[Nettavisen] On Tuesday evening, the Consumer Council published a test of stick blenders from a number of manufacturers. The test winner was one from the supplier Braun.
At the other end of the scale, as the clear losers of the test, you will find two stand mixers from the brand Tristar, but also one from Clas Ohlson. And these products are really gaining momentum.
– Three of the hand blenders we tested are of such low quality that they can actually be classified as rubbish, because they are destroyed before the test is finished. Neither the Coline 44–3123 from Clas Ohlson nor Tristar’s two models pass our durability test, and were defective when the test was finished, writes the Consumer Council.
Read Clas Ohlson’s comments on the criticism further down in the article. Nettavisen has contacted Tristar, but failed to get a comment.
– Steer away
They then follow up by writing straight out that they recommend steering clear of these products.
– Making products of poor quality is bad for the environment and bad for our wallets. We expect more from serious manufacturers than this, says Gunstein Instefjord, head of consumer policy at the Consumer Council.
In the test by the Consumer Council, 12 different products were tested and it is clear that they emphasize sustainability.
– In anticipation of stricter and better regulations with stricter requirements for quality, repairability and durability, it is important that the industry takes responsibility. They must be more careful with which products they include in their range, and in that way ensure that you as a consumer get products that last, writes Instefjord.
To Nettavisen, Instefjord writes that it is impossible to know which products meet the target and which do not just by seeing them in the store. He instead recommends that you do research and read tests such as the one from the Consumer Council before you shop.
– Norway is at the top of the world in throwing away electrical waste, and when we test products that are useless before the test is finished, they must be labeled as rubbish, and should never have been on the shop shelves. Also remember that if a product does not work as it should, or breaks quickly, you are entitled to a repair, a new product or your money back.
Clas Ohlson apologizes
Press contact at Clas Ohlson, Anders Wahl, writes in an e-mail to Nettavisen that they apologize.
– We take the Consumer Council’s test of stick blenders very seriously. We are truly sorry that the products did not pass the test. Our technicians at our head office in Sweden are now working to go through the test results to see what improvements we can make, writes Wahl.
He further writes that the product has a five-year warranty.
– Those customers who are affected by the problems can contact their local dealers or our customer service via telephone or e-mail, he writes.
