My Mother-in-Law went to markets...

[Derpina Bubbles]

Sounds like the start of a bad joke. Anyway, she saw a handmade soap stall and went to go have a look. She said the soaps were beautiful, but were unwrapped and unlabelled. After picking a couple she liked she asked the lady what ingredients were in the soap. The answer was "I can't tell you that". She then turned to another customer, so Mum-in-law put the soaps down and left (she's anti-confrontation which is yay for me).

Soooooo the million dollar question is, were they actually M & P and by "I can't tell you that", she means it literally? Or, is she making soap from scratch and breaking every rule and reg in Australia regarding soap making and labelling? Actually I thought M & P soaps sold had to be labelled too as they are classed as a cosmetic.

My Mum-in-law asked because the woman is allergic to half the planet, not because she wants to make it. She checks everything before buying it. No chance to explain this to the seller though. Lucky enough there are a few soapers at that market so some labelled soaps were purchased in the end and she's a happy camper. She rang when she got home to ask if I thought the seller was suss for acting like that and I told her hell yes! What do you all think?

 

[coffeetime]

Not sure what suss means (I'm Canadian) but that's so awful. I'm going to a farmers market on Saturday because a friend of mine was telling me she had bought soap from a vendor. She sent me their brochure and I am highly skeptical on a few things they are claiming so I'm going to go look for myself.

It makes me really sad when people are deceptive.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Ooop sorry suss is short for suspicious. Sorry, I try and limit my use of slang when on here but it just slips out lol.

I wish I could go check out this market too but way too far away.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I think she might be selling it without sticking to the rules. Who knows if she even has product insurance, which she might have to have since she is selling on the market, but it is a bit suss if she's not labeling her products. Even if it's M&P, not CP, she has to label it as it's cosmetic product.
There's a lovely shop in a nearby shopping centre and lady there sells homemade soap, it's nicely wrapped and clearly labelled. I guess she did her homework before selling it and it's trying to be honest.

 

[CaraBou]

Sounds shady to me. But how come your MIL doesn't have a free lifetime supply of some of the coolest soaps down under??

 

[coffeetime]

LOL, Carabou! I didn't even think of that. What time is it down under anyway? It's 1:15am where I am. (I'm a night owl)

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Sounds shady to me. But how come your MIL doesn't have a free lifetime supply of some of the coolest soaps down under??

LOL! She only grabbed a small bag of them last time thinking she'd be back before now. Everyone I know is drowning in soap now. I swear I'll go to someone's house one day and see a cake of my soap being used as a door stop or something.

 

[jade-15]

Even though M&P doesn't have to be registered with NICNAS, as far as I'm aware every Australian product needs to come with ingredients list.
ACCC has information on mandatory requirmenets (think it's product saftey.gov now though?)

http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/971654

Possibly would have information about who to report non-conformances to, if you're so inclined. Maximum penalty is $220 000 for businesses - maybe your MIL wants to go back and give her a polite warning?

Hope that helps... I am frustrated by those who don't follow the rules (either they don't know... which is no excuse - do some research before selling) or they just ignore them. But how is it fair that one group of soap makers pays a $130 NICNAS fee, and another group doesnt? I don't sell because I wouldnt make that fee back. (Initially I was thinking of attending a Christmas market with all my excess I'll never use... got rid of that idea quickly). I haven't ever reported anyone though, tempting as it may be at times (There is one company falsely claiming all these therapetic uses for their product who I would like to report to the TGA but can't work out who to contact. My issue with them is the false claims and they target pensioners.)

 

[seven]

unwrapped? in a market? so ppl are free to touch them? yikes!

i am not familiar with the rules in oz as i dont sell in oz, but like others had said, looks like she aint following the rules by not putting the proper label for her products? that aside, if i was her, i would not brush off a customer like that. i could, at the very least, explain the basic ingredients that i was using.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Australian - Strewth! That Sheila sounds like a big galah! I would've told her to "rack off", got straight back in my Ute and gone home for a tinny or two with a nice friendly Roo.

