Weight & See

Nicola Harding, a Senior Fair Trading Officer sets out to answer the three most common questions we are asked about the weight of goods:-

Q. When I buy goods, what does the ‘e’ next to the weight indication on the product mean?

A. The ‘e’ mark simply means that the item has been packed to the ‘average quantity system’. This is used when products are packed consistently in the same quantity. For example jam packed in 454 gram jars on a factory packing line. The manufacturer packs the jam using machinery set to dispense at the correct weight/volume. To ensure that the buyer is not getting short-weight, there are very tight weight tolerances within which all of the jars must be packed.

Not all products packed in this way will have the ‘e’ mark on them; however for those that do, the mark is effectively a European passport for the product declaring that it meets with the requirements of the 'average quantity system' so that in other countries where the product is sold, consumers can be confident that the weight of the product ‘is what it says on the tin!’

Q. When I buy sweets from the pick and mix and the bag is weighed on a scale, how do I know that the scale is correct?

A. Every scale in the UK, used for weighing goods that are bought & sold by weight, must comply with Weights and Measures law. It must be of an approved type and its accuracy must be within very tight tolerances. Trading Standards Officers test scales on a regular basis to make sure that they are accurate. However, if you believe that you have been sold short weight goods we would like to hear from you so please phone Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.

Q. I had to pay for excess baggage at the airport when I went on holiday but when I weighed my case at home it was not overweight, are they overcharging customers?

A. Bathroom scales & other domestic weighing equipment may well not be accurate – particularly if the scale is on a carpet or the suitcase hangs over the sides of the scale platform.

Scales used to weigh baggage at an airport are legally required to be within stringent tolerances and are regularly checked by Trading Standards Officers. Any found to be outside of the legal tolerances are put out of use until they are repaired. These tolerances are very small and amount to as little as 100g (less than a quarter of a pound) in most cases.

When at the airport, if you think you are being over charged you can always request that your bags are re-weighed on a different scale, if there is a discrepancy in the weight indicated it may be possible that at least one scale is no longer accurate and as a consequence the amount you are being charged may also be incorrect. If you believe that you have had to pay excess baggage charges unjustly then you should report your concerns to Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06

Weight & See

further information