A statement from Test Valley Models regarding Humbrol enamel paint

[Test Valley Models]

Following a release to the trade today (1400 GMT 30th March 2022), and after taking legal advice.

I have decided to issue a statement on the shop website.

 

https://testvalleymodels.com/blogs/the-sprue-cutter/humbrol-enamel-paints-and-test-valley-models

 

[pigsty]

Fair enough on the current problem of not being able to sell the old stock.  But I'm intrigued - why drop everything else that Humbrol make, including acrylic paint and enamel paint when it's made legal again?  Anything to do with them not offering refunds on unsellable stock?

[Graham Boak]

I don't understand why Humbrol should be expected to offer refunds on paint sold at a time when it was perfectly legal and proper to do so.

[lasermonkey]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

I don't understand why Humbrol should be expected to offer refunds on paint sold at a time when it was perfectly legal and proper to do so.

I guess it could be argued that they knew this was coming (at least they should have known it was coming) and that it’s extremely cynical of them to dump unsaleable goods onto an unsuspecting customer. 
Not exactly great for a working relationship.

[Ratch]

I wonder how many modellers have been affected by these horrendous, dangerous enamel paints over the years. 

[PLC1966]

'Customers are advised not to continue to use Humbrol enamels until further notice, and to seek alternative paints'.

 

I have been using Humbrol paints for I guess 48 years, where do I claim.....

[dogsbody]

So, should I drop all my Humbrol Authentics and other colours?

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Test Valley Models]

15 hours ago, pigsty said:

Fair enough on the current problem of not being able to sell the old stock.  But I'm intrigued - why drop everything else that Humbrol make, including acrylic paint and enamel paint when it's made legal again?  Anything to do with them not offering refunds on unsellable stock?

 Digging around on the internet, a trader has discovered that the issue with the chemical MEKO has been known since 2013.

When a deadline for sales is given, there is normally a notice period of years not three months, the cynics amongst are thinking that Humbrol (Hornby), delayed the announcement to clear as much stock off their shelves as possible,

Humbrol also sent out the first email 2 weeks after the deadline, and the second email telling us the date to stop selling was 30days earlier.

Not exactly the actions of a responsible manufacturer.

[Test Valley Models]

7 hours ago, dogsbody said:

So, should I drop all my Humbrol Authentics and other colours?

 

 

 

 

 

Chris

 

Thats up to you.

However I  would suggest you read this.

https://www.hsa.ie/eng/your_industry/chemicals/most_read/paint_containing_meko/

[PLC1966]

25 minutes ago, Test Valley Models said:

 Digging around on the internet, a trader has discovered that the issue with the chemical MEKO has been known since 2013.

When a deadline for sales is given, there is normally a notice period of years not three months, the cynics amongst are thinking that Humbrol (Hornby), delayed the announcement to clear as much stock off their shelves as possible,

Humbrol also sent out the first email 2 weeks after the deadline, and the second email telling us the date to stop selling was 30days earlier.

Not exactly the actions of a responsible manufacturer.

So you have been selling paint that has been known to have a problem since 2013 and thats Humbrol fault.....

[Graham Boak]

There are hundreds of thousands of chemicals in everyday use that have never been tested for their effects on humans (and people campaign against about tested vaccines...).   If effects are suspected then doubts are raised, but in other than dramatic cases it can take several years to gather enough evidence to convince the scientific community that there is a genuine problem, and at what level of risk.  Then there is the problem of convincing legislators, understandably reluctant to come up against entrenched commercial interests.  Frankly, nine years seems pretty quick, and certainly not something that would have been visible to- or needed concern - a trader selling paints of unknown-to-him constituents.  Humbrol themselves may have been aware in 2013 that the matter had been raised, but not what the end result would be.  It is certainly possible that even at a very late stage, the level of risk might have called for an acceptable limit higher than in their paints.

 

If Humbrol had withdrawn all their products in 2013, the effect at trader level would have been the same.  But it could have proven to be a false alarm over what proved to be a very low risk, and that would have placed them in a very difficult position indeed.

[Test Valley Models]

1 hour ago, PLC1966 said:

So you have been selling paint that has been known to have a problem since 2013 and thats Humbrol fault.....

Not personally, NO, I have only been trading since 2016.

The legislation against MEKO only came into force on 1st March 2022, however these decisions are not made overnight, and manufacturers are given time to alter their formulas, and remove offending chemicals from their products, the cynics amongst are thinking that Hornby, delayed informing wholesale and retail of this in order to clear as much as possible from their stock.

Added to this is the fact that Humbrol didn't inform their wholesale or retail customers of the issue until 17 days after the deadline, and the information to remove from sale wasn't issued until the 30th March, a full month after the ban date, that shows a lack of duty of care to their wholesale, retail and end users.