Customer Sparks Online Debate Over Misleading Ice Cream Portion Display on Delivery App

A customer who ordered soft-serve ice cream from a Soft Cookies branch in Ramla via the Wolt delivery app was surprised by the discrepancy between the product image and the actual quantity received. The app showed a picture of an ice cream container resembling a half-kilogram package, but the product contained only 450 milliliters. The customer posted a comparison in a Facebook group called "How Does It Really Look," which garnered hundreds of reactions and sparked a discussion about potential consumer deception.

The customer noted that while the product description stated 450 ml, the image suggested a significantly larger portion, potentially misleading those who do not distinguish between volume and weight units. The 450 ml volume roughly equals one and a half cans of soda or a large glass of liquid, but the packaging image implied a fuller, heavier container. After contacting customer service, the customer was told the product matched the description, but the case raised broader questions about whether displaying volume alone suffices when the accompanying image creates different expectations.

In contrast to Israel, where such discrepancies are common, countries like Japan have laws requiring product images to accurately reflect size and appearance to avoid consumer deception. The article highlights that 450 ml does not equal 450 grams, especially for ice cream, where density varies, so the volume indication itself is not necessarily inaccurate. However, the key issue is whether the product presentation misleads an average consumer, violating Israel's Consumer Protection Law, which prohibits acts or omissions likely to mislead consumers on material aspects of a transaction.

This incident underscores the importance for consumers to carefully check unit measurements when ordering via delivery apps and raises a critical question for businesses about the clarity and honesty of product images and descriptions. Soft Cookies has not yet responded to the issue.