ACCC lodges case against Booktopia

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has lodged a case with the Federal Court against Booktopia, alleging the online bookseller made ‘false or misleading representations to consumers about their rights to refunds and other remedies for faulty or damaged goods’.

In a statement, the ACCC said that on Booktopia’s website between 10 January 2020 and 2 November 2021, the company allegedly ‘represented that consumers had to notify it of a faulty, damaged or incorrect product within two days of delivery to have a right to a refund or other remedy, and that consumers had no right to refunds on certain products, including digital content and ebooks, in any circumstances’.

It said ‘the representations on Booktopia’s website and made directly by customer service staff’ to 19 consumers ‘were false or misleading because they did not reflect consumers’ rights to obtain a refund or other remedy under the consumer guarantee rights in the Australian Consumer Law’.

‘Consumer guarantee rights extend to digital goods, and do not have a two-day expiration date,’ said the ACCC.

‘Australian consumers have a right to refund, repair or replacement for goods that do not meet their consumer guarantee rights which apply for a reasonable period, and no business can exclude, limit or modify those rights,’ said ACCC chair Rod Sims.

The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations, costs and other orders.

Booktopia and the ACCC didn’t comment further as the matter is not yet before the court.

Category: Local news