QUESTIONS which are miscellaneous in nature.
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Section 7 Question #1 - As a result of a question to me, the following was sent to the UCC. "We recently bought another company. Can we use their vendor number on the U.P.C., or does everything have to be converted to our number? Please explain if there are any procedures or restrictions." 3/2002
Based upon UCC documentation, If your company purchases another company and all of its assets, your company would gain control of their membership asset. However, if your company would want to use this membership appropriately, you would need to complete the change of ownership/company name form the UCC has. This will allow the UCC to change all contact information, company name, and any address or phone information.
Please contact the UCC if you would need this form.
This information was provided by the:
Customer Service Department
Uniform Code Council, Inc.
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Section 7 Question #2 - We are currently applying to a large American retailer to become a supplier of our product in their stores for this year. As part of the Supplier Questionnaire, they needed to know our UPC code as well as be provided with a copy of our UPC Certification letter or certificate. Our company has been using UPC codes for over 25 years. We are not a member of the UCC as we have been using UPC codes since before the inception of the council and are, therefore, exempt from joining. This is what I referred to as 'grandfather clause'. Our UPC code does scan properly. My question to you was, in dealing with this large American retailer, is there any type of certificate or letter that can be made available to us declaring that we are exempt from belonging to the UCC. If not, I will try to explain the above direcly to the retailer. 1/28/2002
The UCC has been in business since their first Board of Governors meeting, Jan 19, 1972. The name at the time was UGPIC. Although the corporation has undergone several name changes since then, it has always retained the rights to the U.P.C. since the specification were codified and released to the public in May 1973.
There is no way you could have "... been using UPC codes since before the inception of the council and are, therefore, exempt from joining." as you say since it was the UCC that is responsible for the U.P.C. If you are using a Version A symbol with out obtaining the number and permission from UCC or if you are using an EAN-13 symbol without joining of ECCC (Electronic Commerce Council Canada) or its predecessor, you are pirating the number. Any explanation to the US retailer stating that you are "grandfathered" would be false and deceitful.
If you contact the UCC they may let you join and retain the number you have been using, thus saving you the trouble of modifying your product packaging and records. Continued use of an unauthorized number could lead to serious conflicts with the company the number is rightfully assigned to and may result in legal and financial liabilities.
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Section 7 Question #3- Can you list the disadvantages of the U.P.C. scanners to the store and to the customer? 10/16/98
Answer- Wow! That is a hard one. For 25 years I have been trying to come up with advantages, not disadvantages. I can think of many problems but few disadvantages. How about:
1: Store loses credibility when an error occurs.
2: Customer doesn't purchase if a stock boy doesn't put the price on the shelf.
3: Items ring up so fast, the customer cannot follow.
4: Advertising space lost on label due to space required for U.P.C..
5: Register operators need to be trained to be receptive to miss-read complaints. The register operator must not adopt a "The Computer Can't be Wrong" mentality. When a scanner registers the wrong price, 100% of the time, it is because someone entered something incorrectly into the database.. Contributed by Chris Sheedy 1/12/99
6: Companies need to make sure that data extracted using the U.P.C. is not used for intrusive marketing. Data is powerful and stores/marketers need to understand how to use this data.
The other day this article appeared:
Susan Fournier, of Harvard Business School, has found that consumers are growing irritated and overwhelmed by the personal information being gathered about them in the name of direct marketing. One woman recently cancelled her supermarket loyalty card after she received a personalised letter reminding her that it was time she bought more tampons.
Contributed by Chris Sheedy 1/12/99
7: Stores don't put a price sticker with their name on it on the product any more. How is this a problem? If I find a "rare" product and buy it, in a few months I can't remember where I found it! In days of old, there would be a price sticker to give me a clue ("hmmm...looks like an Acme sticker..."). Today, I have to write the source (and price) on the item with a magic marker. Contributed by Rich Skokowski 6/4/2002This is one I could use some help on. Anyone care to add to this list?
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If anyone sends me a question pertaining to the U.P.C. symbol, history, or the like, which can be answered concisely via e-mail, I will send the answer to their mail box and post both question and answer of some of them here.
I truly enjoy helping people, however, it would be nice if you send a "thank you"
e-mail if I am of help!
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Revised: September 2003George J. Laurer
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