I wonder what the t&c's will be on that voucher? I have read reviews that say people have found it almost if not mpossible to buy their chosen item using voucher codes due to the enormous amount of restrictions in the small print.
They were selling Rieshi mushroom coffee and cocoa yesterday, making lots of claims about extensive research into the health benefits. Actually, there is some research that suggests it may be beneficial to our health but there have been too few studies conducted on humans to be anywhere near conclusive. Most research has been conducted on animals. For me, beneficial to the animals or not (and it be not!), I don't lke animal testing. I struggle with my own job sometimes, knowing that medicaton I dole out to my patients has been tested but it is part of my job. I just think animal testing for mushroom coffee is unnecessary to me immoral.
They are showing an advert about changing the packaging they use to be mostly recyclable and that is great. However, the jewellery they sell comes almost always from India and China. The homewares are almost exclusively made in China, Destello and Visage are made in China. No idea where the Primal Living supplements are produced as I won't buy them. How is shipping almost everything you sell half way around the planet saving the planet? The workers in these foreign factories are paid peanuts, I have heard of wages of $1 a day. Gemporia made a big thing about employing lots of women who had "no job prospects" and training them up in lapidary. A good lapidarist takes years to master the art and let's not forget that women in these countries earn around half the wages of a man. So I question, ethics versus economics?
I suspect the new packaging is more about it being cheaper than anything to do with conservation. They are always saying they have a strong moral compass (Ellis) but I just don't see it. They do a bit to help out in poor countries, in conjunction with other charites who never get a mention. Maybe pay to plant a few trees but I doubt they plant them personally! Then there is the old "we work on such small margins", really? Mr Bennett and family are doing mighty well for small margins, I am in the wrong job. Transfering ownership to employees was strange, of course, the Bennet family all stayed at the top of the tree. There are benefits that can come alng with a move like this, zero hours contracts, no sick pay or holiday pay and employees take the looses along with the profits the company makes. I am not saying this is happening but it has happened in other companies who have done this. I believe JLP have done it very well and it really does benefit their workers / team.
The carbon footprint of this company is huge. Okay, due to the pandemic, they have had their wings clipped. However, endless trade shows, Dave et al globe trotting buying stones and sending Adina to a trade show, I think it was Tucson 2020, what the hell is the point of sending her? The carbon footprint hardly fits with protecting our planet either.
These are just some f the reasons why I no longer patronise Gemporia. I also think the jewellery produced of recent years has fallen drastically in standards. Poor workmanship, hastily cobbled together, inferior gemstones, low metal weights. I used to love to buy from them an awful lot but I am no lnger drinking the Kool-Aid. I am helping the planet and my bank account, winner lol.
Just my opinion of course. xx
