<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mattress company </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-news-online-retailer-emma-sleep-accused-of-misleading-customers-with-pricing/2b4869dc-d370-4c08-b51d-904b83d99759" rel="" target="_blank" title="Emma Sleep"><span>Emma Sleep</span></a><span> has been ordered to pay a $15 million fine by a federal court after the company admitted to misleading sale advertisements.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>German-owned Emma Sleep Pty Ltd, which began in 2013 and operates as an online "bed-in-a-box" retailer in Australia, was found to have made false or misleading representations about the sale price of mattresses, bed frames, pillows and sleep accessories.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/cost-of-living-not-switching-energy-providers-could-cost-consumers-hundreds-extra-accc-warns/abf5eab8-5a94-454c-90d7-f2d197dc58bc" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission (ACCC)"><span>Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission (ACCC)</span></a><span> found that Emma Sleep advertised 74 products online with a sale price and a higher price with a "strikethrough", which indicated a discount.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/meningococcal-b-strain-warning-after-perth-man-dies-overseas/3c468ac9-2c7a-4883-b491-8a3631ec3319" target="_blank" title="Zander, 21, died hours after developing a headache and rash on flight"><strong><span>Zander, 21, died hours after developing a headache and rash on flight</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/meta-to-slash-thousands-of-jobs-in-ai-push/ddbeef78-ee8c-452d-a3fa-e367845a07ae" target="_blank" title="Meta to slash 8000 jobs in aggressive restructure"><strong><span>Meta to slash 8000 jobs in aggressive restructure</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the corporate watchdog said 58 of these products had not been for sale at the strikethrough price or without any discount.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The remaining 16 products had "almost never" been for sale at the strikethrough price without a discount or savings.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/emma-sleep-to-pay-15-million-penalties-for-misleading-sale-statement-accc/b7ac2953-34e6-45ad-bd16-ba1dac859b4d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The misleading sales were advertised between June 2020 and March 2023.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emma Sleep's website was accessed more than 4.9 million times during this period and over 243,000 products were sold, resulting in over $134 million in revenue, the ACCC said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Emma Sleep Pty Ltd also admitted that it had made misleading representations that the discount prices were available for a limited time, by using a countdown timer that would reset during a sale campaign, and using phrases such as 'Ending Soon' when the products continued to be advertised at the same or similar discount," the ACCC said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The court found that the conduct arose out of a deliberate marketing strategy and that senior management turned a blind eye to whether it contravened the Australian Consumer Law.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The conduct was not inadvertent or caused by a system error."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-23-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/a233896c-f0d2-4024-bd3c-3cce661a51ab"><strong><span>Why Trump is losing his grip and what can turn it around</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The court found Emma Sleep Southeast Asia engaged in the same misleading conduct.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emma Sleep Pty Ltd was ordered pay a penalty of $7.5 million, and Emma Sleep Southeast Asia Inc to pay $7.5 million.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Emma Sleep companies breached the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading representations which gave consumers the impression they were getting a bargain," ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The ACCC was concerned that Emma Sleep's conduct created a false sense of urgency about the offer by using a countdown timer that reset itself, and by making false claims suggesting to consumers that the sale was ending soon, which to may have pressured them into making a rushed purchase decision."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emma Sleep was also ordered to publish corrective notices and implement a compliance program.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a 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