Shoppers sold ‘faux fur’ trim that came from foxes

SHOPPERS are being misled into buying coats, hats, shoes and gifts decorated with real fur, it has been revealed.

Supposedly fake or faux fur labelled on products sold by leading stores actually came from animals reared on fur farms, according to laboratory tests.

Coats from TK Maxx and Amazon were labelled as having a faux fur trim on their hoods, but it has been revealed the trims were fox fur.

Fox fur was also found on a bobble hat sold by the brand Miss Bardo in tests commissioned by Humane Society International UK (HSI).

Tests also found mink fur on earrings sold by online store Boohoo, while a pair of shoes from the same shop were made with rabbit fur.

Rabbit fur was found on children’s shoes sold by Amazon, as well as on keychains from online stores Not On The High Street and Groupon.

It appears that some retailers, many of whom claim to be fur-free, are not properly auditing their suppliers. All the retailers identified have removed the products from sale, and have insisted they would not knowingly mislead customers.

TK Maxx has offered refunds and Amazon said it would remove sellers who did not follow its rules.

Groupon says it is reviewing its supply arrangements. Boohoo said it was ‘very disappointed’ its standards were breached and Miss Bardo said it felt ‘appalled’ to have been misled by an overseas manufacturer.