Information is power, misleading information leads to confusion and disappointment. This is the message being relayed by clan expert, Rodger Moffet, who is warning that the miss-selling of clan merchandise is damaging the Scottish economy and putting clan merchandising jobs at risk.

Mr. Moffet, CEO of ScotClans, the ‘guardians of clan heritage’ on the internet, is warning that there are tough times ahead for traditional ‘clan’ businesses unless something is done, and quickly. He says the clan societies and the trading standards authority need to work together so regulations can be put in place to prevent misinformation, mislabelling and ultimately the miss-selling of traditional Scottish goods.

He explains: “The miss-selling of clan-related goods, over the internet and on the High Street, is tarnishing the worldwide Scottish brand. Our highland wear is famous all over the world, with proud Scots showing off their clan related products in every corner of the globe. However, how many of these proud Scots are actually wearing the genuine article? It is now common place for cheap imitations to be passed-off as genuine, or for inaccurate clan information to be given out just to make a fast buck. Something has to be done about this.

“There is an overriding problem here, which has been born out of plagiarism and laziness. Over the years as the internet has grown, misinformation has spread like a virus. Content providers who don’t have the time or inclination to check the accuracy of information just copy and paste content from other pages without checking the source. This has also spread to the High Street, where misinformation about clans is constantly being given out. I know for a fact there are many people walking about in the wrong clan tartan or with the wrong clan crest because a shop has simply misled them just to make a sale.

“ScotClans has clients from all over the world who are proud of their heritage. We pride ourselves on providing these clients with the correct information on their family history and the quality they expect. We work alongside the clan societies and other traditional Scottish businesses to provide this service – but all our livelihoods are being put at risk because there are no regulations in place to stop misinformation and fakery. Other industries have an effective labelling system which prevents the miss-selling of goods, so why can we not have one for clan merchandise?

Rodger adds: “If something is not done about this many businesses will fold, forcing thousands out of work. We need people, particularly from abroad, to have confidence in our product. If we keep pumping them full of the wrong information, or selling them cheap imitation goods, we will simply lose them from the marketplace. None of us can afford to let this happen.”

Brian Wilton, Director of the Scottish Tartans Authority, is backing Rodger Moffet’s demands and says misinformation and mislabelling is doing untold harm to the Scottish market. Moreover, he is laying the blame firmly at the trading standards system.

Mr. Wilton explains: “No-one can legitimately fight against the importation of cheap tartan but what we can and have been fighting against for years has been the misleading labelling which fools consumers into thinking that they are buying the genuine article. That has done untold harm to the long-established reputation of the genuine Scottish article and much of the blame has to be laid at the door of our trading standards system which has appeared powerless to intervene.

He adds: “The Scottish Tartans Authority will shortly be consulting the industry on its prototype provenance system which will be a major step forward in combating the problem.”

Lord Sempill, who is a member of the executive of the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs, agrees that more protection needs to be put in place and is backing the re-introduction of a 3 feather mark to signify the authenticity of clan merchandise.
He explains: "The Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs is currently reviewing the re-introduction of the 3 Feather quality assurance mark to ensure the accuracy of the heraldic devices used across a wide range of clan memorabilia."

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