JB Hi-Fi to refund customers more than $250,000 over allegedly misleading sales
Electronics giant JB Hi-Fi will refund more than $250,000 to customers after being accused of promoting misleading discounts online.
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleged that online “was” prices advertised between March and September 2025 for products including laptops, a VR headset and a gaming monitor may have misled customers.
JB Hi-Fi will refund customers more than $250,000 over the allegedly misleading discounts. Nine.com.au
The watchdog monitored prices during this period and alleged that JB Hi-Fi promoted 17 products as “discounted” from a higher price, when the products were either never sold at the higher price, were sold at that price only for a short period or long before the promotion.
Over 200 customers bought one of the products advertised at the allegedly misleading “was” price.
Only 11 of the 17 advertised products were bought during this period.
This included Cygnett charging cables, a ceramic heater, a Lenovo laptop, a LG gaming monitor, a Meta Quest VR headset and several phone cases.
ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said the retailer “deprived customers” of the opportunity to make informed buying decisions and that they may not have bought the products if they knew the claimed discount was not genuine.
“It is critical that businesses ensure that pricing information provided to consumers is accurate, and that discount deals are genuine,” Woodward said.
“We will not hesitate to take appropriate action when we see evidence of breaches of the Australian Consumer Law.”
The ACCC warned that cracking down on misleading pricing practices is high on its agenda. AAP
The allegedly “misleading” advertisements were due to either system or human error, some of which JB Hi-Fi took action on before the watchdog’s investigation, the ACCC said.
The ACCC said it would not take further formal enforcement action.
It also commended the retail chain for taking steps to prevent similar issues in the future.
JB Hi-Fi has already begun the process of refunding customers.
Australian supermarket giant Coles faced federal court this year over similar claims regarding “illusory” discount prices that misled shoppers.
The court found last month that Coles deliberately disguised price hikes as discounts under its “Down Down” price campaign.
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