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SALT LAKE CITY — Sorry, cowboy. That's not a down jacket.
A set of Rodeo brand jackets and vests, which purport to be puffed with down, are actually full of polyester, an investigation by the Utah Department of Agriculture's Division of Regulatory Services has revealed.
The western-style outerwear had been distributed to three retailers in Utah: AA Callister, C-A-L Ranch and Reams.
"We've taken regulatory action against the manufacturer and distributor of these items. … We've put a 'stop sale' (order) on these products and the retailers are hanging onto them until the manufacturer can relabel (them)," said Travis Waller, director of the Division of Regulatory Services. The division is just one of many offices within the Department of Agriculture that is focused on consumer protection.
The California-based distributor, Alliage Inc., had been scrutinized in the past by Utah's Division of Regulatory Services for problematic labeling, Waller said. So when the new line of jackets showed up with tags indicating they were filled with a "poly/down" mix but without providing a required percentage of each, the division decided to have an independent laboratory test the filling.
What they found was a lot of polyester and less than 1 percent down.
"The actual down component inside of it was 0.08 percent," Waller said.
Though the 688 jackets contain hardly any of the warm, waterproof down filling, they were marketed as down-filled jackets and even sported a sample of the fluffy white feathers in a clear packet on the zipper. In fact, there may have been more down filling in the sample pouch than there was in the entire jacket.
"With the bubble here with the down on it and then there's hardly any down in there … it's pretty egregious," Waller said.
The jackets, which the tags indicate are made in China, hadn't yet hit the shelves at Reams when the Department of Agriculture placed an embargo on them. AA Callister and C-A-L Ranch have pulled the products from their stores.
There is no liability for the retailers that stocked the misleading jackets, Waller said, noting that the stores have been just as victimized as their customers.
The distributor, which has been cited and warned in the past, faces a potential $300,000 in penalties.
"We thought it was appropriate to be a little more heavy handed and make sure that they understand that they can't do this in the state of Utah," Waller said.
The jackets will not be allowed for sale in the state of Utah until they are accurately relabeled and advertised. So far, the distributor is cooperating, according to the division.
Anyone who bought one of the jackets can contact the retailer it came from, but there's no obligation to refund or replace the product, Waller said. It's up to each retailer to decide how to respond to dissatisfied customers.
Pat Mooney, northern region merchandise manager for C-A-L Ranch stores, said the company's primary focus moving forward will be restoring the trust of its customers. The jackets have been removed from all stores in the chain, even those in other states.
"I personally called every store in Utah," Mooney said. "It's a headache for us, but it's the right thing to do for our customer. We want them to trust us."
Once the jackets have been relabeled, inspectors from the Division of Regulatory Services will confirm they are are accurately marked before they can be shipped back to Utah and sold, Waller said.
While the division isn't able to check every product, it keeps an eye out for potential red flags and has stepped up its efforts in recent years, Waller said. He assured customers that a violation to this extent is uncommon.
