Australia · Marketing and promotions
Ugg pricing notices reinforce genuine price-history evidence
Christofi Investments paid $39,600 after the ACCC issued two infringement notices over allegedly misleading strikethrough pricing on two Ugg websites. The ACCC alleged the products had not been offered or sold at the higher price in a reasonable preceding period. Payment of an infringement-notice penalty is not an admission of contravention.
What this means
Understand the practical effect.
Christofi Investments paid $39,600 after the ACCC issued two infringement notices over allegedly misleading strikethrough pricing on two Ugg websites. The ACCC alleged the products had not been offered or sold at the higher price in a reasonable preceding period. Payment of an infringement-notice penalty is not an admission of contravention.
What to do
Turn the update into action.
Require product- and channel-specific price-history evidence before publishing a was/now or strikethrough comparison. Recheck the claim while it is live and withdraw it when the comparison no longer conveys a genuine saving.
- Define the comparison represented to customers: previous price, usual price, recommended retail price or another benchmark.
- Retain dated sales and offer history for the exact SKU, variant, channel and relevant period, including the volume sold at the comparison price.
- Stop old prices, copied catalogue data and default ecommerce fields from automatically creating unsupported savings claims.
- Check product pages, search tiles, feeds, marketplaces, stores, social posts and paid advertisements for consistent live pricing.
Official sources
Check the controlling material.
Practical support
Apply this update to your business.
Confirm the products, customer journeys, claims, suppliers or processes affected, then identify the evidence, ownership and timing needed for a defensible response.
Watchdog can assess the update against your circumstances and recommend the most useful next step.
Important information
Check the current position.
This update is general information, not legal advice. Laws, official guidance and proceedings can change. Check the current source and your specific facts before acting.