Two of our supermarkets have been naughty

@JudyEv (342217)
Rockingham, Australia
September 23, 2024 7:36pm CST
The photo has nothing to do with the post. It's a red-tailed black cockatoo. Coles and Woolworths are two of our major supermarkets. Both have just been charged by the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) for misleading their customers over discounted prices. In a particular instance, Oreo biscuits were being sold for $3.50 a packet. The price jumped to $5.00 for 22 days. The biscuits were then ‘discounted’ to $4.50 and have stayed at that. There are dozens of instances of similar price rises and discounts and now they’re being taken to court. I very rarely shop at Coles as they are very hard on our farmers, buying produce at prices that barely give the growers any profit at all. Woolworths isn’t close by and doesn’t get our custom either. We shop at IGA which is owned by Metcash, an Australian company. It will be interesting to see the outcome of the court case. If found guilty, the companies could be fined millions of dollars.
25 people like this
24 responses
@marguicha (223825)
• Chile
24 Sep
Bid markets never lose.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
They do have a lot of tricks up their sleeves.
2 people like this
@marguicha (223825)
• Chile
24 Sep
@JudyEv Big, not bid
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
@marguicha I did guess 'big'.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (182284)
• United States
24 Sep
I hope they are.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
Me too. Coles especially would like to be a monopoly but heaven help us if that ever happens.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
@snowy22315 I don't think it will be allowed here either.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (71860)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
24 Sep
As they should. We don't take that kind of pratice here, either.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (71860)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
24 Sep
@JudyEv Took them a while to get caught. Or, your judcial system is as slow as ours.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
It will be interesting to see how much they are charged. This has been going on for some years apparently.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472087)
• Switzerland
24 Sep
We are noticing the same practice here. We are so close to Italy, many of us cross the border and go to buy in Italy, where everything costs at least 20% less, but often even 35% less.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472087)
• Switzerland
25 Sep
@JudyEv - What we cannot stand is the fact that all the products sold here come from Italy or Spain, so why must we pay more buying locally?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
@LadyDuck Sometimes there are a lot of 'middlemen' taking their cuts.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
With such big savings, it's no wonder people go elsewhere to shop, even if it's over the border.
1 person likes this
@rakski (126114)
• Philippines
24 Sep
There's this big department store here that usually have 3-day sale. They tag some of their item sales with yellow tags to easily identify which ones are sale and the other with regular prices. Excitingly I bought some things I liked since it sale only to find out that they have the original price was the same as the yellow sale tag.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
They put up yellow tags here too. It doesn't have 'sale' on it but it looks like sale item because of the colour. Underneath the older tag has the same price. The customer has to be on their toes to avoid being ripped off.
1 person likes this
@rakski (126114)
• Philippines
24 Sep
@JudyEv yes, that same thing happened to me twice!
1 person likes this
@banksim (5256)
24 Sep
Yes retail chain do this it make offer interesting
2 people like this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
They pretend that goods are being offered at a cheaper price but they are deceiving the customer.
1 person likes this
@banksim (5256)
24 Sep
@JudyEv yes marketing tactics
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (94001)
• United States
16 Oct
I know that is happening here in the United States as well. It’s maddening.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Oct
The big corporations are just so greedy. And now something similar is happening with modern music - one firm owns almost all the venues and ticketing offices, etc. They are making a squillon but the poor musicians are making very little.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137870)
• India
25 Sep
One needs to be vigilant about the way stores take customers for a ride.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (137870)
• India
25 Sep
@JudyEv Then there is yet another way they cheat. They reduce the size of say soap but charge more by saying they have improved the qualaity
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
@allknowing That's true. And boxes stay the same size but there are fewer contents.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
That's true. It's hard to keep up with prices, discounts and specials sometimes.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112988)
• El Paso, Texas
24 Sep
That happens here every year right around August or September. I haven't seen a Woolworths in decades, I think they closed all US stores, not really sure though.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112988)
• El Paso, Texas
24 Sep
I wouldn't trust them either. Apparently Woolworth closed all their US stores in 1997 because of retailers like Walmart and Kmart
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
These supermarkets have a lot of tricks up their sleeves. I don't trust any of them.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (140131)
• Philippines
24 Sep
I think it should be punished for overpricing at some point.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (140131)
• Philippines
25 Sep
@JudyEv It also happens in my country. They are closely monitoring this kind of misbehavior or practice.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
I agree with you.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61662)
• Centralia, Washington
24 Sep
There is a grocery store mess in the U S, too. One store is buying out the others. I would think it an unlawful thing to do but so far they are getting away with it.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61662)
• Centralia, Washington
24 Sep
@JudyEv I agree.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
Coles is trying to buy out all the little stores but so far they haven't been successful. We need competition.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19565)
• London, England
24 Sep
We had a case of this several years back. Can't remember who was involved, but the law was tightened up, removing loopholes, if I remember right
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
Hopefully there will be a bit less of the deceitful type of dealing in the future, at least for a while or until they come up with some new scheme to cheat us out of our money.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Sep
@Ronrybs These big supermarkets are very good at that.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19565)
• London, England
25 Sep
@JudyEv I'd say unethical and certainly giving the law a twist, without outright breaking it
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181931)
• United States
24 Sep
I always said that the merchants were taking advantage of the situation; but I was harshly told that I didn't know what I was talking about. I guess I was right in this situation. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
I think you are indeed right and anyway, you're entitled to your opinion.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
@LindaOHio Thanks for asking. He improving slowly but is a bit impatient because he runs out of breath easily.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181931)
• United States
25 Sep
@JudyEv Thank you very much, Judy. How is Vince doing? I hope he keeps improving.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92666)
• United States
24 Sep
I am glad that it was caught. As the world is what it is these days, it's always consumer beware in almost everything. The key here is that other retailers take heed to the consequences and avoid bilking customers, which is bad for business anyway. If customers don't trust you, they won't patronize you. Not only should the GOVERNMENT send swift penalties, but customers ought to send clear messages as well by not shopping their stores for a little while.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
I think the government only came on board after lots of complaints from customers. With luck, they might lose some business through this publicity.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Sep
@porwest Coles shares have dropped substantially so they're being hit where it hurts.
1 person likes this
@porwest (92666)
• United States
26 Sep
@JudyEv Customers SHOULD hold these businesses to account. Hopefully they will. Messages need to be sent.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47683)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
24 Sep
We don't have Woolworths anymore here, but when we did, I don't remember them as a grocery store, just a junior department store.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
They're mostly supermarkets here and one of the very big ones.
@wolfgirl569 (108252)
• Marion, Ohio
24 Sep
That is an old game. Glad they have been charged
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
Hopefully it will be lesson to all the other supermarkets too.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80812)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
24 Sep
Glad the supermarkets got caught at doing that,
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
I think so too. Perhaps they'll learn a lesson from it.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (13167)
• Ireland
24 Sep
@judyev Supermarkets do seem to be generally unscrupulous. Very unfair to producers.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Sep
You can't trust anyone these days. I find it really annoying.
• United States
25 Sep
Inflating those prices to then offer a discount really irkes me. I know we're paying a lot more for groceries here and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the price increases and/or discounts are similar to what's happening in your supermarkets.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Sep
They manage to blame all sorts of conditions on price rises. I find it irking too but I don't really know what an individual can do about it.
25 Sep
excellent share the justice has been done to the customers
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342217)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 Sep
I hope this teaches the companies a lesson. Some are very greedy.