Australian court fines Dell unit $6.5 million for misleading customers on discounts

(Reuters) -Australia’s Federal Court on Monday ordered Dell Technologies (NYSE:) Inc’s local unit to pay A$10 million ($6.46 million) in penalties for making misleading representations on its website about discounts for add-on computer monitors.

In a legal action brought by the country’s competition regulator, Dell Australia was found guilty by the Federal Court in June to have misled customers about the prices or discounts on add-on monitors on its website.

“This outcome sends a strong message to businesses that making false representations about prices or inflating discounts is a serious breach of consumer law and will attract substantial penalties,” said Liza Carver, the commissioner of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Dell Australia, which sold more than 5,300 add-on monitors with overstated discounts during August 2019 to Dec. 16, 2021, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

($1 = 1.5480 Australian dollars)