SINGAPORE: Local water and air purifier company Sterra has apologised for making false and misleading claims on the quality of Singapore’s tap water, as well as other claims relating to its air and water purifiers, said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) on Friday (Aug 30).
The consumer watchdog initiated an investigation under its fair trading laws after receiving several complaints on an online advertisement by Sterra in February 2024, which had falsely claimed that Singapore’s tap water is unsafe for direct consumption without being filtered using Sterra water purifiers.
CCCS added that investigations also revealed that that Sterra had made other misleading representations on its website between February 2023 and March 2024.
In one instance, Sterra had claimed that three models of its air purifiers were made in Singapore when they were, in fact, made in China.
In another example, two of Sterra’s water purifiers were marked as “Korean” when they were neither sourced from nor manufactured in Korea, but were in fact manufactured in China.
Sterra also gave false discounts where the “usual”, pre-discounted prices that Sterra claimed for comparison with its discounted price were not genuine prices, and in fact, never offered to any customer.
CCCS said that following the investigation, Sterra apologised and provided an undertaking to the watchdog that the company would “stop its unfair trade practices and put in place an internal compliance policy to ensure that its marketing materials comply with fair trading laws”.
Sterra’s directors, Lim Liangzhi and Lim Wei Hou, also gave personal undertakings to CCCS that they will not engage in any unfair trade practice, or facilitate Sterra to do so in future.
“CCCS takes a firm stance against businesses that make false or misleading claims in their marketing,” said said CCCS Chief Executive Alvin Koh.
“Such practices hinder the ability of consumers to make informed decisions, which is essential for well-functioning markets. They also erode consumer trust and undermines the ability of honest businesses to compete on a level playing field.”
CCCS added that it will take action if Sterra’s undertakings are not complied with.
National water agency PUB noted Sterra's apology, saying that company repeatedly published online content implying that tap water in Singapore is not safe for consumption.
Sterra's Facebook advertisement in February 2024 had attempted to mislead the public into thinking that Singapore's tap water contains harmful micro-organisms such as bacteria and algae, said PUB.
"PUB will not condone any false or misleading claims made by companies like Sterra to promote their products. Such claims could impact public confidence in Singapore’s drinking water," said the agency.
It added that Singapore's tap water is safe to drink and is well within the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water quality.
"There is no need for any point-of-use water treatment or filtering devices to further treat the water," said PUB.
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The consumer watchdog initiated an investigation under its fair trading laws after receiving several complaints on an online advertisement by Sterra in February 2024, which had falsely claimed that Singapore’s tap water is unsafe for direct consumption without being filtered using Sterra water purifiers.
CCCS added that investigations also revealed that that Sterra had made other misleading representations on its website between February 2023 and March 2024.
In one instance, Sterra had claimed that three models of its air purifiers were made in Singapore when they were, in fact, made in China.
In another example, two of Sterra’s water purifiers were marked as “Korean” when they were neither sourced from nor manufactured in Korea, but were in fact manufactured in China.
Sterra also gave false discounts where the “usual”, pre-discounted prices that Sterra claimed for comparison with its discounted price were not genuine prices, and in fact, never offered to any customer.
CCCS said that following the investigation, Sterra apologised and provided an undertaking to the watchdog that the company would “stop its unfair trade practices and put in place an internal compliance policy to ensure that its marketing materials comply with fair trading laws”.
Sterra’s directors, Lim Liangzhi and Lim Wei Hou, also gave personal undertakings to CCCS that they will not engage in any unfair trade practice, or facilitate Sterra to do so in future.
“CCCS takes a firm stance against businesses that make false or misleading claims in their marketing,” said said CCCS Chief Executive Alvin Koh.
“Such practices hinder the ability of consumers to make informed decisions, which is essential for well-functioning markets. They also erode consumer trust and undermines the ability of honest businesses to compete on a level playing field.”
CCCS added that it will take action if Sterra’s undertakings are not complied with.
National water agency PUB noted Sterra's apology, saying that company repeatedly published online content implying that tap water in Singapore is not safe for consumption.
Sterra's Facebook advertisement in February 2024 had attempted to mislead the public into thinking that Singapore's tap water contains harmful micro-organisms such as bacteria and algae, said PUB.
"PUB will not condone any false or misleading claims made by companies like Sterra to promote their products. Such claims could impact public confidence in Singapore’s drinking water," said the agency.
It added that Singapore's tap water is safe to drink and is well within the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water quality.
"There is no need for any point-of-use water treatment or filtering devices to further treat the water," said PUB.
Continue reading...