Emma Sleep has admitted to misleading its customers about price discounts it was allegedly offering after the ACCC caught them out.
The company advertised its products including mattresses, bed frames, pillows and accessories at discounted prices, however, of the 74 products, 58 products had not previously been for sale at the strikethrough price or a price equivalent to the price without the claimed discount.
The remaining 16 products had almost never been for sale at the strikethrough price or a price equivalent to the price without the claimed discount.
“Sales and claimed savings can be enticing to consumers so it is important these claims are accurate,” ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowes says.
Additionally, Emma Sleep claimed the discounts were only available for a limited time, which was not the case.
“Sales campaigns on the Emma Sleep website and other platforms indicated that discounts would only be available for limited periods of time through the use of countdown timers. The timers created a false sense of urgency by suggesting the sale price would no longer be available after the timer reached zero. In fact, after reaching zero the countdown timers reset or the products continued to be advertised for sale at the same or similar discount.
“These type of false advertising practices not only mislead customers but also mean companies get an unfair advantage over other suppliers,” she adds.
The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, injunctions and other orders.
Image: Emma Sleep
