15 replies to this topic

[L.M.R.]

Has anyone had experience dealing with GS1 Canada? We have been members for a few years but are thinking of terminating our membership this year. GS1 tells me if we terminate, all our company prefixes and 14 digit GTINs (UPC) will become invalid and illegal.

Is there any truth to this? Any help in this matter is appreciated....

[Simon]

Not sure how it works, cam anyone help LMR?

[Mel Morris]

Has anyone had experience dealing with GS1 Canada? We have been members for a few years but are thinking of terminating our membership this year. GS1 tells me if we terminate, all our company prefixes and 14 digit GTINs (UPC) will become invalid and illegal.

Is there any truth to this? Any help in this matter is appreciated....

I really hope that is not the case, because we too are thinking of cancelling. It has proved to be of very little use and more of an administrative headache.
I can't see how this can be true, as lots of companies are not GS1 registered, but they still have bar codes and UPC #s.

http://sbinfocanada....ssues/g/upc.htm

suggests that it is the ECCC who assign Bar codes so maybe a call to them is in order.

[L.M.R.]

GS1 also tells us we need to register our products with ECC Net, but our customers tell us not to bother. We decided not renew with GS1 Canada

[L.M.R.]

Update: So we canceled our GS1 membership and now they are harassing us. I told them three times we are canceling but they keep phoning me with their empty threats. We have received a letter from their lawyer, and even a call from a collection agency. The funny thing is, we don't owe them any money. This is all based on the fact that we want to cancel our membership. Strong-arm tactics from an absolute joke of a company.

[Simon]

It reminds me when I got hassled by Getty images. A member uploaded a small image of some rice on the website to accompany a news item. The next thing I knew Getty images sent me a bill for $3,500 for using one of their copyrighted images. I immediately took the image off the website, let them know and apologised. However, they wouldn’t let it lie and over the next few months they bombarded me with emails, letters and telephone calls threatening all sorts of legal action.

In the end I called them and told them I would be taking them to court for harassment as their claim had no legal basis. In copyright law the complainant must first ask the person or company who is abusing their copyright to “cease and desist”; copyright abuse will only be proved where there is continued and wilful or flagrant disregard or abuse of copyright and usually for financial gain.

Basically it was a clever money making scam concocted by Getty whose business model is pretty much failing because of the proliferation of royalty free images on the internet.

I think they would have made a lot of money out of the scheme as they were very forceful and plausible and many (especially businesses) would just pay up.
When it happened to me I did a lot of research and there were hundreds of people in the same boat.

If you are right, stand firm and don’t be bullied.

Regards,
Simon

[L.M.R.]

Another call from a collection agency saying we owe a $150 cancellation fee. We are refusing to pay, GS1 has spent more money threatening us and getting their bully collection agent after us, than it would have cost to simply cancel our membership. I'm not sure what their deal is, but they will not get one more cent from our company. What a JOKE!

[mind over matter]

Has anyone had experience dealing with GS1 Canada? We have been members for a few years but are thinking of terminating our membership this year. GS1 tells me if we terminate, all our company prefixes and 14 digit GTINs (UPC) will become invalid and illegal.

Is there any truth to this? Any help in this matter is appreciated....

Perhaps it will become illegal if you continue to use the company prefixes and 14 digit GTIN after cancellation or non-renewal. In fairness to them, they were the one designed the GTIN numbering structure. However, I am also thinking that even so they don’t own numbers. It would be good to consult a lawyer.

Another call from a collection agency saying we owe a $150 cancellation fee. We are refusing to pay, GS1 has spent more money threatening us and getting their bully collection agent after us, than it would have cost to simply cancel our membership. I'm not sure what their deal is, but they will not get one more cent from our company. What a JOKE!

As far as I know, GS1 is a non-profit organization, therefore their existence depends on membership subscriptions and renewals.

[L.M.R.]

More calls, letters, and emails, these guys just won't take no for an answer. Leave me alone GS1!!

[graphis_7]

It reminds me when I got hassled by Getty images. A member uploaded a small image of some rice on the website to accompany a news item. The next thing I knew Getty images sent me a bill for $3,500 for using one of their copyrighted images. I immediately took the image off the website, let them know and apologised. However, they wouldn’t let it lie and over the next few months they bombarded me with emails, letters and telephone calls threatening all sorts of legal action.

