Beloved Oodie company fined $100k over child safety
The company behind the popular winter staple Oodie has paid over $100,000 in fines after concerns over failing to comply to safety standards for children's clothing.
Davie Clothing Pty Ltd was issued with infringements by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after it was alleged that they did not include high fire danger warnings on six varieties of the Kids Beach Oodie.
Fire hazard warnings are crucial to alert customers and keep children safe as it prevents potential burns if their clothing catches fire.
“Children can suffer serious burns if their clothing catches fire and we urge consumers to remain especially vigilant when kids are more likely to be near artificial heating or open flames,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
The alleged breaches came between September 29, 2022 and July 14, 2023, with over 2400 affected Oodies sold during that period.
According to the ACCC the fire warnings were not fixed to the wearable blankets or displayed on the company's website, which is a requirement of the safety standard.
An investigation was reportedly launched after a complaint from a customer.
The impacted products were recalled last year, with the founder of the company Davie Fogerty saying: “We would like to address a labelling matter concerning the first production run of the ‘Kids Beach Oodies’ that you have purchased.”
“While the safety of these products is not compromised, we regret to inform you that they do not comply with the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment due to the absence of the required red fire hazard warning label," the statement concluded.
The ACCC Deputy Chair added that this "serves as an important reminder to suppliers of kids clothing to ensure all their relevant products meet safety standards, particularly regarding the use of fire danger warning labels.
“Failure to take the necessary steps to comply can result in consumers being unaware of high fire danger risk, which is unacceptable. This is particularly concerning where children’s clothing is concerned.”
Davie Clothing has paid $101,210 for the six infringement notices it received.
The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from the clothing company, which included them publishing a corrective notice on their website and establishing a consumer law compliance program.
Images: news.com.au