
Water resistance is a highly valued feature in many products, from everyday electronics and household items to camping gear. However, if you’re going to start a business selling water-resistant items, you need to carefully consider several factors to ensure customer satisfaction and legal compliance.
1. Always choose the best materials
Since it’s a huge disappointment when a water-resistant product doesn’t repel water, there’s a lot at stake where quality is concerned. You can’t afford to skip quality materials because your reputation will be diminished quickly.
Always start with the highest-quality materials where water resistance is concerned. There are already many material choices on the market that should meet your needs. For example, EXCEVAL is often used to make water-resistant emulsions in a variety of industries, like concrete and wood coatings, textiles, paint, personal care products, and adhesives.
By starting with a high quality product, you’ll make it easier to market your business while maintaining compliance with the law. You’ll be less susceptible to false advertising claims when your product truly repels water. This brings up the next point…
2. Consult an attorney before marketing your product
Since there are serious potential damages that can arise if a product isn’t truly water-resistant, it’s more important than ever to consult with an attorney before running any marketing or advertising campaigns. You can be held liable for inaccurate or misleading claims, and you may not even realize what claims make you a target. Sometimes it’s seemingly innocent, like sharing testimonials from people who have used your product. However, the content of those testimonials – even when genuine – can get you into hot water with the FTC.
3. Test your products
Testing is a must for water-resistant products. For simple products, like a broom or a coffee mug, testing is simple. With a water-resistant or waterproof product, you need to make sure you push it to its limits and find out what it can take before it breaks. If you haven’t ruined the product or broken the water-resistant properties, you haven’t tested it enough.
To test your products, you’ll want to subject them to various conditions that simulate real-world use. Once you’ve done enough testing that way, you should take it a little further and be a little more harsh to simulate more extreme situations. Once you know what your products can and can’t handle, you can base your marketing claims on that substantiated information.
4. Get third-party certification
Depending on your market, you might be required to undergo a third-party certification process. Talk to an attorney in your industry to find out what the rules are before launching. Once you get certified, implement quality control testing to maintain consistency across all of your production runs.
5. Provide clear instructions
Never assume anyone is going to understand how to use your product out of the package. Even if it’s just a simple water-resistant shoe. There will always be people who don’t understand the limitations of water resistance and some may believe your product is capable of far more than the reality.
Include instructions with your product that provide clear directions on how to use the product and proper care and maintenance. Most of all, your product instructions should specify the conditions under which water resistance is effective. If the product can be submerged to a certain depth, state that depth. If the product can only tolerate splashes and not submersion, be specific about that as well.
Last, if you offer a warranty of any kind, include documentation regarding what will void the warranty. Most manufacturers exclude water damage unless caused by a manufacturer’s defect. However, what is legally considered a manufacturer’s defect may surprise you. For instance, if you gave the impression your product could be submerged or didn’t state that it cannot be submerged, you might be legally on the hook for refunds, even if you never intended for the item to be submerged under water.
6. Have a lawyer draft your warranty
Never write your own warranty other than outlining ideas and how you wish to handle the specifics. Give your notes and requirements to a lawyer to consider while creating your actual warranty. It’s the only way to limit your liability for unfair claims.
Creating long-term success
Successfully marketing and selling waterproof products requires an initial investment of time and research, as well as ongoing attention to quality assurance. By addressing the considerations outlined in this article, you can build trust with your customers and meet their needs while minimizing risk and potential liability.