EziBuy has been fined $8,500 dollars for selling shawls it claimed were a silk-blend pashmina, when they were actually poly-cotton.

The Auckland District Court has found the chain in breach of the Fair Trading Act after independent tests found the shawls were made of cotton and polyester, with no pashmina or silk content at all.

The Commerce Commission says pashmina shawls are a premium product made from a very fine wool and can sell for up to $425. EziBuy's shawls retailed for $19.95 and almost 4,000 were sold in New Zealand, with another 7,000 sold in Australia.

The commission says the marketing and labelling of the shawls would have led consumers to believe they were getting a quality product at a bargain price.