Warning over fake hair straighteners

A Christchurch hair academy is recalling potentially dangerous counterfeit hair straighteners.

The Ruben Blades Hairdressing Academy inadvertently bought a batch of fake ghd brand straighteners from China before selling them in Christchurch.

The academy had an advertisement in last Saturday's Press recalling the straighteners.

A Sydney ghd spokeswoman said the company asked the academy to contact customers who bought a fake styler.

"It was found that Ruben Blades Hairdressing was distributing counterfeits and they have been helpful working with ghd to inform their customers of this," she said.

"Ghd requested that the salon notify each customer of the fake purchase, and this is something that is taken very seriously, considering the safety issues of a fake electrical appliance."

Academy director Eelco Wiersma said he believed the straighteners were genuine when he bought them.

He was given a certificate to show their authenticity.

"They were not genuine articles, so I had to recall them.

"I just made an error of judgment."

Wiersma said there were many "knock-off" hair straighteners sold in New Zealand.

"I didn't want to be caught up, so I am giving people their money back."

Ghd said the academy was not authorised to sell its products.

The ghd spokeswoman said counterfeit hair stylers were easy to buy online.

"Counterfeit ghd stylers are an international issue for ghd. "Ghd is doing their utmost in combating this issue.

"There are ways to spot a counterfeit website and it's safe to say that any Chinese website selling ghds is likely to be a fake."

Heavily discounted ghd stylers were also likely fakes and potentially "a safety issue" for users, the spokeswoman said.

Consumer NZ chief executive Sue Chetwin said people should take advantage of the recall.

"If they're knock-offs, they could be unsafe because these things heat up quite considerably and very quickly, so you don't want a dangerous set."

- © Fairfax NZ News