Published Friday, 02 May, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
The Honourable Kerry Shine
Shine Slams Retailers Caught Ripping Off Vulnerable Families
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine has slammed businesses caught ripping off Queensland families who are under severe financial strain because of the rising cost of living.
Mr Shine said recent inspections by the Office of Fair Trading have caught a number of retailers in the last 12 months with inaccurate scanners at their checkout, charging consumers more for an item than it was advertised on the shelf.
“Inspectors were out and about during February and March and as a result some serious fines were handed down by the courts,” Mr Shine said.
“The IGA Supermarket at Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast was slugged $5000 plus $566.50 in court costs for having 25 items overpriced which added an extra $9.00 onto the bill.
“Now $9.00 may not sound like a lot of money to some people but when items are sold to many customers over a day, that total quickly racks up to greater profits for the retailer at the expense of consumers who can’t afford it.”
Mr Shine said another retailer, the 7-Eleven at Marcoola on the Sunshine Coast received a $2,000 fine plus court costs for having seven items overcharged, which increased the bill by $1.10c.
“These fines are about keeping retailers accountable and ensuring their scanners accurately reflect the price on the shelves.”
Other inspections last year resulted in the Palmwoods Supermarket on the Sunshine Coast being fined $3,500 plus costs for having six items overpriced which added up to just over $1 extra on the bill.
Mr Shine said a total of 282 businesses were checked during the inspections and it was found almost 32% of businesses had at least one item which was overcharged when scanned.
“This is a dramatic reduction on inspections done during the Christmas-New Year period when around 46% of businesses had at least one inaccurate item,” he said.
“This shows that businesses are getting the message, those recently fined were found to have a system where a large number of items were scanned inaccurately, resulting in customers getting ripped off.
“This is a warning to all retailers that if they are do the wrong thing they will be brought before the courts and they will receive significant penalties.”
Media Contact: Troy Davies 3239 6400, 0488 799 273
Mr Shine said recent inspections by the Office of Fair Trading have caught a number of retailers in the last 12 months with inaccurate scanners at their checkout, charging consumers more for an item than it was advertised on the shelf.
“Inspectors were out and about during February and March and as a result some serious fines were handed down by the courts,” Mr Shine said.
“The IGA Supermarket at Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast was slugged $5000 plus $566.50 in court costs for having 25 items overpriced which added an extra $9.00 onto the bill.
“Now $9.00 may not sound like a lot of money to some people but when items are sold to many customers over a day, that total quickly racks up to greater profits for the retailer at the expense of consumers who can’t afford it.”
Mr Shine said another retailer, the 7-Eleven at Marcoola on the Sunshine Coast received a $2,000 fine plus court costs for having seven items overcharged, which increased the bill by $1.10c.
“These fines are about keeping retailers accountable and ensuring their scanners accurately reflect the price on the shelves.”
Other inspections last year resulted in the Palmwoods Supermarket on the Sunshine Coast being fined $3,500 plus costs for having six items overpriced which added up to just over $1 extra on the bill.
Mr Shine said a total of 282 businesses were checked during the inspections and it was found almost 32% of businesses had at least one item which was overcharged when scanned.
“This is a dramatic reduction on inspections done during the Christmas-New Year period when around 46% of businesses had at least one inaccurate item,” he said.
“This shows that businesses are getting the message, those recently fined were found to have a system where a large number of items were scanned inaccurately, resulting in customers getting ripped off.
“This is a warning to all retailers that if they are do the wrong thing they will be brought before the courts and they will receive significant penalties.”
Media Contact: Troy Davies 3239 6400, 0488 799 273