In the end I called them and told them I would be taking them to court for harassment as their claim had no legal basis. In copyright law the complainant must first ask the person or company who is abusing their copyright to “cease and desist”; copyright abuse will only be proved where there is continued and wilful or flagrant disregard or abuse of copyright and usually for financial gain.

Basically it was a clever money making scam concocted by Getty whose business model is pretty much failing because of the proliferation of royalty free images on the internet.

I think they would have made a lot of money out of the scheme as they were very forceful and plausible and many (especially businesses) would just pay up.
When it happened to me I did a lot of research and there were hundreds of people in the same boat.

If you are right, stand firm and don’t be bullied.

Regards,
Simon

Perhaps it will become illegal if you continue to use the company prefixes and 14 digit GTIN after cancellation or non-renewal. In fairness to them, they were the one designed the GTIN numbering structure. However, I am also thinking that even so they don’t own numbers. It would be good to consult a lawyer.

[imagmax]

Has anyone had experience dealing with GS1 Canada? We have been members for a few years but are thinking of terminating our membership this year. GS1 tells me if we terminate, all our company prefixes and 14 digit GTINs (UPC) will become invalid and illegal.

Is there any truth to this? Any help in this matter is appreciated....

 

Damn, first off i hate GS1's service.
Second, they know they have a monopoly and they are milking it.

So, I got an astronomical bill for not renewing - And now - I too, am doing the background check I should have done before getting tangled in their web. Your post and the replies come as no surprise and should be a warning to those falling into the GS1 trap. Don't

 

I sent them an email saying "i don't understand the reason for a bill as high as it is -  and for services i did not renew or use" -  ill keep you guys posted - 

[Jules Oille]

I recommend that you file a complaint with the competition bureau. 

 

GS1 Canada excludes anyone from producing planogram and e-commerce images; if you produce your own, GS1 Canada will charge you the full price anyway as they must "review and register" all images.

 

GS1 Canada claims they are not a monopoly however they are the only body that is permitted to make planogram and ecommerce images.  If you want to sell food at the retail level with the big retailers, or food service companies, you cannot sell without going through GS1 Canada.  Clearly GS1 Canada is a gate keeper to food manufacturers who wish to sell at the retail and to a large degree the wholesale level.

 

GS1 Canada mandates imaging to get listed with retailers and sets the fee;  clearly there is a conflict of interest,  I am surprised GS1 International in Belgium permits this.

 

Every food manufacturer manager I have spoken too is livid about the quality of service delivered by GS1 Canada.  They all detest that GS1 Canada mandates imaging and that GS1 sets a very high price (above industry standard) for said imaging services. 

 

Manta.com estimates GS1 Canada's annual revenues to be 11 million per year.  Not bad for a not for a non for profit.  Interesting that they now advertise on Google for product photography now.  GS1 Canada is a not for profit entity clearly seemingly offering for profit services.  I hope CRA will look into that. 

 

Please call me if you need to GS1 Canada food service imaging

Jules

xxxxx

Edited by Charles.C, 22 April 2017 - 01:47 PM.
url, tel.No. removed

[sophiecfa]

I have the same experience as yours. What's the results finally? Thanks

[sophiecfa]

Update: So we canceled our GS1 membership and now they are harassing us. I told them three times we are canceling but they keep phoning me with their empty threats. We have received a letter from their lawyer, and even a call from a collection agency. The funny thing is, we don't owe them any money. This is all based on the fact that we want to cancel our membership. Strong-arm tactics from an absolute joke of a company.

We are being harassing by GS1 now. They reject our cancellation. What's the results? Your experiences are much appreciated.

[sophiecfa]

Damn, first off i hate GS1's service.
Second, they know they have a monopoly and they are milking it.

So, I got an astronomical bill for not renewing - And now - I too, am doing the background check I should have done before getting tangled in their web. Your post and the replies come as no surprise and should be a warning to those falling into the GS1 trap. Don't

 

I sent them an email saying "i don't understand the reason for a bill as high as it is -  and for services i did not renew or use" -  ill keep you guys posted - 

what has happened then?

[Charles.C]

what has happened then?

 

Hi sophiecfa,

 

Please avoid repeating the same question to a 3-10 year old thread. Thank you.

 

Maybe start a new topic ?