Using "ISO Certified" by Organization that is NOT Certified

[QualityPhD]

Have you ever had any experience with an organization stating in their corresponsence to customers, marketing materials, etc. they are ISO Certified, when in fact they are not and never have been?

Although most registrars have guidelines for publishing ISO Certs adn there are the rules for markings "ISO Certified" on materials (not products)... where does one turn when it happens that an organization is advertising they are indeed certified, when they are not?

I have searched the IATF, ISO-IEC, IAOB guidance docs and find those areas addressing organizations that are operating through integrity.... yet I cannot put my finger on the area that would address this issue.

Any ideas anyone?

 

[Sidney Vianna]

I have searched the IATF, ISO-IEC, IAOB guidance docs and find those areas addressing organizations that are operating through integrity.... yet I cannot put my finger on the area that would address this issue.

Any ideas anyone?

ISO has advice about publicizing ISO certification. In one of their pages, they make it clear that using the words "ISO certified" is not OK with them. Now, if an organization lies about being certified to ISO 9001, there is very little one could do from a legal perspective. As a stretch, one could try to make a case that it is false advertising. To what the company could reply that they were "self certified".

Being an unregulated activity, Management System Certification is a business activity full of incompetent and unethical players. No surprises. Just this month, a related publication has an article about a Registrar that, even though not accredited by ANAB, was using ANAB's logo on their certs. When caught, they replied back to ANAB that it was a "honest mistake" because someone confused ANAB with RABQSA... ANAB slapped their wrists. Twice.

 

[Laura M]

I have come across a company that asked for a certification from a calibration house and the cal house supplied a cert that said ISO 17025 compliant. We checked out the registrar, and they were NOT accredited for 17025, only ISO 9001. This was about 2 years ago. The registrar is local and fairly small. But I'm afraid fooled a few cal houses into thinking they were 'certified.' I didn't have time to figure out if the cal house was fooled, or if they were aware. 17025 was not a requirement for this particular customer, but they thought they had a 17025 cal house based on the cert.

 

[Gert Sorensen]

Besides the unethical point of this, wouldn't you always ask for a copy of the certificate? I would.....

 

[QualityPhD]

Gert,

Being a consultant/auditor, I am aware of the avenues to check to verify the validity of an organizations' registration status. This situation was posed to me by one of my clients who have "discovered" during competitive intelligence that their only major competitor is advertising they are "ISO certified" (not ISO 9001:2000, 13485, 14000, etc) to the industry in which they operate.

Aside from being unethical (ethics apply in this business), the client is seeking a remedy to this situation.

I am not naming the industry, as that would clearly define both organizations. Let's just say they control a niche in their fields.

 

[Gert Sorensen]

Is it an option for your client to use their website to clarify the issue? If they have a certificate (and they probably do) then they could post it on their website, and use that as an angle to clarify what a certification is, why they are certified, and what it means or not means to be "ISO certified". That way they can use the situation to gain extra credibility - even without naming names.

 

[Coury Ferguson]

Aside from being unethical (ethics apply in this business), the client is seeking a remedy to this situation.

I am not naming the industry, as that would clearly define both organizations. Let's just say they control a niche in their fields.

I wouldn't know what Legal Ramifications your client would have, but word of mouth can do more damage to a company or organization than any legal proceedings, in my opinion.

 

[TNHunter]

I have continually warned my present employeer that we should not be stating that we are ISO compliant/certified. It falls on deaf ears.

 

[ScottK]

http://www.iso.org/iso/en/iso9000-14000/understand/basics/general/basics_7.html

Another point to clarify is whether or not the certification body has been accredited and, if so, by whom. Accreditation, in simple terms, means that a certification body has been officially approved as competent to carry out certification in specified business sectors by a national accreditation body. In most countries, accreditation is a choice, not an obligation and the fact that a certification body is not accredited does not, by itself, mean that it is not a reputable organization. For example, a certification body operating nationally in a highly specific sector might enjoy such a good reputation that it does not feel there is any advantage for it to go to the expense of being accredited. That said, many certification bodies choose to seek accreditation, even when it is not compulsory, in order to be able to demonstrate an independent confirmation of their competence.

 

[EtobiLad - 2009]

Gert,

Aside from being unethical (ethics apply in this business),

I sympathized with you Ann and TNHunter I know too a Comp who knowingly does this. It's all for money and a business ploy...