Just curious.........

[DonC]

I have my candles & tarts on consignment at a local country store that has recently reopened. They have a gift section that they sell only locally hand crafted items. I was in there the other day and looking around at the "other" candle company's candles. They were really nice looking candles and the way they were presented was flawless. They are soy poured into old fashioned mason jars with the wire bail on them. Very nice looking indeed. Then I decided to take the cover off of one to see what it smelled like. I was blown away at what I saw!!! The wick was not only off center, it was almost touching the side of the jar!! I figured, oh well, everyone makes mistakes and put the cover back on and put it back on the display. Then curiosity got the best of me. So I checked them all!! Out of 14 candles, only TWO had a centered wick. The rest were ALL way off center!!!!

This is a small company from a very ritzy town and the prices attest to that. Their website is absolutely beautiful just like the candles "appear" to be.

I immediately brought it to the store owners attention, but she didn't seem to be interested even though I told her that they were dangerous to burn with the wicks that way.

So what if anything would you do? Would you contact the company and tell them? or would you just leave it alone and wait for someone to burn their house down?

Just curious........

[MJandJoshsMommie]

WOW!! That is a major risk.

They might've ben made from her , maybe thats why she showed no cares about it.

You'd think they would want good publicity and a good name and stand behind the items they allow to sale there , ya know.

SOME PEOPLE... AGH

[Tereasa]

you can't fix stupid... the best thing to do is try to educate the buyers who are willing to listen. You can't tell someone else how to make their candles. Any chandler who would let something like that be put on a shelf obviously doesn't give a shyt. I understand the save-the-world mentality, and not wanting someone to buy a dangerous product... but I think you've done all you can do by bringing it to the store owner's attention. Doing anything else will make you look like a pushy know-it-all to the owner and the other chandler.

And things like THIS is why some of us can be tough on newbies!

[Meg_10]

You say they have a web site, Why don't you send them an email

stating your concern, give them the facts and maybe it'll give them a wake up call. Tell them their candles are liable for serious lawsuit.

Meg

[DonC]

Thank you all for your replies!!

I am really torn about what to do, if anything at all. It just REALLY bugs me that someone would go to all of the trouble and make a beautiful candle like theirs and then have it be a total fire hazard!!!

I have considered that it could have been an employee that did this and that the owners would probably want to know. (I certainly would) Then I thought they might not have any employees.

I am sort of leaning towards saying nothing because it really isn't any of my business. But on the other hand, they are REALLY unsafe and could seriously hurt someone, or worse.

Guess I'll have to think about it somemore..............

[blazerina]

The lady you spoke with may have thought this was the professional way to handle it, knowing she probably has no clue if what you say is right or not, but fully intends on taking it to the company. Rather than bashing one of her wholesalers products to another wholesaler. You might ask next time you go in if that company was willing to work with her on replacing those for her.... like you naturally assume she would have dealt with this because it's a serious issue, kind of thing. And she'll either have again no concerne and nothing to offer about it or she might have something to offer such as a blow off comment from the company or maybe now a personal opinion as she develops interest in the issue herself. At the very least it will imprint on her just a bit more to notice the difference in a good candle and a shoddy one.

Or..they may be older stock that maybe was in the heat and this happened to them?? Whatever the reason, maybe she is fully aware of the issue but kind of shady and thinking only of her immediate bottom line and hopes to pawn them off. (you don't know what kind of agreement she has with this other company and if she is stuck with them or not- but doesn't make it right either)

The next time you go in, I would stay really professional and say things like 'Aw, that's too bad those came out like that. I feel for you having to take on that risk.'

Watch to see if NEW ones from that company continue to come in like this. If they do, maybe suggest she melt them down on a candle warmer to correct it. You know, be a pest about it but descretely and innocently.

Good luck.

[DonC]

Hi Blazerina and thanks for the reply.

I know the people who own the store and they are very nice people, but very green in the business. They just opened last month and have never had a store before. I know for a fact that everything in the hand crafted section is there on consignment because they don't want to get into wholesale just yet.

I also did a little digging into the other company. They list their address and phone number in one town and their contact person has the SAME phone number but lives 30 miles away in a different town that is just down the street from the country store. Seems a little fishy to me.

I am in the store almost daily. It is the "gathering spot" in town so I will keep my eyes open and will take your advice and mention it again to the owner. I don't think that she fully understands the ramifications if someone is injured burning a candle she sold even though she didn't make it. I will try to address it in a nice way because they really have their hands full with opening a new business.

