A kitchen appliance company paid $79,200 in fines over allegations two of its products were falsely labelled as NDIS-approved.

Vorwerk Australia, trading as Thermomix, was hit with four infringement notices by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for allegedly making false of misleading representations to customers online.

The competition watchdog has alleged Thermomix falsely promoted the Thermomix TM6 cooking product and Kobold cordless vacuum and mop as being endorsed through the NDIS or registered by an entity administering the NDIS.

A spokesperson for parent company Vorwerk Australia said the organisation “would never intentionally or knowingly mislead any consumers”.

The watchdog claims this allegedly describing the products as NDIS approved, NDIS-registered product, NDIS-consumables, NDIS assistive technology and NDIS equipment.

ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said misleading consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage was concerning.

“We will not hesitate to take appropriate action,” Cass-Gottlieb said.

“The NDIS does not provide specific approval for any particular goods or services.”

The ACCC said the payment of the penalty is not an admission of contravention of Australian consumer law.

A spokesperson for parent company Vorwerk Australia said: “We have not hesitated to take appropriate action to remedy all instances of concern raised by the ACCC,” the spokesperson said.

“While some of the website references pre-date the acquisition of The Mix Australia Pty Ltd, we take full responsibility for communicating with all our customers in a clear and compliant manner.”

The spokesperson said in November 2024, Vorwerk International & Co. KmG completed an acquisition of The Mix Australia Pty Ltd.

After the acquisition, The Mix Australia Pty Ltd was renamed as Vorwerk Australia Pty Ltd.