WENDY KNOWLER: False advertising for '100% cotton' golf shirts ends in '5-star response'
A consumer purchased golfers advertised as 100% cotton but the label on the inside stated that it was made of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Here's how consumer journalist Wendy Knowler handled it.
CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson speaks to consumer journalist Wendy Knowler.
Listen below:
Jenny, a CapeTalk listener, wrote to Knowler saying she received a flyer in her letterbox from Builders Warehouse with an error in advertising.
The flyer advertised 100% cotton golf shirts at just under R170 each, and as her husband loves golf shirts, off they went to the store to see if they could buy a few.
Jenny is a qualified fashion designer, and both she and her husband spotted right away that the fabric did not look or feel like 100% cotton.
But that’s what the advert in the flyer said, and that’s also what was printed large on the swing tag attached to the shirt.
Jenny wasn’t convinced, so she went looking on the inside of the shirt to see whether there was a laundry label.
The label on the inside clearly stated that the garment was made of 65% polyester and only 35% cotton.
“Confused, we took the shirt to the front desk to have the discrepancy resolved," Jenny wrote.
"However, the lady at the desk could not help us and called for somebody who we assume was her superior. The gentleman took a long time to respond to the call, and when he did arrive, he attempted to dismiss the problem by saying that if it was 100% cotton, it would have been much more expensive," Jenny added in her email.
Jenny felt like this was fraudulent and asked Knowler to weigh in.
Knowler contacted Massmart, which owns Builders Warehouse, to inquire about Jenny's issue and explained what happened thereafter.
"Firstly, the buyer should've noticed. Secondly, the response is not great... the answer I got this morning was that the supplier will be getting in touch with Jenny and me directly, which happened..."
- Wendy Knowler, Consumer Journalist
"The response came from Kevin Schroeder of Beck Trading, and he said: 'As discussed, the golfer is definitely a 65/35 polycotton... In other words, it's mostly polyester, and we regret that the swing tag states 100% cotton. We opened a non-conformance immediately on this error and found that the swing tag quality control process from our print supplier allowed this to happen. We've taken the necessary corrective action to ensure this doesn't happen again... we will manufacture at our expense five 100% cotton golfers with longer sleeves as is the husband's preference in the colour of his choice and we'll deliver directly to any address of your choice.'"
- Wendy Knowler, Consumer Journalist
"I think that's a lovely save and a five-star response. Well done, Jenny, for raising the issue."
- Wendy Knowler, Consumer Journalist
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