A beet-up? Heinz threatens Dick Smith

[grandmoon]

Heinz is threatening to sue Dick Smith over claims made on his company’s beetroot tins.

The company says the wording of a label on Smith’s ‘‘Magnificent Sliced Beetroot’’ constitutes injurious falsehood.

The label says: ‘‘When American-owned Heinz decided to move its beetroot processing facility from Australia to New Zealand causing hundreds of lost jobs, we decided enough is enough.

‘‘So we are fighting back against poor quality imported product.’’

Heinz, in a letter to Mr Smith, said the label falsely represented that hundreds of jobs had been lost and that its NZ products were of poor quality.It says job losses were minimal and that its products are of a high quality.

Heinz demanded Mr Smith re-label his cans or face action in the Federal Court.

‘‘Your statements in relation to both job losses and poor quality are factually incorrect,’’ the letter said.

‘‘Our position is that the statement has caused and continues to cause damage to the reputation of Heinz, together with pecuniary loss to our business.’’

Mr Smith released the letter from Heinz during a rally of dairy farmers at Tongala in the Goulburn Valley.

He said he stood by the claims, but was worried about the potential cost of legal action.

‘‘They would know that to go to every warehouse and change the label and reprint them - we would go broke,’’ Mr Smith told AAP from Tongala on Wednesday.

‘‘They’re only doing this because we’re taking up their market share.

‘‘Most people don’t look at the label; they just know our stuff is better quality.’’

Mr Smith said he relied on media reports over the job-shedding claim.Comment is being sought from Heinz.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/a-beetup-heinz-threatens-dick-smith-20130213-2ecax.html#ixz...

[the_hawk*]

Its a sad day when a companies big bank account and high priced lawyers mean more than truth and honestly.

[lakeland27]

smith is an opportunist making a killing on the  pretense he cares.

[i-need-a-martini]

The more publicity he gets the better his products will sell. Which is a good thing.

So who cares if he causes heinz to have a rupture and he has to eventually remove the label - he's made national headlines and reminded consumers about the effects of taking companies overseas. 

[*crikey*mate*]

‘‘So we are fighting back against poor quality imported product.’’

he doesn't specifically say any company has low quality products - though his later comments definitely imply that's what he is inferring.....

and if he can prove this bit -" Mr Smith said he relied on media reports over the job-shedding claim." He can probably beet (pun intended) defamation claims cos a defence is that he believed it to be true....

dunno - but it seems strange to me that his label design wasn't run past his own legals before they went into production - and IMO - if he is worried - he just needs to change the labels for all future production - cos surely what is already on the shelves will be sold before any legalities can commence?

[freakiness]

‘‘So we are fighting back against poor quality imported product.’’

dunno - but it seems strange to me that his label design wasn't run past his own legals before they went into production - and IMO - if he is worried - he just needs to change the labels for all future production - cos surely what is already on the shelves will be sold before any legalities can commence?

I bet it was checked by his legal team.

It looks like a deliberate marketing ploy, and a smart one at that   :^O

[nero_bolt]

smith is an opportunist making a killing on the  pretense he cares.

lakeland27 I am at a loss at your hatred for everything and for most people.  Are you envious of successful people, I think you are as you seem to have nothing but bitter hate filled envious words for them all. 

Dick Smith foods donate all PROFITS to charity. 4.8 million dollars so far

lakeland27 go an have a read before you fire off one of your negative bitter posts.

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/lets-give-it-all-away-all-profits-charity

http://www.dicksmithfoods.com.au/mission-statement 

Care factor if Dick is self promoting he is using and supporting Australian Farmers and business's only unlike so many others and supporting Australian jobs and charities. 

(lakeland27 I am sure you will find some reason to report this post of mine as is happening all the time from you and my responses you dont like to your posts)

[lakeland27]

why bother reporting you ? theres more value in a particular mindset being exposed 🙂

[nero_bolt]

Vegemite is cheaper overseas than in Australia

Owned by an overseas company now.. 

So good on Dick Smith for doing what he does and supporting Australians...

Vegemite is nearly 40 per cent more expensive here than in Britain

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/money/vegemite-is-cheaper-overseas-than-in-australia/story-e6frezc0-1226576999305 

IT'S enough to make you choke on your toast - it has emerged that Vegemite, of all things, is now much cheaper overseas than here.

After revealing earlier today the cost of goods in Australia is stratospheric when measured against similar nations, a new comparison by News Limited had found that our iconic breakfast spread is nearly 40 per cent more expensive here than in Britain.

A 220g jar of Vegemite costs £1.97 at UK supermarket chain ASDA and £1.98 at rivals Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, according to the grocery comparison site mysupermarkets.co.uk. Its average price over the past year is also £1.98.

Converted into our currency at the prevailing exchange rate – one pound equals 1.529 Australian dollars – that jar costs $3.01.

The same jar costs $4.17 at Coles, which is 39 per cent more than the UK price.

The unit price – the cost per 100g – of the UK Vegemite is $1.37. The Aussie price is $1.90 per 100g.

The most comparable jar sold by Woolworths is 280g for $5.36, or $1.91 per 100g.

News Limited this morning asked Kraft Foods Australia why Vegemite – which is made here – costs less in the UK.

A spokeswoman for Kraft Foods said: “It appears that the current batch of Vegemite available for sale in the UK was purchased at a time when the Australian dollar versus the British pound appreciated by around 10 per cent.

“Given the long-shelf life and iconic nature of Vegemite, it is always in demand overseas, so we often see bulk purchases when there are currency dips.”

At the time of publication News Limited was awaiting an explanation of how much difference this would make to the retail price.

[lakeland27]

its poison (well extremely bad for your health) vegemite , toxic muck .