Many Compliance Officers from the Department of Weights and Measures make a surprise check at jewelry and gems events which are showcasing their precious products and selling them by using non-certified weighing scales and measurement devices. They are looking for scales that are neither licensed by the Department nor approved by the National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP). They focus on such events to protect both consumers from fraud and retailers from unfair competition. The Department only licenses NTEP approved scales since these scales have gone through extensive testing and have received a nationally recognized stamp of approval: the Certificate of Conformance.
Consumers should follow some general precautions while shopping for gems and other precious metals, for the dealers can unfairly cheat the customer by using weighing scales and measurement devices that are not certified by NTEP. Although the Department actively inspects dealer scales at shows, customers are advised to look for the following: Check the scale! Make sure there is NOT a label on the scale that reads “NOT LEGAL FOR TRADE.” You may NOT get what you pay for if you buy merchandise weighed by one of these devices. Bathroom and baby scales are definitely not legal for trade! Neither are produce-estimating scales. Ask to see the dealer’s Weights and Measures device license. Make sure you can see the scale display and that it reads 0 before anything is placed on it.
Through 12 participating laboratories, NTEP evaluates the performance, operating characteristics, features and options of weighing and measuring devices against the applicable standards. Essentially, it provides a one-stop evaluation process that satisfies the initial requirements for introduction of weighing and measuring devices in the U.S. Ultimately, the savings that result from the efficiency of this process are passed along to consumers, making early type evaluation an integral link in the U.S. production chain. An official NTEP Certificate of Conformance is issued by NCWM following successful completion of the evaluation and testing of a device�”in case of weighing scales, making them NTEP scales for accurate weights and measures. The Certificate indicates that the certified NTEP scale meets applicable requirements for commercial weighing and measuring equipment in the U.S. You can know more about NTEP scales at www.paylessscales.com