Business
JB Hi-Fi to Refund More Than $250,000 Over Misleading Discounts
JB Hi-Fi will refund more than $250,000 to customers after the ACCC alleged the retailer promoted misleading online discounts on a range of products between March and September 2025. The regulator claimed some advertised "was" prices were inaccurate because products were never sold at those prices, were sold at them only briefly, or long before promotions began. More than 200 customers purchased affected items, including laptops, gaming monitors and a Meta Quest VR headset. The ACCC will not take further enforcement action and has acknowledged steps taken by JB Hi-Fi to prevent similar issues.
JB Hi-Fi has said it will provide refunds totalling more than $250,000 to customers after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that the retailer advertised false online discounts on a list of products for various periods between March and September 2025.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said that the prices shown for 17 products could create a misleading impression in customers' minds about savings, potentially affecting their purchase choices.
ACCC Claims Discounts Weren't Real
JB Hi-Fi advertised products, claiming that the price of goods higher before discount was applied, though those goods were either not sold at that higher price, were only briefly sold at that higher price, or were sold well before its promotions began. The goods included a Lenovo laptop, an LG gaming monitor, a Meta Quest VR headset, Cygnett charging cables, a ceramic heater and some phone cases.
Over 200 customers bought one of the products, and no fewer than 11 of those were purchased during the period set forth by the purportedly misleading prices, yet only 17 products were marketed.
Customers to Receive Refunds
ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said customers may have made different purchasing choices had they known the marketed discounts weren't real. Woodward said it is vital that businesses ensure that any pricing information they provide to consumers is accurate and offers genuine discounts. JB Hi-Fi has begun refunding affected customers, with the total set to exceed $ 250,000.
ACCC Drops Investigation Without Further Action
The ACCC said such pricing issues were due to both system and human errors. JB Hi-Fi had already noted and attempted to fix some of those issues before the regulator started its investigation.
As a result, the regulator refrained from taking further formal enforcement action against retailer. The ACCC also said JB Hi-Fi had implemented measures to reduce the likelihood of similar conduct occurring in the future.
The case arises as the regulator maintains its crackdown on false or misleading price advertising, including court action against Coles (ASX:COL) over claims of illusory discounts under its Down Down pricing campaign.
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