We protect the interests of our members. These are severely violated when market participants deliberately use the image of leather, denigrate leather itself or supply non-leather material as leather.

We take action if consumers are misled because a material is offered as leather when it isn’t leather.

We believe consumers have the right to know what they are buying. That is fair. Furthermore, our members who produce leather or live directly and indirectly from it have the right to be treated fairly.

Selling substitutes as leather is not fair.

Trouble after buying a leather product?

Our webpage Leather, Labelling Regulations gives you information on how to label leather. Complaints that we receive from consumers again and again:

  • The leather smells strongly.
  • The leather does not appear to be leather.
  • It was labelled as leather in the advertisement.

As a non-profit association, we cannot give legal advice.

What we can do, and are happy to do, is to help you to solve such problems. Here are a few simple tips:

  1. Keep the advertisement, make a copy or “screenshot”.
  2. Read the order confirmation carefully. What is bindingly promised there in relation to leather? If you have not yet made the purchase, ask for a written note on the promises that are important to you.
  3. The same is applies to the sales contract. Ask for the seller’s promises to be put in writing in the contract.
  4. Have you made the purchase and the item does not meet your expectations? What now?
  • In a first step, it is important to try to reach an agreement with the seller.
  • If that fails, you should hire a sworn leather expert. Only such experts can provide a final evaluation of the material (experts cost money and need a piece of the material to identify what it is). The basis for every further step is the certainty on what material you have bought and whether or not it complies with the properties / qualities that have been promised. It is difficult for a layperson to determine what the material is.
  • If you have the expert’s report, you can then contact the seller again and try to find a solution.
  • If this fails, you would have to contact a specialist lawyer.

Of course you can also contact us. We will be happy to help you find an expert or a lawyer.