Garbage Cotton Office Chair
Office chairs made of 'garbage cotton' have serious quality issues, and manufacturers and sellers may face legal penalties. Consumers can receive civil compensation if problems arise from using such chairs.
I. Quality Issues Some office chairs are of substandard quality, falsely labeled as using 'native cotton' cushions, but actually filled with glue-bonded recycled sponge, which can be considered a low-quality type of 'garbage cotton'. For example, a chair that ranks first on the platform's computer chair bestseller list has sold 20,000 units in the past 30 days but has accumulated over 1,200 negative reviews. Many consumers report cushion collapse, pungent odors, and even finding gravel and other debris in the sponge filling. Additionally, the popular 'Liu Liu Stool' has been exposed for using moldy wood and used sponge. Although the seller claims that the inspected items meet relevant standards, some netizens have previously disassembled it and found used sponge and moldy wood inside. Some consumers have also purchased chairs that, upon disassembly, revealed chipped and broken templates and sponge, with customer service claiming it to be 'particle cotton,' which is likely another disguise for inferior filling material.
II. Legal Penalties Manufacturers and sellers of office chairs using inferior filling materials (such as garbage cotton) may face legal penalties. According to Article 140 of the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China on the crime of producing and selling counterfeit or shoddy products, producers and sellers who adulterate products, pass off fakes as genuine, pass off inferior products as superior ones, or pass off unqualified products as qualified ones, with sales amounts reaching a certain level, will face criminal penalties. Meanwhile, Article 49 of the Product Quality Law of the People's Republic of China stipulates that those who produce or sell products that do not meet national or industry standards for protecting human health and personal and property safety shall be ordered to stop production and sales, have the illegally produced and sold products confiscated, and be fined an amount equal to or up to three times the value of the illegally produced and sold products (including both sold and unsold products); if there is illegal income, it shall also be confiscated; if the circumstances are serious, the business license shall be revoked; if a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to law.
III. Civil Compensation If consumers encounter problems due to the use of such 'garbage cotton' office chairs, manufacturers and sellers shall also bear civil liability for compensation. Consumers can demand compensation from manufacturers or sellers for losses caused by the use of inferior chairs, including but not limited to medical expenses and lost wages.