The company has a "Retailers" page on their site and I am going to check out the other stores and see what the product looks like at a few of those as well. I know I should probably just drop this whole thing, but it really pi***s me off to see someone pawn this type of crap off on to people because it makes the rest of us look bad and puts others in danger. I work my butt off putting out a good product and sell them at a price that everyone can afford. She sells hers for 25-30% more and they are junk. So I am going to stay on it!!

[blazerina]

I think you should. Just remember to keep it in the interest of safety not a grudge, lol. But I agree that you should becuase you don't know WHOSE house might burn down from it. Could be your neighbors or someone you love's neighbors and it could catch the next door house on fire too.

I had another idea while reading your post....

Maybe try to steer the convo to insurance. Talk about how expensive it is, or what a decent deal you got, etc. Ask how much she needs to cover her business and somewhere in there mention how much yours is JUST for selling candles.

I think, like you said, she just doesn't realize the importance of it all. I know I never did. And sometimes, not knowing, it all just seems like government blah blah blah based on a 1% chance of something happening kind of thing. And it's not taken seriously. Even many very good, very smart chandlers here admit to doing things at home with their own candles that they shouldn't. Like leaving them burning overnight, etc.

But it's a fine line. You don't want to appear a busy body, or to begrudge that company any amount of success. Maybe send someone else in to comment on how they look unsafe, lol.

Yanno what would be funny? Go into another store that sells them and if they are the same, say to the store keeper 'Oh my goodness, these are the same candles I use to compare how a candle should look and how an unsafe one looks... how funny'. And smile big and innocently.

Good luck.

[momtohaley2004]

Do the owners of this store know that even though they are consigning these products that if one of the candles is proved faulty and the cause of a housefire that not only can the person whose home burned sue the maker of the candle, but also the place they bought it? May bring that up somehow too.

[Mountain_Annie]

OK...I too am curious. First of all ...I make candles and before I get a bashing let me say that all of my wicks are as centered as possible. Not perfect...(and I'm sure that none of you can claim absolute perfection)...but they're darn near close. However...before I started making candles I purchased literally hundreds of candles through the years and maybe even closer to thousands of them between myself and my family members...and a LOT of those wicks were off-centered. (I've even purchased a few "yanks" that were off centered...as well as other well-known brands)...but I have never, even once had anything even *close to a fire happen with those candles. (This was before I knew that wicks should be centered BTW) You may call that "lucky" and so would I if it had only been a handful of candles. But I must have burned hundreds of them with a lop-sided, off-centered wick. My only complaint was that most had little or no throw...hence I started making my own. So....I personally do not understand all the "horror" about the off-centered wicks. Could someone enlighten me further?

Telling someone that they are horrible candle-makers or liable for serious lawsuit because their wicks are a bit off centered seems a little too extreme to me...unless I'm missing something. I know all the safety issues: "If wick isn't centered the jar could get too hot and crack...or shatter"....etc. etc but if you're using a nice, thick jar or a glass container made for candles...the likelihood of that actually happening is very small from my past experience from all of those that I've purchased and burned through the years.

So...just wondering if I missed something really important.

Mt Annie

P.S. We live in a HUGE tourists town. There are TONS of candles made and sold here annually. I'd say that 5 out of 10 local shops here have at least a few candles with wicks that are not perfectly centered....but I haven't heard of any complaints, fires or law suits over them.

IMHO I think you should let the matter go. You've already brought it to the store owner's attention. If something DID happen then it's their butt...not yours.

[momtohaley2004]

let the matter go. You've already brought it to the store owner's attention. If something DID happen then it's their butt...not yours.

I agree here with this........sometimes there is only so much you can do and if they don't listen then hey, you told them so. So people are just stubborn like that......LOL I know because I have a family full of them (that's why I've given up trying to say anything............I'm always wrong until I'm proven right). And it's best if you are selling in the store as well that if you want to continue to do so w/o looking like the nagging competitor then you let it go. And if you are friends with the owner, that's grounds for an argument or something later down the road. BUT, in the end, the final choice of what to do is yours although there may not be much you CAN do.

