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When ‘was/now’ pricing doesn’t add up
An Australian retailer has been slammed by a consumer watchdog for allegedly misleading consumers about the “was/now” price comparisons it was providing on its website.
When ‘was/now’ pricing doesn’t add up
An Australian retailer has been slammed by a consumer watchdog for allegedly misleading consumers about the “was/now” price comparisons it was providing on its website.
Outdoor Supacentre Pty Ltd – trading as 4WD Supacentre – has paid $63,000 in penalties after being issued with five infringement notices.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), between December 2018 and January 2019, 4WD Supacentre advertised some of its highest-selling products with a high “was” price and a low “now” price, despite the products not being advertised or sold by the retailer at the “was” price at any time during the previous three months.
“4WD Supacentre advertised a camp oven with a ‘was’ price of $279 and a ‘now’ price of $84, representing an apparent saving of $195. In fact, the camp oven had not been advertised at a price higher than $104 for the three-month period beforehand,” a statement said.
Mick Keogh, acting chair of the ACCC, said the watchdog was “very concerned that this was misleading consumers into thinking they could achieve significant savings with 4WD Supacentre, when this was not necessarily the case”.
“Businesses must tell the truth when advertising ‘discounted’ prices and must not fabricate increased savings,” Mr Keogh explained.
“All businesses should ensure they provide consumers with accurate price information, enabling informed choices by consumers based on potential savings and an even playing field for competing businesses which are doing the right thing.”
The consumer watchdog indicated it had also accepted a court-enforceable undertaking in which 4WD Supacentre committed to not engage in similar conduct.
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