Do you think adult stores like EF have a responsibility for their customers safety?

I don't quite understand why there was criticism over EF giving us the information on safety of our toys. That's... well, it's stupid because we deserve to know that information and big kudos to EF for providing it for us, wanting their customers to be knowledgeable. It wouldn't be very caring if a company did not provide this information.



I can understand why someone would ask "well, why do they sell something harmful?" Same reason they sell pornography. Where there is demand, there is supply. Without demand, there'd be no supply.

EF still sales harmful material (like jelly) because it's cheap and people want cheap. Some people want that softer material and cheaper price tag, which I can understand because I was like that for a long time, and still tend to make price tags a big part of my decision to buy something.

So there's the answer. They still carry this stuff because people want it. Simple, really.

I'm big on personal responsibility, and there are going to be people out there who are not going to research their sex toys, or how to safely practice BDSM, or care about the ingredients or materials of items that they put in their body. But Eden provides that information--how a customer chooses to use it is their own personal choice and responsibility. Because when you come down to it, Eden could go that route and stop selling not just jelly toys, but say, bondage gear. Because, hey, you never know, maybe someone could get really hurt. But it's not the fault of the, I don't know, under the bed restraints that Sportsheets makes that someone took their BDSM activities too far, and someone got tied up and left on the bed, and a fire broke out, and the person on the bed couldn't get away. Or things went too far, and the person tied up didn't want something that happened to them. Or a flogger was too intense for someone, and they got hurt.

Now, I know that's a little different than toys made of harmful materials like jelly, but it's along the same lines. Not everyone is going to have a bad experience with jelly toys, despite what they are made of. And what's more, there are people who don't care, and will take the risk. It's the same concept as grocery stores selling junk food. Hey, it's bad for you, but it depends on the the person consuming--how much, how often, how it fits in with the rest of their diet and lifestyle, etc. But people can make their own decisions about that, because we're all adults, and we are all responsible for our actions. If someone wants a jelly toy because it's cheap or they like how they feel and they know what they're getting into, then okay. If they want the jelly toy, but are ignorant of what they're getting into, despite the wealth of information available to them, then they are still responsible for their actions. I don't think its Eden's place to babysit or hold the hands of their customers.

The only time I've thought Eden should discontinue something, was a butt plug with a tiny base that someone "lost" temporarily while wearing it. That could have been a scary and humiliating trip to the ER, and it's really not the customer's fault that that happened, because you get an item with the understanding that it's designed to function a certain way, and butt plugs should be designed to not get lost in your body. It's not Eden's fault either, because they have that same expectation as a business. The manufacturers who made the plug are at fault. When I was first shopping for a set of anal beads, I was horrified by another review where the ring to pull the beads out snapped off in the middle of usage. So, I read other anal bead reviews until I found one where I was certain that that wouldn't happen. But again, I don't think that's Eden's fault.

In any case, no...personal responsibility is something that we as adults all should embrace (and this is a website for adults, after all). If Eden were being deceptive and not providing information to their customers, that would be one thing. But it's not like that, so I think the purchasing responsibilities are almost always on the shoulders of the customer.

I'm an adult and i want to make my own choices as to what toy i buy. I have no allergies or major risks and if there was a toy i really wanted that only scored a 2 or 3 on the safety rating i still may get it.

Actually, EF's safety scale does protect consumers. As others have stated, the materials can be researched here, and consumers can find the pros and cons of various materials.

As others have said, it's the consumer's responsibility to protect themselves. Many (myself included) start off buying and using toys that were made of jelly, PVC, etc. As time goes on and we become more educated, we move up in our expectations and preferences.

That's actually one of the things I like about EF. By selling what they sell, they can actually reach MORE people. Those people can then educate themselves, and become real discerning consumers. I can't imagine many toy newbies plunking down $150 for their first sex toy. Even if it is waterproof, rechargeable, 100% medical grade silicone, etc. But once they've gotten a few $20 or $30 toys that turned out to be duds, they start investigating better toys.

EF makes sex toys accessible to everyone, and by reaching out to a bigger audience, including those new to sex toys, they actually have the opportunity to educate MORE people than the stores that only cater to those of us who are now toy snobs. Honestly, I didn't start out a toy snob... Eden allowed me to develop into a discriminating sex toy consumer. And that, to me, is a VERY positive thing!

Many people use jelly items with condoms. Also--I am not overly worries about the phthalates issue since I have reached an age that has many of the items used over my lifetime removed from the market due to safety standards. No--I do not purposefully go get items to harm myself but realize the damage is there I am healthy and even though I still use a minor amount of them, I have gone to mostly safer items. There is still a huge place for the cheaper and jelly items, though---go to an actual store and look what they sell the most of.........with NO safety info. I learned about the safety here on EF!!!

I don't want some faceless company holding my hand on what to buy - I'll research it myself.

I think that it's good that they have the safety scale, but I also think they shouldn't sell things that they know are dangerous or have a high risk of STI transmission, such as jelly toys.

I'd say yes within reason. As long as they warn people about the dangers, there are ways to mitigate them (condoms and the like).

The way I see it?
People like jelly. Jelly toys are people's first toys usually. Offline stores often sell nothing BUT cheap jelly toys with the best options being simple plastic ones.
If someone comes here for their jelly toys instead, at least there's a chance that they'll look at the safety scale and see the other options available.
So it's kind of like bait. Someone might come here after doing a search for jelly toys and get something better.

It's up to you to have the knowledge on what materials to stay away from. Hell, surf EF have 20 minutes and you will already have a good idea to stear clear of Jelly! It's up to you to be informed. There is plenty, and I mean PLENTY of information, forums, sexis articles and the lot here on EF to keep you more informed. Out of all the sites out there I know for a fact that EF goes way way way above and beyond any other site. More often then not Ef and other sites have a contract with the toy company to carry certain toys in there line up. To blame EF for something that is not there fault is just plain stupid! Everything you need to keep yourself safe is here for you. When in doubt about a product, post a forum post on the material saftey.