to the existing tenants or to the incoming tenant. 4, The enterprise is beginning to show a profit, for each person signs a sheet every time he uses the machine; and once a quarter gets a s, for every wash. (This covers even elec-

tricity, but users bring their own detergent.) The £3 a month which this brings in was mainly to re-pay the original cost of the machine in a way fair to all—for some make more use of it than others, of course.

Now they are talking of buying a tumbler drier in the same way. The nearly-dry clothes coming out of the washing machine quickly turn bone-dry in centrally-heated flats—in winter. But in summer the process takes a little longer.