Australian Watchdog Goes After Dell For Alleged Misleading Cost Claims

Australia’s competition regulator said on Friday it would take the local unit of US computer firm Dell Technologies Inc to court for allegedly misleading people about the cost of buying add-on monitors.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said between August 2019 to Dec. 16, 2021, Dell Australia allegedly made false or misleading representations on its website and the potential savings a customer got when an additional monitor was purchased with a computer.

Related: Dell Must Face VMware Deal Suit Rules Judge

“The ACCC alleges the monitors were not sold for the ‘strikethrough’ price for most of the relevant time and, in some cases, the add-on price shown was more expensive than if the monitor was bought on a stand-alone basis,” ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver said.

In an emailed statement, Dell said the issue affected about 2,100 customers due to an error in its pricing processes which led to incorrect information being displayed on its website about the pricing and savings associated with certain monitors.

The company added that it was actively working to update its systems to prevent the error from reoccurring.