English - My word! That woman sounds like a frightful person! I would have told her that her behaviour was unnacceptable, returned to my automobile and driven home for one or two beers with a Marsupial who's company I am found of.

Even if she meant that she is unwilling to give too much information in case it's copied, it's terrible service to just go on with out asking if the question comes from allergies or whatnot. Bad form indeed!

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Oh crikey! You're killing me here! 10 points for the ute and another 20 for the tinny.

 

[jade-15]

Australian - Strewth! That Sheila sounds like a big galah! I would've told her to "rack off", got straight back in my Ute and gone home for a tinny or two with a nice friendly Roo.

Haha love it - Glad to see you have "australian" down pat!

 

[cmzaha]

In the US we do not have to legally label soaps and a soap vendor at one of my markets sells unwrapped unlabeled soaps. Once the customers see my booth will all my soaps cut uniform, labeled and wrapped they usually comment they wish they had seen my first.
I am glad to see you Mom in Law takes responsibility for herself and trys to stay away from her known allergins. Here people would rather sue if they have a reaction. Any of us can go to a store and buy a hypoallergenic labeled product and have a reaction to it

 

[kikajess]

I'll risk playing devil's advocate, but the lady may have just been babysitting the booth for the person who actually makes the soap. Sometimes I'll sit a friend's jewelry booth and just pray no one asks any questions because I don't always know the answers!

 

[cmzaha]

That is very true. I watch a neighbors booth that sells mini pies and cobblers. Someone asked me once what the ingredients are, but I did explain that I was just watching the booth. LOL, the only real answer I had was, "they are good"!

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I'll risk playing devil's advocate, but the lady may have just been babysitting the booth for the person who actually makes the soap. Sometimes I'll sit a friend's jewelry booth and just pray no one asks any questions because I don't always know the answers!

Possible, but the shifty muppet still could have said as much instead of just turning away. I bet you would have been lovely and polite when asked (I just can't imagine you rude lol). Plus the soaps should have been labelled anyway. This is the still the soaper :shifty: <------shifty!

*I now want to change my forum name to the Shifty Muppet. Ooo or sell soaps one day under that name. The Shifty Muppet Soapworks. :shock::lolno: Ok, no.

 

[jade-15]

I would buy from Shifty Muppet Soapworks... So long as the ingredients are listed haha .
On a side note... I'm looking on made-it for some products, and one has written in the description "please review ingredients on packaging for allergies before use"... So this seller wants me to buy the product and pay for postage before checking for allergies?!?! I guess I could send him/her a message prior to buying... But to be honest that's too much effort for me, I'll just go to a different store
This same seller also uses "no chemicals" (interesting...), "no preservatives" and "no hidden nasties". I thought that without using preservatives you are guaranteeing that there will be hidden nasties...
/rant lol.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I would always have it listed online as it is listed on the pack - so they can read it or not as they like if they buy in person or online.

 

[jade-15]

That is what I am looking for, and if I was a seller I would list the ingredients on my site.
I am searching for something in particular and so far have dismissed many items as the ingredients aren't listed. I think that's against the rules in Australia (I could be wrong though...) but I simply don't want to spend my evening asking people what's in their products so I can determine if it is suitable for me!

 

[MzMolly65]

Well this thread was a good laugh to start off my morning. I agree on the seller being a shifty muppet .. which now as me loving that name for a soap .. make it Kermit green in colour but smell like roses and totally mess with people.

Also had me thinking about naming any business The Shifty Moppet ... (moppet = british slang = baby)

Mostly had me wondering why The Efficacious Gentleman didn't also translate the Austrian version!!

Lastly .. thanks to those who posted about the USA not requiring labels on soap which clears up the questions I had after seeing soap wrapped with a tiny strip of torn paper and goat's milk written on it in pencil but no ingredients. I too think anything for sale should be labeled with ingredients and WRAPPED in some way. Every kid and adult with sticky fingers picks that up to smell it and look at it so there's no way I want to buy it after that. If it were me selling I think I would leave out a sample of each for everyone to have a go at but keep what what was being handed over to the customer cleanly wrapped. I'm just too North American.