The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned retailers ahead of the Black Friday sales period, confirming it will conduct a national sweep of sales advertising to identify misleading or deceptive discount tactics.
The sweep will target practices such as false urgency created by limited-time claims, misleading ‘site-wide’ or ‘store-wide’ sale representations, and ‘up to X% off’ offers where only a small number of products receive the maximum discount.
“We are putting retailers on notice to review their sales advertising practices to ensure that any sales or discount claims they make are accurate, clear, and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers,” said Catriona Lowe, ACCC Deputy Chair.
Example of an ‘Up to’ X% off claim, where ‘up to’ text is easily missed by consumers.
“Misleading advertising may influence a consumer’s behaviour and impact their ability to make an informed purchasing decision during the sales,” Lowe said.
“We will pay special attention to retailers who were identified as having problematic sales practices in the sweep we conducted during last year’s Black Friday and Boxing Day sales and expect to see improved compliance across the retail sector.”
Retailers that engage in deceptive sales tactics may face enforcement action, the regulator warned. The ACCC encouraged consumers to be wary of broad discount claims and to check disclaimers or conditions in fine print.
Example of a retailer that advertises a ‘sitewide’ sale when in fact there are a range of products which are excluded from the sale.
“If consumers are waiting for the Black Friday sales to make a big purchase, we encourage them to consider checking the prices now before sales start, so they can compare the price and determine if they are making a legitimate saving,” Lowe added.
Focus areas for the 2025 sweep
The 2025 Black Friday sweep will examine:
• Misleading time representations, such as countdown timers or “three days only” claims that don’t match the true sale duration
• ‘Store-wide’ or ‘site-wide’ sales that exclude significant product ranges
• Fine print or disclaimers that contradict headline offers, including member-only deals
• ‘Up to X% off’ claims where few items are discounted at the maximum rate
• ‘Was/now’ or ‘strikethrough’ pricing that inflates savings
The ACCC previously conducted a similar sweep in 2024, uncovering widespread use of misleading practices across major online and in-store retailers.
That review led to a number of investigations and penalties, including fines for Michael Hill, My House and Hairhouse online in June 2025 for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales.
Example of the use of a countdown time which, if not accurate, can create a false sense of urgency.
Consumer reporting encouraged
The ACCC is urging shoppers to report questionable sales promotions or advertising through its website, where they can upload images and detailed information about potential misconduct.
“Consumers shopping during the Black Friday sales are encouraged to report promotions or ads that raise concerns to the ACCC, including images of the potential misconduct,” Lowe said.