A category motion regulation agency has filed its lawsuit in opposition to Coles and Woolworths over allegedly dodgy gross sales costs.
The Sydney-based agency GMP Law lodged the lawsuit within the Federal Court on Thursday, and says shoppers who be part of may get refunds starting from $200 to $1300.
“We believe this class action is an essential move toward safeguarding consumer rights and demanding transparency in retail practices Australia-wide,” GMP Law chairman Gerard Malouf stated.
The case stems from the nationwide client watchdog suing Coles and Woolworths individually.
However, Mr Malouf says shoppers becoming a member of his agency’s case “could be eligible for a refund ranging between $200 and $1300+, depending on their shopping habits and purchases at these retailers”.
“GMP Law is committed to holding these retailers accountable and will be seeking refunds for affected consumers.
“The proposed legal action aims to recover the price differential between the alleged illusory discounted pricing and the original, undiscounted price.”
The agency stated shoppers who be part of wouldn’t be charged authorized charges except the case was profitable.
A Coles spokeswoman advised NewsWire Coles could be defending the ACCC case, and the corporate had not been formally notified of the GMP case. Woolworths declined to touch upon Thursday.
GMP Law and one other class motion agency – Carter Capner Law – started compiling proof on Coles and Woolworths in September when the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission introduced it was suing the 2 main supermarkets.
The ACCC alleged each main supermarkets briefly hiked costs by at the very least 15 per cent earlier than every slapping greater than 200 merchandise with promotional low cost stickers at costs larger than earlier than the hike.
At the time Coles stated it could defend the case, Woolworths stated it could “carefully review the claims”.
Approached on Thursday concerning the newest courtroom motion, the Coles spokesman pointed NewsWire to feedback the Coles Group chairman made on the firm annual normal assembly on Tuesday.
Chairman James Graham advised shareholders up to now 12 months Coles participated in 9 federal authorities, state authorities and ACCC critiques of various features of the grocery store trade.
“In all cases we have provided information to assist those undertaking the review,” Mr Graham stated.
The time frame the ACCC is suing over pertains to a interval of considerably excessive inflation and rising provider prices for Coles, the corporate says.
From March 2019 to June 2024, a basket of groceries in Australia went up 24 per cent, the ACCC discovered. But that hike was eclipsed within the UK, New Zealand, the US and Canada, the place the typical OECD grocery inflation hit 35 per cent.
