Scandal in Australia: The two largest supermarket chains FALSELY reduced prices
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has sued two of the country’s biggest supermarket chains, claiming they falsely permanently lowered the prices of several hundred items.
They claim that the Coles and Woolworths chains broke consumer law by temporarily increasing prices and then reducing them to the original amount or an amount that was slightly higher than the original amount.
Coles said they would defend themselves against the lawsuit, while Woolworths said they would review these allegations.
The aforementioned supermarket chains, which account for two-thirds of the Australian market, have come under increased scrutiny over the past year due to rising prices and anti-competitive practices.
Treated customers like fools?
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said such behavior, if proven to be true, was completely unacceptable. “Customers do not deserve to be treated like fools,” said Albanese and announced a law that would regulate the “code of conduct” of supermarkets.
ACCC President Gina Cass-Gottlieb emphasized that Coles and Woolworths had been advertising discounts for years, and that consumers had understood this as a reduction of the original prices. However, as she pointed out, the reductions were illusory. The ACCC claims that Coles misled consumers with 245 products in 15 months, and that Woolworths misled consumers with 266 products in 20 months.
We are talking about different products – from pet food, to plasters, mouthwash to biscuits. It is estimated that the mentioned supermarkets have sold tens of millions of products at “discounted” prices and that they have thus generated significant income.
The court is being asked to impose significant fines on supermarkets and ask them to increase their charity meal delivery programs, the BBC reports.
Source: Klix
Photo: Pixabay, Unsplash
Source: bizlife.rs
