August 26th, 2009
I emailed SIGG recently (liners@mysigg.com) to complain about my BPA bottle and ask for a refund. Instead of getting an apology or refund, I got a curious response and offer of replacement only.
I suspect that what I received is merely a form response, written up weeks ago in anticipation of the angry customers.
Here’s how the SIGG response started:
I understand where you are coming from. Fact is SIGG did not manufacture the old liner, it was provided to us by a third party that would not disclose the ingredient list, only testing that assured no leaching of BPA or ANYTHING else into any beverage poured into a SIGG. Several tests were conducted in Europe and the US to make sure of it. And we paid to have one too! These tests are located for your review here:
http://mysigg.com/bulletin
It sounds to me like SIGG is saying that they didn’t know about the BPA, but they’re so sly I’ve stopped trying to interpret their carefully crafted messages. Even if they didn’t know about the BPA, what kind of company sells something they don’t know the ingredients of?
Either way, SIGG loses when it comes to consumer confidence. They aren’t admitting to doing anything wrong. It’s some mysterious third-party’s fault.
It’s occurred to me that perhaps SIGG wasn’t ready to take on the roll of being a green company. It’s a label that many of us stuck on them without realizing it. SIGG chose to cash in to the tune of several million dollars instead of admitting their product wasn’t quite what everyone thought it was.
True enough, they’ve come clean (sort of) now. And they’ve designed a BPA-free bottle liner in order to be “more transparent and eco-friendly,” as the email response mentioned.
Unfortunately, SIGG is asking for the return of old bottles. Specifically, they said: “We ask that you return your old bottles to us as proof of purchase and so that we may recycle them.”
The thing is that I could recycle them myself without the bother of carbon emissions from shipping. I could also send SIGG a copy of my receipt via email. However, SIGG wants their bottles back as proof. Too bad for the earth.
If you email liners@mysigg.com, you’ll receive instructions and forms for the return of your bottles in order to receive a gift certificate pin code good toward the purchase of replacement bottles on mysigg.com, including shipping.
If you have a bottle made prior to August 2008 with BPA traces in the liner, are you returning it for a credit?
For a glass water bottle suggestion, read Jennifer’s recent post on Love Bottles at Tree Hugging Family.
(Image via stock.xchng)
Filed under Green Choices | Comments (7)
[…] about SIGG a few months ago when they revealed that their new liners were BPA free and the old ones weren’t. Yeah, I was upset as I had been drinking from an older SIGG for years thinking it […]
i am writing because SIGG has been giving me a run around ever since i ordered three bottles from them this past summer. when i got them, one bottle was fine but the other two smelled HORRIBLE. the smell was some nasty chemical odor that didn’t feel safe to me, to say nothing of what it made my water taste like. i washed the bottles several times and it didn’t change the smell. i wrote to customer service and told them about the problem. they suggested that i wash them and let them air dry despite my having told them that i had done just that. i sent them back and they told me that their experts claimed that they didn’t smell. give me a break. it wasn’t until i threatened them with the better business bureau that they started to treat me properly. they finally sent me replacements which also smelled. i asked for a refund. they refused and told me to pick out new designs and they would make sure they don’t smell. we’ll see. i’m not optimistic. i don’t trust them and would recommend that people purchase these things with care…never off their website, always from a store where you can check them out first.
Shellburne,
I haven’t experienced the smell issue with SIGG, but I’ve been on a big ThinkSport bottle kick. If you can’t get SIGG bottles you like, I’d suggest ThinkSport. I’ve never noticed a smell with the bottle I have from them. Good luck!
PS — I did get SIGG to send me a replacement bottle after the whole BPA issue came out. I used it a few times, but I still like my ThinkSport bottle better because it’s so insulated. And there’s no mystery coating inside…
I found this page searching for Sigg bottles with a chemical odor – I just received two in the mail from a company called Pure Citizen, and both bottles have an extremely strong chemical order on the inside. I have washed them and left them to air dry for days, and they still smell. I wrote to Sigg and they are sending me cleaning tablets, but frankly I am afraid to drink from these bottles. It’s some sort of chemical off-gassing from the lining, and cannot be safe. So disappointed, as the bottles have such great designs, and I was enthusiastic about the BPA-free linings.
Hi Gabrielle,
I have a replacement SIGG bottle that’s of the BPA-free variety. I’m not exactly sure why I bothered getting a replacement. It doesn’t smell like chemicals, but it’s been just sitting in my pantry while I use my stainless steel Thinksport bottle. I like it much better.
I didn’t believe it at first but seeing this article and the comments makes me sick, I’ve drank from my bottle which I bought recently twice, Damn it SIGG what happened?! I’m so angry! -_-
Johan, if you bought the bottle recently, you should have a liner that is free of BPA. This article refers to bottles made before August 2008.