[Mountain_Annie]

I agree here with this........sometimes there is only so much you can do and if they don't listen then hey, you told them so. So people are just stubborn like that......LOL I know because I have a family full of them (that's why I've given up trying to say anything............I'm always wrong until I'm proven right). And it's best if you are selling in the store as well that if you want to continue to do so w/o looking like the nagging competitor then you let it go. And if you are friends with the owner, that's grounds for an argument or something later down the road. BUT, in the end, the final choice of what to do is yours although there may not be much you CAN do.

Very well said.

Mt Annie

[addictedtotarts]

I have been making candles for just over 3 years. One day I was at a friend of mines house, and she was burning one of my candles in the 8 oz. glass tureen, and I noticed the wick had fallen over, and was on the glass. It was black, and going to break any min. I blew it out right away, and come to find out it was because I had hot glued my wicks in, and the glue had melted.

Well I learned a lesson that day to use the stickums, and not take a chance with the hot glue anymore.

Unless they are so off center that they are going to have the fire on the glass it will most likely be OK.

I don't think I would say anything to anyone, and if I did I would email them to let them know, and not use my own email. They may think you are jealous of them selling candles at the same place you are. Just my opinion!

Robin

[sockmonkey]

If you're honestly that concerned about candle safety, please write to your congressman.

Millions of candles are being poured all across America with lopsided wicks. Warning one shop owner about the problem won't save enough lives. But, telling one shop owner about it and causing them stop carrying the candles (thereby causing economic harm to the manufacturer) might just reward you with a lawsuit for slander.

How and why did you do a little digging on this person? I'm guessing the information you gathered didn't come off of a candle label.

It's hard to resist, but don't focus on this other person's candles. Focus on yours. If yours are as good as you say they are and are so well priced, then the situation will take care of itself. You've already brought the matter to the store owner's attention, and to comment on it again will only make you look petty.

[Tereasa]

I don't accept a little off center. I use a wick centering tool to center the wick when I adhere it to the jar. I use a wick centering tool to center the wick after pouring. It's not hard to achieve perfection. I'm not a half-ass, it's good enough kind of person.

[DonC]

I will try to respond to everyones points. First of all they weren't "a little off center". In more than one case the wick was about 3/4 of an inch from the side of the 3" container they were in.

I am not perfect, and don't claim to be. But my candles attest to the fact that do my best to acheive it. You would need a tape measure to tell if mine are off center and if they were off, it wouldn't be by much and you can't tell it with the naked eye.

The "digging" I did was simply going to the website. Their business address was listed as:

The Company Name

123 Main Street

Some Town, NH 00000

Tel. 603-555-5555

Elsewhere on the site it said to contact:

Jane Doe

222 Elm Street

Another Town, NH 11111

Tel. 603-555-5555

The 2 towns are over 30 miles apart with the same phone number.

I checked 2 of the other retailers in this general area that sell their candles. I found a total of 11 candles between them that had wicks that were "WAY" off center.

The person who said that the store selling defective products is liable for any damages caused by them is correct. My sister is married to an "ambulance chaser" and he said that under the law, a lawyer would be negligent if he didn't name BOTH the mfg AND the retailer.

As for my getting involved any further than I have already, I am not going to do anymore. I did tell the store owners that they should look at them and left it at that.

As for the competition aspect of it, the other company appears to be marketing their candles as "high end" products and their prices are quite high for this area. Mine on the other hand are aimed at the everyday person and are priced accordingly. I don't consider them to be competitors at all. I just think that their product is made in a "shody" way and that it is unsafe.

Like I said, I am not going to go any further with this issue.

I would however like to respectfully disagree with the person who implied that off centered wicks are not unsafe. The "uneven" heating of ANY glass is dangerous period. You are very fortunate that you have had no problems, but I am sure that on this board alone there are countless "horror stories" of candles breaking and exploding due to heat.

Again, thanks to everyone for your replies. It has been very interesting.

[Sara]

It is amazing how many low quality candles I've burned in my years before I knew better. The major reason for that was simply not being educated as to how a quality candle should perform. It is difficult to explain that to (some) people who have never experienced the process.

Like, if you make certain foods homemade and know what goes into them, you can fortify them with good ingredients that are healthy for you, and better for you. OR you can go to the store and buy some cheap bread with the nutritional value of a sugared sock and the chemical content of hairspray. There's plenty of people that would choose the sugared sock over good, wholesome bread. Same thing with candles, too.

I would continue to focus on your candles. Put a little stack of cards (short paragraph on candle safety and/or what makes your candles quality candles educates the consumer to make a better decision) by your candles. It may be noticed by both the shop owner and the other chandler.