In March 2007, the Competition Bureau received a complaint regarding the validity of a claim on labels of a certain brand of windshield washer antifreeze. A preliminary test revealed that the windshield washer antifreeze would freeze at minus twenty six degrees Celsius, not at the minus forty degrees Celsius as claimed on the labels.
Under section 7 of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, and under sections 52(1) and 74.01(1) of the Competition Act, it is an offence to make false or misleading representations.
After discussions with a Bureau official, the manufacturer agreed to recall the windshield washer antifreeze at retail and correct all stock to bring them into compliance with the minus forty degrees Celsius claim. Future manufacturing procedures will also be adjusted to ensure that the claim is true. The company further agreed to replace the windshield washer antifreeze for consumers that had made a complaint about the product.
The matter was resolved on March 2007.
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