Court rules Coles misleading discounts deceived Australian shoppers
Coles has been found guilty of misleading shoppers with fake discount promotions after a major court ruling in Australia.
The Federal Court ruled that several products advertised under the supermarket’s “Down Down” campaign were not genuine discounts. In many cases, prices had first been increased before being reduced slightly and promoted as special savings.
One example involved dog food that was originally sold for $4, briefly increased to $6, and later marketed as discounted at $4.50.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) welcomed the decision and said it will push for heavy penalties against the retail giant.
Consumer law experts say the fines could be enormous because penalties may apply to every misleading promotion shown to customers.
Coles argued that rising inflation affected pricing and claimed shoppers understood prices were generally increasing. However, the court found the advertised savings were misleading.
A similar case against Woolworths is still awaiting judgment.
Source : 9 News
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