Retail chain Freedom Furniture has paid penalties totalling $25,000 after the ACCC issued it with two infringement notices.
The notices were issued after the ACCC found that the furniture retailer had made alleged false or misleading claims on its website. In August and September 2019, the statement on the site read: “Furniture items cannot be returned or exchanged, except at Freedom’s absolute discretion.”
The ACCC was concerned that the representation was likely to have given the impression that consumers could not return or exchange faulty furniture items unless Freedom Furniture allowed them to do so, when that is not the case under the ACL consumer guarantees.
“Retailers must not misrepresent consumer guarantee rights to their customers,” ACCC commissioner Sarah Court says.
“Under the Australian Consumer Law consumers have the right to ask for their choice of a repair, replacement or refund when they have purchased a product that has a fault which amounts to a major failure.”
