Michael Hill, MyHouse, and Hairhouse Online have each paid a penalty of $19,800 following allegations of false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales. The penalties were issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) after a review of sales advertisements raised concerns about the accuracy of discount claims.

Michael Hill Jeweller (Australia) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Michael Hill International Limited, was penalised for an online advertisement promoting a 'Member Event 25% off Sitewide' sale, which allegedly did not apply to all products. Global Retail Brands Australia Pty Ltd (GRBA), operating MyHouse, faced penalties for an ad claiming 'Black Friday Up to 60% Off Sitewide + EXTRA 20% off', which allegedly did not apply to all products. Hairhouse Warehouse Online Pty Ltd was penalised for an advertisement stating 'SAVE 20% to 50% SITEWIDE', which allegedly did not apply to more than a quarter of the products.

The ACCC's Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, highlighted the legal obligations of businesses to accurately describe their sale offers. "We allege these claims misled consumers that all goods in the physical or online store were discounted, or that the discounts were greater than was actually the case," Lowe stated. She emphasised that "advertisements that talk about 'sitewide' or 'storewide' sales or promise discounts 'off everything' should deliver what customers expect, and not be used by retailers to hook consumers under false pretences."

Lowe further noted that "businesses are legally obliged to accurately describe their sale offers and should not use small point disclaimers to terms and conditions to disguise the real extent of their offers." She warned that "during the EOFY sales, retailers should be aware that we will continue to keep an eye on sales promotions to ensure consumers are not being misled, and retailers may face enforcement action if they make sales representations that contravene the Australian Consumer Law."

Michael Hill International Limited, headquartered in Brisbane, operates approximately 170 stores across Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Lowe remarked, "Michael Hill's statement may have misled consumers, and contravened the Australian Consumer Law, because some of the products in its online store were not part of the sale and were not discounted."

GRBA operates MyHouse as an online business and in 28 physical stores in Australia, in addition to other similar businesses. Lowe commented on their advertisement, "We say this was misleading because the extra 20 per cent discount was not available on all of its products."

Hairhouse Online is a related entity of The Hairhouse Warehouse Pty Ltd, which has 125 stores across Australia offering various hair and beauty services. Lowe stated, "Businesses that make false discount claims not only risk misleading consumers, they also compete unfairly against other businesses which correctly state the nature of their sales."

The ACCC can issue an infringement notice when it has reasonable grounds to believe a person or business has contravened certain consumer protection provisions in the Australian Consumer Law. It is important to note that the payment of a penalty specified in an infringement notice is not an admission of a contravention of the Australian Consumer Law.

In December 2024, the ACCC raised concerns about misleading practices in Black Friday sales promotions, including 'sitewide' discounts that were not sitewide and misleading 'was/now' pricing.