Answering SVHC requests is part of good consumer relations

All article providers in Europe are legally obliged to inform their clients on request about substances of very high concern (SVHCs) at levels above 0.1% w/w contained in their articles (Article 33(2) REACH). Companies who value relations with their clients know that efficient communications are vital; confirming that no SVHCs are present in articles is an excellent way to show that your company cares for the environment and the wellbeing of its consumers.

As an article supplier, you can register with the AskREACH database and upload the SVHC information for your articles so that consumers can retrieve the details at the point of sale. This represents a great opportunity to support your consumer communications and convince the consumers that your articles are safe to use.

We have gathered some points for you to take into consideration when answering consumers’ SVHC requests:

1. Consumers know their rights. People are becoming increasingly aware that they have the right to ask about SVHCs in articles on the European market. SVHC information is not considered confidential and should be disclosed to consumers on request.
2. Use the AskREACH database to provide contact details for your customer support. To show the consumers that your company cares about their concerns, provide contact details for consumers to submit requests and queries. You can do this easily in the AskREACH database, even if you do not directly upload your article information. Just select the “profile” page on your AskREACH supplier account when you are registered and enter the correct e-mail address in the “E-mail for SVHC information requests” field. Further details on the AskREACH supplier portal can be found in the user manual.
3. Answer requests even if your product contains less than 0.1% SVHCs. If you do not respond at all, false conclusions might be drawn. An SVHC-free product response is an excellent indirect opportunity to promote your company to your customers.
4. Respond promptly! The REACH regulation allows you up to 45 days in which to respond, but delay can make a potential customer impatient and turn them towards other products for which they have already received a response, e.g. directly from the AskREACH database.
5. Answer in the appropriate language. The European market has many languages and so we provide a multilingual solution! Check the language in which the request was sent and try to provide an appropriate response. If this is not possible, you can answer in English. The Scan4Chem app offers a direct response in the language of the requester if the article is included in the AskREACH database. The app also provides the consumer further information on all Candidate List substances, in their own language. Find out here which countries the app is currently available for.
6. Give a clear and concise answer. The AskREACH database allows you to list any specific SVHCs that your article contains. It also allows you to upload additional information for the safe use of the article. This will enable a better understanding of your products and the necessary measures to be taken by the consumer. It also shows that you are a trustworthy supplier, and you take care of your customers by providing accurate and up-to date information.
7. Scan4Chem requests are real consumer requests. If you receive a request via the Scan4Chem app, be assured that it has been sent by a real European consumer and that it is a genuine request for you to provide information on your articles. You can either answer the request directly via your e-mail client (simply just click “reply” in your mail client), or if you have an AskREACH supplier’s account, you can go to the “requests” tab of your account and provide an answer directly there. You can also choose to “save” your article SVHC information to the AskREACH database so that the next consumer will immediately see the information when searching for the article with the app.
8. We are here to support you! As the project AskREACH partners, we are here to help you to communicate your article SVHC information to your clients efficiently! Should you have any questions concerning the AskREACH solutions, feel free to contact any of the regional administrators, currently in 15 European countries! You can find the list of regional administrators here. We are happy to help you in your progress towards efficient communications about SVHCs!