James Lane and Vuly face nearly $60,000 in fines for misleading Black Friday ads
James Lane and Vuly have paid nearly $60,000 in penalties after the ACCC determined their Black Friday sales ads falsely claimed limited‑time discounts. The regulator issued James Lane one infringement notice and Vuly two, resulting in fines of $19,800 for James Lane and $39,600 for Vuly.
The ACCC found that James Lane advertised its Black Friday sale would end on December 3 but kept the discounted price running for an extra week. Vuly used a countdown timer that reset after the sale ended, allowing the discount to continue beyond the advertised deadline. These tactics created a false sense of urgency, pressuring consumers to buy quickly for fear of missing out. The ACCC warned that such conduct harms competition by discouraging shoppers from comparing prices across retailers.
“These claims also hurt competition as they can discourage consumers from shopping around,” Catriona Lowe, ACCC deputy chair said.
The ACCC conducted a sweep of Black Friday sales advertising last year to examine promotional claims. The investigation into James Lane and Vuly was part of that effort.
What we know
James Lane and Vuly have paid nearly $60,000 in penalties
James Lane paid a penalty of $19,800
Vuly paid a penalty of $39,600
James Lane advertised its sale would end on December 3 but continued the discounted price for another week
Vuly advertised products would be discounted alongside a countdown timer to the sale’s end date; immediately after the sale ended, the discount continued, and the countdown timer reset to a new end date