Black & Decker (Australia) Pty Ltd has changed the labelling on a number of its sanding disc products to remove the words Made in Australia following concerns raised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Black & Decker markets and distributes a range of sanders for home use. Four types of sanding discs, designed for use with Black & Decker's multi-sander and detail sander products, were sold in packaging that contained an incorrect reference to their country of origin. The package represented that the discs were Made in Australia when they were actually imported.
The Trade Practices Act 1974 prohibits companies from engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct and specifically from making a false or misleading representation concerning the place of origin of goods.
Black & Decker acknowledges that its conduct is likely to have contravened the Act. It offered the ACCC a court-enforceable undertaking that it will:
refrain from making false or misleading representations in relation to the country of origin, the particular history and manufacturing processes of its products
take remedial action in relation to stock already held by resellers, and
implement and maintain a trade practices law compliance program to ensure Black & Decker's future conduct does not breach the Act.
"It is essential businesses ensure the labelling of their products is accurate", ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said.
"Consumers base their purchasing decisions on a variety of factors and may place particular importance on the country where the product is made or produced".
"It is also necessary for businesses to have effective review procedures in place to ensure the claims on the goods they supply continue to be truthful and accurate. Prudent firms will have controls which test and monitor their claims on an ongoing basis".
