Harvey Norman fined $750,000 for hoodwinking customers

The real question is - Did Gerry Harvey know what was going on or did he leave it to his marketing buffoons to break the law with one of Australia's greatest advertising scandals?

For almost 3 years, Harvey Norman's advertising catalogues promoted specials available in only ONE store in each state or territory.

The impression was that the specials were available across all stores.

In addition, its key website offers were available at only ONE store in Australia - at Auburn in New South Wales.

Now, the ACCC has obtained injunctions in the Federal Court against Harvey Norman Holdings Limited to prevent the company from re-engaging in this deceptive conduct.

Harvey Norman has admitted it engaged in unlawful conduct and has apologised in newspaper advertisements to the people of Australia.

There is only one a lesson for consumers to learn from this - Never trust Harvey Norman advertising again!

And if Gerry Harvey has any brains, he should sack his marketing clowns who devised this outrageous ploy to deceive the people of Australia in search of the almighty dollar.

PPQ's Ian Andrew acts the fool as he admits plate ripoff

HOT STUFF: Personalised Plates Queensland's Ian Andrew with some head-turning number plates.
The company has sold more than 50,000 new plates in Queensland this year.

   

IF IT seems like every second car in Queensland has a personalised number plate, it probably does   .

Against a backdrop of consumer conservatism, the take-up of personalised plates is going gangbusters.

The partly State Government-owned Personalised Plates Queensland has just wrapped up one of its biggest years since it began in 1998, selling more than 50,000 new plates.

General manager Ian Andrew said sales in the week before Christmas topped $850,000 with plates starting from $435.

"The advent of text speak has really given the industry a boost in so far as the combinations of letters and numbers being used," Mr Andrew said. ''People's creativity never ceases to astound us."

The latest product featuring two letters and two numbers was proving very popular despite the $995 cost.

Each plate had to be unique and inoffensive to meet Transport and Main Roads' standards, he said.

"People are always trying to sneak through the censorship gates although they're usually just having a bit of fun," he said.

"About three times a year we have to recall a plate because of a complaint. When that happens the owner is given a full refund."

Nicknames and makes of cars are popular but most personalised plates just involve words that resonate with the owner.

A couple in Rockhampton chose to plate their new Toyota Kluger with "FREDDY" in a twist on the horror movie character.

Most of the profits are returned to the State Government to use in road safety projects. Last year, the Government collected just over $11 million, down on the previous year's stake of $12.318 million.

www.CourierMail.com.au

 

QCW COMMENT: PPQ's Ian Andrew has shown he is the quintessential bureaucrat with his untimely admission that PPQ is acting like the official Queensland censor.  He says that PPQ forcibly recalls plates "about three times a year" as a result of complaints.  That's OK it seems according to Mr Andrew because the owner is given a full refund.  However it is described, it is still a ripoff.   Doesn't PPQ have any sort of vetting process when it comes to which plates it will allow.  How do the ones which are recalled get through this vetting process - if one exists - in the first place?  Basically, today's admission by Mr Andrew is an admission of failure by PPQ.  Once a set of plates is approved, that should be it - no recalls, no buy backs, no administrative chicanery.  Just because some unhappy prude in the community doesn't like a particular plate is no reason for the PPQ censors to fly into a rage.   PPQ should properly vet the plates it issues in advance, so that people's "pride and joy" are not recalled  for melting down at the whim of  some faceless bureaucrat.  If these simple checks cannot be performed in advance, then it may be time for the fat cats at the top of PPQ to "shape up or ship out" and stop embarrassing the government.

 

 

 

 

Southeast QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Damaging Winds

Southeast QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Damaging Winds Source: Bureau of Meteorology For people in the GOLD COAST CITY and parts of the LOGAN CITY, SCENIC RIM, REDLAND CITY and North Stradbroke Island Council Areas. Issued at 1:51 pm Tuesday, 27 December 2011. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 1:55 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Laravale, Canungra and Murwillumbah(NSW). These thunderstorms are moving towards the north to northeast. They are forecast to affect Coolangatta, Beaudesert and Coomera by 2:25 pm and Jimboomba, Jacobs Well and Logan Village by 2:55 pm. Damaging winds and large hailstones are likely. Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should: * Move your car under cover or away from trees. * Secure loose outdoor items. * Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees. * Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm. * Beware of fallen trees and powerlines. * For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

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