JB Hi-Fi Group will refund more than $250,000 to about 200 consumers after the ACCC raised concerns over allegedly misleading “was/now” pricing in online promotions.
The competition watchdog said it monitored JB Hi-Fi’s online product pricing from March to September 2025 as part of an investigation. It alleged some advertised discounts did not reflect genuine previous prices.
The products included two laptops, a VR headset, a gaming monitor, phone accessories, a power bank and a heater.
What did the ACCC allege?
The ACCC alleged JB Hi-Fi promoted 17 products as discounted from a higher previous price. However, it said the products were either never offered at that higher price, were only offered at that price for a short period, or had been offered at that price long before the promotion.
A total of 206 consumers bought one of the products while it was advertised with an allegedly misleading “was” price. Sales were recorded for 11 of the 17 products during the relevant promotions.
“Businesses must not mislead consumers with incorrect pricing displays, including listing incorrect ‘was’ prices when advertising promotions, whether online or in store,” Luke Woodward, ACCC Commissioner, said.
“It is critical that businesses ensure that pricing information provided to consumers is accurate, and that discount deals are genuine. We will not hesitate to take appropriate action when we see evidence of breaches of the Australian Consumer Law.”
Refunds underway for affected customers
JB Hi-Fi has already provided some refunds automatically and has contacted affected customers directly to arrange payments. Customers do not need to contact the retailer to start the process.
The ACCC said the allegedly misleading “was” prices were largely due to system errors or human error. Some issues were addressed by JB Hi-Fi before the ACCC investigation began.
Woodward said the conduct affected consumers’ ability to assess whether discounts were genuine.
“JB Hi-Fi’s conduct deprived consumers of the opportunity to make informed purchasing decisions based on accurate information, as they may have decided not to buy the products if they knew the claimed discount was not genuine,” he said.
Products involved in the pricing concerns
The products sold while allegedly misleading discounts were displayed were:
- Cygnett Charge & Connect Lightning to USB-C Cable 1.2m: 18 June 2025 – 4 July 2025
- Cygnett ChargeUp Boost Gen3 10K Power Bank (Red): 13 May 2025 – 20 May 2025
- Dimplex 2kW Tall Ceramic Heater (White): 5 July 2025 – 16 July 2025
- EFM ScreenSafe with D3O Screen Armour for iPhone 14 Plus: 20 June 2025 – 9 July 2025
- EFM Alta Case Armour with D3O for Galaxy S23 FE (Smoke Black): 20 June 2025 – 4 July 2025
- HP OmniBook 5 Flip 14″ 2K 2-in-1 Laptop (Intel Core 7) [Silver/512GB]: 15 August 2025 – 27 August 2025
- Lenovo Yoga S7 14″ 2K OLED Laptop (Ryzen AI 7) [1TB/32GB]: 18 July 2025 – 31 July 2025
- LG UltraGear OLED 45” 5K2K Dual Mode WUHD 165Hz Curved Gaming Monitor: 2 June 2025 – 3 June 2025
- Meta Quest 3S 256GB: 12 April 2025 – 20 April 2025
- Otterbox React Case for iPhone 15 Pro (Clear): 23 July 2025 – 1 August 2025
- Otterbox React Case for iPhone 15 Pro Max (Clear): 20 June 2025 – 6 July 2025
ACCC resolves matter without further action
The ACCC said JB Hi-Fi cooperated with the investigation and has taken steps to prevent similar issues. It also noted the small number of affected products and the company’s compensation process.
As a result, the regulator has resolved the matter administratively and will not take further formal enforcement action.
Misleading pricing in retail and supermarkets remains an ACCC compliance and enforcement priority. The regulator is continuing to investigate several retailers following its Black Friday sweep last year.
JB Hi-Fi operates more than 220 stores across Australia and has a major online retail presence.