Australia retail watchdog expands Black Friday crackdown on misleading discounts

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Australia Black Friday retail crackdown

Highlights

ACCC expands Black Friday advertising sweep to include retailer websites, social media posts, and marketing emails to curb misleading sales tactics.
Six Australian retailers fined a combined A$217,800 over past two years for deceptive Black Friday campaigns, including bogus sitewide discount claims and fake countdown timers.
ACCC cites research showing 83 percent of Australians experienced dark-pattern sales tactics, warns of increased consumer risk from fake online storefronts and scam promotions during pre-Christmas sales.

Expanded monitoring of sales tactics

As reported by ABC News, citing the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the regulator is warning retailers against misleading Black Friday marketing tactics, including bogus countdown timers, false storewide discount claims and deceptive price comparisons.

The ACCC says consumers should not assume a sale label automatically means value, and deputy chair Catriona Lowe says some businesses use tactics that make shoppers think they are getting a bargain when they are not. The regulator has expanded its annual Black Friday advertising sweep beyond retailer websites to include social media posts and marketing emails.

Over the past two years, the ACCC has fined six Australian retailers a combined A$217,800 for misleading advertising tied to Black Friday campaigns. Cases cited by the regulator include Michael Hill and MyHouse over sitewide discount claims, and James Lane over a sale countdown that the ACCC says did not match the retailer's planned end date.

The regulator is also highlighting pressure-selling tactics such as false low-stock messages, misleading testimonials and time-limited offers that continue after the advertised deadline. It further warns shoppers to question very large percentage discounts if products have not genuinely been sold at the higher reference price before the promotion.

Consumer risks rise in pre-Christmas spending season

Heightened enforcement comes as Australian shoppers start looking for pre-Christmas bargains earlier, even before the U.S. Thanksgiving period. The warning lands at a time when consumer advocates are pressing for tougher action against retailers that breach consumer protection laws.

Meg Dalling of the Consumer Action Law Centre says strong enforcement is needed to show retailers they cannot mislead consumers, especially while household budgets remain under strain. Research cited in the report shows 83 per cent of Australians have had a negative experience with dark-pattern sales tactics, including feeling pressured into purchases or paying more than they otherwise would.

The ACCC also urges consumers to watch for fake online storefronts that imitate legitimate retailers during the Black Friday period. Shoppers are being told to double-check a website's credentials before buying, as discount-heavy sales events can also attract scams alongside misleading promotions from established sellers.

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