Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

A court has fined clothing retailer Ezibuy thousands of dollars for selling shawls that were not what they claimed to be.

The Commerce Commission prosecuted the company for Breaching the Fair Trading Act.

It says Ezibuy was marketing the $20 shawls as silk blend pashmina, when in fact they were merely cotton and polyester. A pure pashmina shawl would sell for more than $400.

The Auckland District Court fined the company $8,500.

It is the second time Ezibuy has ended up with its fibres in a tangle.

Last year the commission reached an out-of-court settlement with the company over throws advertised as pure mohair, when they were actually an acrylic/mohair blend.