Australia's Woolworths, Coles Face Class Action Over Dodgy Discount Claims
Woolworths and Coles, Australia's two largest supermarket chains, are facing a class action lawsuit that alleges they misled customers about discounts on everyday products.
The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court of Australia, alleges that Woolworths and Coles engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by claiming certain products were discounted even though they were not.
The case is being brought by law firm Maurice Blackburn on behalf of shoppers who purchased products from Woolworths or Coles and were allegedly misled by the discounts.
The lawsuit alleges that Woolworths and Coles used a variety of tactics to mislead customers, including:
- Displaying "was" and "now" prices on products that were never actually sold at the "was" price.
- Using the term "half price" on products that were already discounted by less than 50%.
- Failing to disclose important conditions or limitations on discounts.
The lawsuit seeks damages for shoppers who were allegedly misled by the discounts, as well as injunctive relief to stop Woolworths and Coles from continuing the alleged misleading conduct.
A spokesperson for Woolworths said the company is "reviewing the allegations and will defend the matter in court." Coles has not yet commented on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal challenges against Australian supermarkets over their pricing practices.
In 2018, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took legal action against Coles over allegations that it had misled customers about the price of bread.
The ACCC also took legal action against Woolworths in 2019 over allegations that it had misled customers about the price of milk.
The lawsuits allege that the supermarkets engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct by making false or misleading representations about the price of products.
The lawsuits are a reminder to supermarkets that they must be transparent and honest about their pricing practices.
Shoppers should be able to trust that the discounts they are being offered are genuine.
