UPPER WEST SIDE CENTURY 21 TARGETED IN ‘FAUX FUR’ STING

The Humane Society has accused the Century 21 store on 66th street and Broadway of selling rabbit fur jackets and sweaters that were advertised as “faux fur.” In addition, items purchased online and advertised as “faux fur” contained rabbit and “raccoon dog” fur, the Humane Society said.

State assembly member Linda Rosenthal was in on the sting operation that uncovered the alleged false labeling. Rosenthal sponsored a fur labeling law that passed in 2007.

“In January 2013, HSUS investigators, accompanied by Assemblymember Rosenthal, purchased five different animal fur-trimmed jackets inside two Century 21 stores in New York City. Two of the jackets, one unlabeled and one “JNBY” brand jacket with “faux fur” on the hangtag, were purchased in the Lincoln Square location, which is within Rosenthal’s legislative district; the other three were purchased at a separate Century 21 location. In 2011, prior to the grand opening of the Century 21 location, Assemblymember Rosenthal wrote the retailer to notify it of its duties under the law she passed, and to request that it comply or go fur-free altogether.

Undercover footage shows Century 21 salespeople unable to find any fur labeling on garments, and in some cases indicating that they thought the unlabeled fur was fake, when in fact it was animal fur. Under the federal Fur Products Labeling Act, all garments trimmed with animal fur must give the name of the animal and the country in which the animal was killed. It is a violation of federal law to misidentify the species of animal fur used in wearing apparel.”

To see the full Humane Society report, click here. A sting video is posted below. We reached out to Marc Jacobs and Century 21 for a response, but haven’t heard back. Century 21 briefly put a statement on their Facebook page saying that it was up to manufacturers to include the correct labeling, but the page has since been taken down.