Bunnings pleads 'Not Guilty' to lowest price guarantee charges

Bunnings has pleaded not guilty to charges of misleading the New Zealand public over its "lowest price guaranteed" campaigns.

Earlier this week, the NZ Commerce Commission (equivalent of our ASA) has laid 45 charges against Bunnings, alleging in court documents that a number of its marketing slogans were liable to mislead the public into thinking its prices were the lowest on the market "when they were not".

Bunnings were due to appear in the Auckland District Court on Tuesday, however, the hearing was postponed after pleas were entered. A spokeswoman for the Commerce Commission confirmed Bunnings had pleaded not guilty to all 45 charges and there would be a case review hearing on May 17.

The alleged offending took place between June 2014 and February 2016 and involved print, radio and television marketing campaigns, in-store signs, staff uniforms as well as its website. Bunnings could be fined up to $600,000 for each of the individual 45 alleged offences.

Examples of the claims which were alleged by the Commission to be "false or misleading" included - "Lowest prices are just the beginning", "Bunnings has the lowest price on everything you need" "Everything is at the lowest price guaranteed" and "We've got the widest range and the lowest prices."

Despite this case, Bunnings has continued to use the above claims.

Source: Insight DIY Team

Want to hear about what happens in this court case? Sign up for our weekly Insight DIY newsletter here.