I've not read the whole post, but let me just bring to mind.

In Step by Step beads, I think June 2006 issue, they have an article that touches on this. Showing the real artist's beads and then the cheap knock off. And when I was at Bead & Button, several glass artists had handout cards warning about buying cheap knock offs.

QUOTE: Originally posted by atalanta I've not read the whole post, but let me just bring to mind. In Step by Step beads, I think June 2006 issue, they have an article that touches on this. Showing the real artist's beads and then the cheap knock off. And when I was at Bead & Button, several glass artists had handout cards warning about buying cheap knock offs.

That's a start but the issue here is getting the magazines to not accept advertising from a company that doesn't disclose the country of origin of their beads.

If the seller doesn't tell you they are selling cheap imported beads, all the education in the world won't help as the buyer can't make an informed purchase. And judging by the responses to customer complaints on eBay, customer satisfaction ranks right up with being honest about the country of origin.

I think it's wonderful when a magazine teaches something but it's a bit ironic that they discuss being aware of cheap knock-offs in the same issue that a company like Austin Hamilton is allowed to advertise when they don't fairly state that Austin Hamilton beads are made in China.

-Su

QUOTE: Originally posted by StoneWomanWorks There ya go Su... Karma... that will be their undoing! Loralyn

Yup.

I'm convinced of it.

-Su

Hi Su,

As a vendor, and bulk supplier of beads both in my own country, and soon to be in yours, I understand your frustration and anger at the situation with regards AH Beads and their misleading advertising. In South Africa we have no such laws regarding country of origin, and often conducting business in this environment is like operating in the wild west. We spend an exhorbitant amount of time on consumer education with regards origin and manufacturing processes. We sometimes become annoyed and frustrated with customers who are disinterested in this education, and believe that we are just blowing the wind up our own products.

But believe me when your competitor advertises cheap little "Geneva" brand watch faces from China as "Made in Switzerland", then believe you me I understand your total exasperation. Trading in Africa, I live with this frustration on an ongoing basis, however continue to educate, emmersing myself in literature and knowledge with regards my products, and making sure that I am active at every show/fair/exhibition/talk/showing/viewing etc etc....and I continue in all these places to educate my consumers.

I'll give you an example...we have attended a particular trade show for 4 years in a row, with our high quality products, and for 3 of these years we have barely broken even, our competitors with their false advertising and cheap products giving us a slaughtering.
Well not this year!!!! My constant and ongoing loudhailing about quality products/country of origin/manufacturing processes has finally paid off....and lo and behold we were the talk of the show this year..our stand was so busy most of the time that customers just could not get in....We kicked some huge rear end!!

And why am I telling you all this?? Because I want to help you. on June 16th 1976..the Youth of Soweto marched against apartheid...18 years later they got their freedom. But it took time for people to listen, and believe and understand. You will not change the minds of anyone quickly on this issue...there is too much to lose by people more powerful and more monied than you are. They see you as farting into the wind at the moment.

You have however started the whisper....which will lead to talk..which will lead to a loud screaming hurricane that can't be stopped. But hurricanes take time to build.

Why do I care? I just love a good fight...I cannot stand lies, inaccuracies and injustice, and I hate seeing the little guys squashed...it just winds me up no end.

I will join your fight..lets start a campaign..maybe a I hate AH beads website...maybe a AH beads Lies website...become the cockroach that just won't go away.

Kudo's to you...let me know what I can do to help.

Cheers
Mark

Thank you, Mark.

I've been so burned out by the lack of interest or response from the publishers I've almost given up but I hate to walk away knowing that unethical behaviour that is publicly known is not being publicly stopped.

I will let you know what else I can come up with. There are some sites out there already, www.austinhamilton.info will take you to a main linking area for them. And a forum about the issue.

Thanks again.

-Su

Hay Su -

I'm on your side. Coming over soon. Will send you a mail and maybe we can meet for a cuppa?

Cheers
Mark

QUOTE: Originally posted by MarkFrances Hay Su - I'm on your side. Coming over soon. Will send you a mail and maybe we can meet for a cuppa? Cheers Mark

Sounds like a plan, I was looking at your blog, amazing work. I hope you get the Manchester store open soon!

-Su

590 beaders now.

I was contacted recently by someone wanting to find a magazine without AH advertising in it.

Sadly, the masses of money thrown at adverts monthly by AH means there are NO magazines about beading that are free of the problem of having someone who is a big advertiser but won't do the simple, honest thing of just saying Austin Hamilton beads are made in China.

-Su

I'm really frustrated that I have not been able to find a mainstream bead magazine anywhere that does not have AH's ad in it. I want to advertise in a magazine - ideally Bead & Button - but I absolutely will not until AH is completely out of there. And it frustrates me to no end that Kalmbach has not responded to this issue lately. It's really sad.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kandice_Seeber I'm really frustrated that I have not been able to find a mainstream bead magazine anywhere that does not have AH's ad in it. I want to advertise in a magazine - ideally Bead & Button - but I absolutely will not until AH is completely out of there. And it frustrates me to no end that Kalmbach has not responded to this issue lately. It's really sad.

Yes, Kandice, it's a shame. And it reinforces the idea that money is the ONLY bottom line here.

-Su

Perhaps we should all club together and take out our own ad to say their beads are made in China.

[}:)]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Britbird Perhaps we should all club together and take out our own ad to say their beads are made in China. [}:)]

That is being discussed on Lampwork ETC. Not directly that AH beads are made in China but the entire issue of misrepresentation of work, AH is not the only one, just the main one that does not tell the truth about where the beads are made.

