Vietnamese firm fined $7,600 for falsely touting electrolyte water purifiers as 'No. 1'

The commission said Vitamia violated Vietnam’s 2018 Law on Competition by repeatedly making misleading promotional claims to attract customers from competitors.

The company promoted Kangen electrolyte water purifiers with claims including 'KANGEN WATER ENAGIC No. 1 in the world for electrolyte water purifiers,' 'Japanese No. 1 electrolyte water purifier,' and 'Kangen K8 water purifier – the most purchased by Japanese consumers.'

According to the commission, the claims had no factual basis and could seriously mislead consumers about the products’ quality and market standing.

The commission fined the company VND200 million ($7,650) for the violations.

In addition to the fine, the commission ordered Vitamia to publicly correct all misleading information on its official website.

However, Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper found on Tuesday morning that the company’s website, kangen.vn, displayed a notice saying the site no longer existed and the company was no longer operating.

The notice also said the company would announce when the site reopens.

Earlier, Cosmos Japan Creation JSC, another Vietnamese company based in Hanoi, was fined the same amount for using a 'No. 1' advertising claim for its Trim Ion alkaline ionized water purifier brand, which originates from Japan’s Nihon Trim Co., Ltd.

Under both Vietnam’s Law on Competition and Law on Advertising, businesses using absolute or superlative claims such as 'No. 1,' 'only' or 'best' in advertising must have lawful documents or evidence to substantiate them.

Businesses that make unsupported claims or award themselves such titles may be deemed to have engaged in unfair competition, potentially harming consumers’ interests and undermining a fair business environment.