Alabama A&M University alumna Jazz McKenzie delivered a powerful and unforgettable performance during Monday night’s live finale
of NBC’s “The Voice,” closing out a life-changing journey on…
The ACCC has written to a number of major retailers ahead of the Boxing Day sales to remind them of their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law when advertising sales and promotions.
These letters follow a Black Friday Sales sweep by the ACCC to identify misleading or deceptive sales advertising by retailers.
Initial findings from the ACCC’s sweep indicate that retailers are still using a range of potentially misleading strategies during promotions, including misleading time representations (such as the use of countdown timers that may not align with the full duration of the sale), and promotions that may misrepresent the true scope of discounts available to consumers.
The ACCC will continue to assess the results of its sweep and will take next steps as appropriate.
“All retailers must ensure that any sales or discount claims they make during the Boxing Day sales are accurate, clear and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“We are concerned that despite many warnings, some retailers are still using a range of tactics to misrepresent the size or scope of discounts and the duration of sales to consumers.”
“Misleading pricing practices in the retail sector is a compliance and enforcement priority for the ACCC, and we will continue to closely monitor any sales or discount claims made, particularly by large retailers,” Ms Lowe said.
Retailers should review the ACCC’s guidance on advertising and promotions to ensure they are complying with the Australian Consumer Law.
“If a retailer is found to be in breach of the law, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action,” Ms Lowe said.
Sales and discounts are persuasive techniques used by retailers to influence consumer purchasing decisions.
“As sales periods become longer and more frequent, we want to ensure that the discounts being advertised to consumers are genuine,” Ms Lowe said.
The ACCC encourages consumers to be wary of broad claims about discounts or savings during sales periods and to check for any disclaimers or conditions in sales advertisements.
“We encourage consumers to shop around, compare, and keep an eye on prices before big sales events like Boxing Day, particularly if you have been waiting to make a significant purchase. Focus on the final price, not the advertised discount or promotion, to assess whether you are getting a good deal,” Ms Lowe said.
The best way for consumers to report any potentially misleading or deceiving sales representations is by the ACCC website, where images and specific detail can be provided.
The ACCC expects retailers to not make the following representations in any sales promotions:
In 2024, the ACCC conducted a sweep of sales advertising by Australian retailers online and in store to target the Black Friday and Boxing Day sale periods. The 2024 sweep uncovered a range of concerning practices, including those listed above.
Following the sweep, the ACCC launched a number of investigations into specific retailers and wrote to those retailers where the most concerning conduct was identified and asked them to justify their claims.
In June 2025, Michael Hill, My House and Hairhouse online paid penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales. The ACCC has a number of other investigations relating to misleading and deceptive sales practices underway.
Above: Example of the use of a countdown time which, if not accurate, can create a false sense of urgency.
Above: Example of a retailer that advertises a ‘sitewide’ sale when in fact there are a range of products which are excluded from the sale.
Above: Example of an ‘Up to’ X% off claim, where ‘up to’ text is easily missed by consumers.
SAVE $20: The Kobo Clara Colour is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, down from the usual price of $159.99. That’s a 13% discount and a new record low at Amazon.
Chelsea secured a place in the Women’s Champions League quarter-finals as they came from behind to beat Wolfsburg 2-1 on Wednesday. Alexandra Popp had given the German hosts the lead before Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr headed the visitors to victory,…
Increased body mass index (BMI) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were found to have causal effects on the risk of
The study aimed to investigate…
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has imposed additional licence conditions on Equity Trustees Superannuation Limited (ETSL) to address prudential concerns relating to its investment governance frameworks and practices, including oversight of platform investment options made available to members.
ETSL acts as trustee for 11 registrable superannuation entities (RSEs) and has approximately 649,000 member accounts and over $37 billion in funds under management.
The additional licence conditions follow APRA’s recent thematic review of the investment governance, strategic planning and member outcomes practices of superannuation trustees that offer platforms (‘Platform Trustees’). Broadly, the review identified deficiencies in ETSL’s onboarding processes and practices, including adequacy of investment selection criteria and due diligence, as well as investment option monitoring and reporting frameworks, and management of conflicts of interest.
Specifically, APRA’s review of ETSL identified concerns regarding:
Under the additional licence conditions, effective 18 December 2025, ETSL is required to:
ETSL must also refrain from onboarding certain new high-risk investment options to its platform until an independent expert confirms the option has gone through the uplifted onboarding process and an accountable person attests that all reasonable steps were taken to ensure the option is in members’ best financial interests.
These actions build on APRA’s public letter of 7 October 2025, which indicated that APRA would escalate supervisory intensity as necessary to ensure that appropriate steps are being taken by Platform Trustees to lift investment governance and member outcomes practices.
Deputy Chair Margaret Cole said: “APRA reiterates robust investment governance, including in relation to onboarding and monitoring of platform investment options, is critical to safeguard the interests of members. The accountabilities of trustees are the same irrespective of their business model and cannot be outsourced.”
APRA will continue to coordinate closely with ASIC on the regulatory response to weaknesses identified in Platform Trustees.
Customers ride for free starting at 5 p.m. on December 31
NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – TransLink is offering free transit for all services across Metro Vancouver this New Year’s Eve, from 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31 until 5 a.m. on Thursday, January 1.
During these hours, fare gates at SkyTrain and SeaBus stations will remain open. Customers will not be required to tap their Compass Cards or use other payment methods on all modes of transit. Customers who begin trips before 5 p.m. are advised to tap out as normal to ensure they’re charged the correct fare.
New Year’s Eve (December 31) service details:
The TransLink Customer Service Centre, Access Transit Customer Care Office, and Lost Property Office will be open on December 31. The Lost Property Office will close at 2 p.m.
Additional SkyTrain staff, Transit Supervisors, Transit Police, and Transit Security officers will be on the system to direct and assist customers. Plan your journey with Trip Planner, sign up for Transit Alerts, follow TransLink on X @TransLink, or call Customer Information at 604.953.3333.
Media contact:
TransLink Media Relations
E: media@translink.ca
For this week’s new release, we visit Cuba for a Latin twist on some holiday favorites. It comes from British horn player Sarah Willis, who in 2001 became the first woman to join the brass section of the Berlin Philharmonic.
Since then,…
Astronomers have made a truly mind-boggling discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): a runaway black hole 10 million times larger than the sun, rocketing through space at a staggering 2.2 million miles per hour (1,000 kilometers…
