Sydney:Consumer electronics major Dell's Australia arm has been slapped with nearly $6.49 million fine for selling overpriced monitors at discounted prices. The Federal Court ordered that Dell Australia Pvt Ltd to pay hefty amount for "making false and misleading representations on its website about discount prices for add-on computer monitors”.
In enforcement proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Dell Australia admitted that it had misled customers about the price of a selection of monitors available to ‘bundle’ with a purchase of a desktop, laptop or notebook. The add-on monitors were often advertised with a higher ‘strikethrough’ price, indicating a significant saving if purchased with other computer products, the ACCC said in a statement late on Monday.
In many cases, consumers paid more than if they had purchased the monitor as a standalone product. More than 5,300 monitors were sold to consumers with overstated discounts, the regulator informed. Dell Australia also admitted that it misled customers about the discounted price of the add-on monitors with various statements including “Total Savings”, “Includes x per cent off”, “Discounted Price” and “Get the best price for popular accessories when purchased with this product”.