A Shanghai-based furniture company is under investigation after it was revealed that its products said to be imported from Italy were made in China, The Beijing News reported Monday.
DaVinci Furniture Ltd, famous for its luxury furniture, claims all of its products were manufactured and imported from Italy and “made of high-class pollution-free wooden material”, according to the newspaper. But the investigation revealed a large number of the products in the company’s outlets were made in Dongguan city, Guangzhou province.
The products were made of a common resin material rather than the solid wood which the company claimed, according to the report.
A customer surnamed Tang spent 2.8 million yuan ($0.43 million)on over 40 pieces of furniture at the company’s Beijing franchised outlet. Tang sent the bed and cabinet to the country’s furniture inspection center for tests after noticing the products gave off a strong chemical-like smell and the single bed was 30 centimeters shorter than advertised.
Results show the products failed three national standards for furniture. One reason the cabinet failed was because it was made of high-density boards instead of solid wood, the newspaper reported.
Reporter found out a bed model which was almost the same with DaVinci’s Cappelletti bed model, was showcased at a Dongguan Changfeng Furniture Ltd outlet for 30,000 yuan, while DaVinci’s priced it at 300,000 yuan.
Peng Jie, the manager of Dongguan Changfeng, said his company started manufacturing furniture for DaVinci in 2006, and the annual trade volume between the two companies reached about 50 million yuan, according to the newspaper.
Wang Lei, the head of DaVinci’s Beijing marketing department, said some media reports have been false, but the company is concerned with the matter and will deal with it cautiously, the newspaper reported.
The company is expected to hold a press conference this week to introduce its domestic operation and sales.
DaVinci has outlets in Shanghai and several other major cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing. It sells furniture brands such as Cappelletti, Hollywood and Jewel.
Source: China Daily