What the ACCC does
- We
- We investigate repeated and ongoing consumer problems.
- We
What the ACCC can't do
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We don’t provide legal advice.
- We don’t resolve individual disputes between consumers and businesses.
Claims
A business must be able to prove any claim they advertise. Claims should be true, accurate and based on reasonable grounds.
When buying goods, consumers may be influenced by claims about where a product was grown, produced or made. Claims must be true, accurate and based on reasonable grounds.
Consumers buying products that claim environmental benefits should be able to trust the claims made. Misleading, false or deceptive environmental claims are against the law.
Consumers purchasing organic products should be able to trust the claims made. Misleading, false or deceptive organic claims are against the law.
Where special rules apply
Businesses sometimes offer cash back promotions, prizes or gifts. These offers are usually time limited and special conditions usually need to be met.
There are some things to look out for before signing up to a customer loyalty scheme.
Gift cards and discount vouchers are an alternative to cash to buy products or services from participating businesses. Gift cards and vouchers must meet some specific requirements.
Online promotional techniques
It’s against the law for a business to create fake or misleading reviews or to arrange for others to do so. There are certain signs that can indicate a review is fake.
Australian Consumer Law applies to social media advertising in the same way as other types of advertising. Businesses must not make false or misleading claims when promoting themselves.
ACCC action on advertising and claims
The ACCC is warning consumers about the operators of four websites allegedly misrepresenting themselves as local businesses, also known as 'ghost stores'.
Emma Sleep Pty Ltd has admitted it made false or misleading representations about the sale prices of mattresses, bed frames, pillows, and accessories. The Federal Court today found that its related entity Bettzeit Southeast Asia Inc. also engaged in the admitted conduct.
Three major retailers have paid penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales. Each retailer paid a penalty of $19,800 after the ACCC issued them with one infringement notice each.