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)
