Filing a Complaint

Any ADFC member in good standing may file a complaint with the Standards Testing Committee (STC) for review. To file a complaint with the STC, a member company must submit four test results with an average score that “fails” the Compliance Program weighted scoring guidelines. The four test results must be from an IDFB certified laboratory, and must all come from the same product.

If the STC confirms that the four tests submitted do indeed represent a failing score, the STC will purchase, at retail, four more products for testing at the expense of the ADFC. The products must be the same as the original four items submitted, or “like products”, if identical items are not available. The STC will submit these four products to an International Down and Feather Bureau (IDFB) certified laboratory for testing. They will be sent exactly as purchased, with the packaging unopened.

The results of these four tests will be scored and averaged using the Compliance Program’s weighted scoring system. If the products pass this round of testing, the case will be dismissed. If they fail, the company supplying the products to the marketplace will be informed of the results and offered the opportunity to appeal.

Down & Feather Terminology

Learn more about the down & feather terminology