Retailers charging exorbitant prices for rapid antigen tests have been told to stop or face being taken to court by the consumer watchdog.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it has received almost 4000 complaints in one month about the price of the COVID-19 home-testing kits and is investigating possible breaches of consumer law.
A $30 test should be considered "beyond outrageous" and $20 is also overpriced, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said. Complaints had recently been received about some BP branded petrol stations and IGA outlets.
"I'm hoping they send a message out to their chains to not engage in this excessive pricing," Mr Sims said. "They may find some of their stores in court for unconscionable conduct, and that is a very, very bad look. We are trying to send a message out to head offices - if you have a store in your network that is doing the wrong thing, get them to stop it."
Retailers who had told customers that prices were high because of inflated wholesale costs could be investigated, he said, adding this was "not true". Retailers claiming tests had been "commandeered by the government" - that's been denied by the Commonwealth - were also being investigated.
Most of the complaints about the cost of tests came from NSW, which Mr Sims said is likely due to the state's Omicron wave.
The ACCC believes many individual stores are buying rapid tests from other retail shops and onselling them at an excessive mark up.
There have also been complaints of packet splitting, which is illegal.
