Mexico's Profeco analyzes school supplies, finds price gaps and product flaws

Mexico's Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) has released findings from an analysis of 94 common school supplies, conducted to inform parents ahead of the back-to-school season. The study, performed by the National Consumer Protection Laboratory, evaluated items including notebooks, colored pencils, erasers, geometry sets, pencil sharpeners, and blue ink pens.

Notebooks, numbering 17 professional-size models, all passed the laboratory tests without defects. However, the analysis highlighted significant price disparities for products with comparable features. For instance, a "NFL" Scribe notebook with 100 sheets and a non-plasticized cover, rated "Very Good," cost 79.91 pesos. In contrast, a Stuk product with similar characteristics and the same rating was priced at 49.72 pesos.

In the evaluation of colored pencils, all tested models met their commercial information requirements and had no finishing defects, with eight products noted for their lead durability. Price comparisons showed Maped pencils at 150 pesos versus Artesco at 118.53 pesos.

Erasers performed well in erasing tests, with products from Artesco, Kores, Maped, Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staedtler receiving praise. However, the geometry sets, despite all earning an "Excellent" rating for scale and line accuracy, exhibited defects in their finishes. Mae and Wacky models also showed flaws in compass drawing.

Pencil sharpeners presented issues, including a Maped model that jammed and broke during testing. Additionally, Kores Snappy 35813, Kores Snappy Duo 35814, and Kum failed to comply with the NOM-050-SCFI-2004 standard by omitting required warning labels. Blue ink pens met all commercial information requirements and had no imperfections.