HRV's virus-killing claim falls flat

The claim appeared in a letter sent to an HRV customer, inviting him to upgrade to the system for $2675, down from the “normal” price of $7500 to $8000. “The HRV Next Generation system will work tremendously for you, giving you a lovely, dry house creating a much more liveable space than before,” the letter enthused.

However, the company admitted the claim its manuka-infused filter would get rid of viruses shouldn’t have been made. The claim isn’t backed by evidence. It also said the normal price of $7500 to $8000 shown in the letter was higher than the usual selling price and based on a much larger system. It said the error was “regrettable”.

HRV marketing director Justin Boyes described the manuka filter claim as a “legacy claim” that it failed to remove from marketing material for the upgrade offer. He said the company’s new chief executive had “commissioned a comprehensive investigation into how this occurred to ensure any legacy claims are not inadvertently included in any new marketing material”.

If you’ve received a letter like this from HRV and decided to get the ventilation system installed based on the claims, you have grounds to request your money back. You can contact HRV at 0800 478 123.