Waverley Woollen Mills Pty Ltd (Waverley), has acknowledged that its "Product of Australia" labelling claims for its own-brand "Waverley Work Wear" jumpers were false and misleading in likely contravention of the Trade Practices Act (TPA).
While the fibre for the jumpers was spun in Australia, the jumpers were woven in Vietnam and imported into Australia.
Waverley sold its Work Wear jumpers through its factory outlet in Launceston, Tasmania, between October 2008 and February 2009.
Following ACCC intervention, Waverley voluntarily destroyed its remaining stock of its Work Wear jumpers.
Waverley has undertaken to publish an ACCC approved corrective notice on its website for two months and in a weekend edition of The Examiner newspaper in Launceston.
Waverley acknowledges in the corrective notice that by falsely describing its Work Wear jumpers as being "Product of Australia" it may be liable under the TPA to compensate consumers who purchased the jumpers.
Waverley directors and sales staff will also undertake a trade practices training course designed to ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities under the TPA, particularly in relation to country of origin claims.
