Third chair maker fined for made in NZ claim

Another office furniture company has been fined for falsely claiming that two models of office chairs were made in New Zealand.

Auckland-based Eden Office Seating pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act and was fined $5000 and $2500 court costs in the Auckland District Court on Friday, the Commerce Commission said.

Last year, identical penalties were also imposed on office chair manufacturers, Lower Hutt's Dawell Furniture Co and Auckland's Damba Furniture, for also making misleading "New Zealand made" claims.

In all three cases, although the chairs were designed and assembled in New Zealand, apart from the foam for the seat and back and some fabrics, all other components were sourced from overseas.

The cases reinforced the importance of businesses ensuring accuracy of "made in New Zealand" claims, Commerce Commission director of fair trading Adrian Sparrow said.

"Although these cases centre on the office furniture industry, it is a reminder to all businesses that they should take care to be specific when making country of origin claims," he said.

Businesses should make explicit claims appropriate for their products, for example "assembled in New Zealand from imported components", said Sparrow.

Some consumers were willing to pay a higher price for goods that they believed were made in New Zealand, so it was important that country of origin claims are accurate.

- NZPA