The problem is, giving money to the magazines that already take money from AH. It's somewhat sickening to do that.

-Su

Well now, Minek INC, the parent company of Austin Hamilton, is now branching out. They're not just Austin Hamilton, they're Milan Silver and WOW, guess what???? they're also "Enter-China" with private feedback so people can't see how many things they sell that get negative feedback.

So, the Austin Hamilton company that presents their beads as 'designed and created in the Austin Hamilton studio' and sells under several names and has admitted that the beads are made in China also sells soft-porn 'nudes' via the name Enter-China but when all's said and one it's all Minek INC.

http://cgi.ebay.com/36-Signed-oil-painting-Nude-Chinese-girl-with-Voile_W0QQitemZ250008045247QQihZ015QQcategoryZ29456QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's a nude so don't look if you're offended by really tacky artwork. But read the description and see that it's all Minek.

When will B&B finally respond?

Oh yes, the petition? Closing in on 700 signatures and still going. And AH? eBay is now being hit with more requests for an honest disclosure of the country of origin of the beads sold by Minek. Come on, folks. Stand up and be counted. Gain the respect of the beading community.

-Su

Hello, Su...

Some ideas where to send copies of the petition:

Kalmbach Publishing is in Wisconsin (according to their website), so how's about the Wisconsin Attorney General's office?

A letter to all the editors of the other magazines Kalmbach publishes (the list is prominently displayed on their site), may give you some allies. Not all these magazines have to do with crafting and jewelry but they undoubtedly carry ads for products that may or may not have been openly and honestly manufactured in China.

Related to that...recently on a "60 Minutes" sort of program was a story about how auto repair shops are being faked-out by bootlegged products that are either shoddily made in China or are outright fakes made in China. They used as an example brake shoes that were missing a vital part which would almost surely cause an accident when replaced on a vehicle. Products were labeled as "genuine whatever company products" but were proven to carry bootlegged identification.

Further, I've been hearing/reading news about the U.S. Government finally cracking-down on Chinese bootleggers of copyrights, brands, et al, and even getting some cooperation from the Chinese government with these efforts. I don't recall which arm of our government this is, but perhaps some research into it (such as calling a large newspaper or Reuters or some such entity) to find out and then sending a copy of the petition to them might help. I'm certain they want to hear from as many groups/companies as possible that have been effected by this sort of theft.

Has anyone confronted Kalmbach directly, instead of posting and reposting on this forum to vent about this problem? It's one thing to educate other beaders about an issue but it's been my personal observation that huge corporations seldom respond... much less react...to any issue unless forced to. IF Kalmbach has been directly informed of this issue, then are you certain the RIGHT person there was contacted? If you only spoke to a secretary or an assistant, it's highly likely they just tossed the letter/phone message/whatever into a neglected and ignored in-box. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and if you make a sufficient nuisance of yourself, you may eventually get to talk to a person there who actually has some responsibility about the ads.

Have you asked Kalmbach about placing an ad of your own...or whatever group it is that's threatening to pull their advertising once their contract's up? (My apologies, but there was so much to read here I cannot recall the name of that entity...I believe it was British....) If you asked to place a prominent display ad in the relevant magazines...or all they publish...stating your concerns, you can BET you'd get some attention. You'd be denied, of course, but it would be very interesting to see who wanted to talk to you about WHY you wanted to place such an ad. Of course, the cost would be high but you wouldn't actually place the ad because they wouldn't let you.

Are there any prominent blogs out there...whether or not they've anything to do with the beading/jewelry-making/crafting world...that you're aware of which would find this issue interesting enough to discuss? It's my understanding there are many bloggers out there who often get media attention. If you could find out who these bloggers are (and I wish I could tell you how to do that), they might help. And thesmokinggun.com is also a site you might try to get in touch with...they love to pull the mask off of those who actively and...especially...publically lie.

Another thought...knock-offs abound everywhere...I'm especially aware of it in the quilting world where "boutiques" will sell dirt-cheap quilts as "handmade" with advertising or sales blurbs which lead one to believe some little old lady practically went blind stitching it. The fact is that these pieces of junk are made in China and India (often identified as simply "imported" in catalogs) by people being paid pennies a day. Their products are shoddily stitched and often will fall apart after a bit of use and a few washings.

I wish you luck with this. It's only one example of how people around the world are being tricked into believing the products they trust or think they can trust are nothing more than junk. China isn't the only culprit, of course; many people around the world bootleg products all the time. It pays to read the fine print and ask questions if you've ever a doubt, but that often isn't practical.

I'm curious - has anyone whose artwork/copy material has been stolen gone on to sue AH? If a request to stop has not resulted in the copyrighted material being pulled, has anyone taken the next step?

Having worked with vendors in my current place of employment, I know that the moment a complaint came in regarding an ad being used by one vendor that orignated with another, we requested the ad be pulled. If they did not, we removed it from our site. If the vendor continued to use it in other places (where we had no control), the owner was encouraged to get a lawyer and have a "cease-and-desist" letter sent.

If THAT still didn't stop the usage, a suit would be filed. But it rarely went that far because the letter from the lawyer usually did it.

So I guess my question actually is: has anyone been forced to retain a lawyer to get AH to stop? Whether to send the letter or file a suit? If so, wouldn't it be possible to gather all of the "cease-and-desist" records to present to someone who could take the issue further on behalf of honest sellers and the artists?