Several Dodgy Shark products have been recalled in Australia by Brand Developers who recently asked retailers to remove pricing for their products from retailers online web sites.
Brand Developers flogs cheap made in Asia products on the TV Shop and via several retail stores including, Harvey Norman, Big W, Target, The Good Guys, Masters, Bing Lee and Betta Electrical.
Brand Developers describe themselves as a direct response TV Company specialising in product development, infomercial shopping and multi-channel retail distribution.
Retail sources have told ChannelNews that the distributor recently asked retailers whether they would remove pricing from their online retail SKU’s so that consumers thinking about buying premium priced products via the TV Shop “cannot check prices via retailer stores on a portable device” when watching the retail shopping show.
In the latest withdrawal several dodgy Shark branded poducts are being recalled, they include the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light (model number HV300NZ) vacuum cleaner, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away product and the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional.
With the Shark Vacum cleaner the issue is with the cord assembly of the product that may result in premature cord failure in some vacuum cleaners near the strain relief, and a risk of burn or electric shock.
Shark Rocket Ultra-Light vacuum cleaners manufactured from 16 January 2014 to 15 November 2014 with a production code in the range of 0314A through to 4614A are affected by the recall.
Consumers are advised to unplug their vacuum cleaner at the wall and not to use it again until it has been repaired.
Two other models of Shark vacuum cleaners are also being recalled concurrently – the Shark Navigator Lift-Away (NV350NZ) manufactured prior to 18 October 2014 (that bear a production code 0112A to 5213A inclusive) and the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional (NV356NZ).
All affected models, including the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light vacuum cleaner, require a cord and plug replacement that will be installed free of charge.
Brand Developer products are house brand products made in Chinese factories where there is often a lack of attention to detail especially with regards to electrical cable which have to conform to Australian standards.
In August, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a national recall of non-compliant Infinity and Olsent-branded cables, saying the insulation could become brittle and break if disturbed. The electrical cable was made in Chinese factories, the electrical cables did not conform to Australian standards.
Since then, only 5 per cent of 4000 kilometres of defective cable – the distance from Sydney to Perth – installed in 40,000 homes and businesses between 2010 and 2013 have been remediated. Nearly half the cable was installed in NSW homes.
Brand Developers has over 650 staff across New Zealand and Australia flogging products via their TV network. In the past Brand Developers has been forced to issue recalls on their Transforma Multi-Purpose Ladders.
