packaging lotion as a refill

[awi]

I have a customer who approached me about selling her just the lotion so that she could re-fill her bottle. I hadn't thought about it before, but now I was trying to think of the cheapest way to package it. She told me to just put it into a small zip top bag (like those jewelry bags) and that way she could snip off a corner and pipe it into her bottle.

what do you all think about this idea? Maybe if I double bagged it, would it be okay to ship this way? Any ideas or horror stories anyone could share!

 

[Genny]

I think doing it that way may be too easy to introduce bacteria into it. Or what if she's putting it in a bottle that is contaminated with something or the area she's doing it is contaminated with something. It could come back to you.

 

[Lindy]

Actually I sell my refill lotions and creams in an icing piping bag that I have sealed using my heat sealer. Each transaction is recorded in a receipt book which I keep a copy of as well as the customer getting a copy. The bag is properly labelled and has been really well received.

They work great.

 

[soapbuddy]

I think doing it that way may be too easy to introduce bacteria into it. Or what if she's putting it in a bottle that is contaminated with something or the area she's doing it is contaminated with something. It could come back to you.

Exactly. This could be a serious liability issue for you. I wouldn't do it.

 

[awi]

Thanks guys. I need to remember that the customer may not handle it with as much care as I would and their conditions may not be as clean. Lindy had a great idea using the icing piping bag, but now I am nervous to even try that. It is up to the customer to be sanitary while placing it into their container......and what if they don't.....they blame me, right? Maybe I should just offer a refill in an inexpensive plastic bottle for now.

 

[soapbuddy]

I would not offer a refill in an inexpensive bottle. They still might try filling the original container which could be unsanitary.

 

[awi]

:? I think the whole refill idea isn't a very good option for lotion. I like the idea of trying to save this customer a little money by saving on the container costs. She is a regular of mine, but I don't think it is worth the risk. Maybe I can offer a % off after so many purchases or something like that. I already give my family a 10% break in price and I just can't afford to do that for everyone!

 

[Lindy]

A lot of places offer refills where you bring your container in and they fill it without liability issues. To me that is far less sanitary than giving them the lotion in a sealed package. Now of course I'm not in the US so our liability laws could be somewhat different. By showing that the purchase was for a refill rather than a new package, plus having my test there which I do for each batch, then my liability is covered. Keeping a refill log is also a good way to CYA..... so you can show they purchased it as a refill.

Even just selling them a bottle of lotion, we don't know how well they are going to care for it, how they are going to use it and what is on their hands when they are using the dispenser. All of that can lead to contaminated product but you having demonstrated due diligence are not liable. The same applies here.

Of course we are all going to have our own level of comfort on the subject of refills. I have positioned my products to be refillable, including for my on-line sales and so far it has worked quite well. The worst that happened is I had to replace a refill that was shipped out because the lotion leaked from the seal (too hot a setting).

At any rate - I just thought I would share my reasoning with you...

 

[soapbuddy]

The US is sue happy; unlike other countries.