澳洲零售商Gerry Harvey旗下的Harvey Norman公司因在2020年1月至2021年8月间运营误导性广告，被联邦法院判罚3500万澳元[1]。同案被告Latitude Finance Australia被罚2000万澳元[1]。法官Michael O'Bryan在宣判时指出，Harvey Norman对其不当行为没有表现出任何悔意[1]，并特别提及Harvey曾公开批评澳洲法律制度"完全有问题"，认为这反映了该公司对消费者伤害的漠视态度，成为加重罚款的因素之一。
联邦法院在2024年10月裁定两公司误导消费者[1]，双方随后提出的上诉在2025年9月被驳回[1]。澳洲证券和投资委员会(ASIC)原本要求Harvey Norman支付5000万澳元罚款，Latitude支付3500万澳元[1]。根据法院评估，消费者可能造成的实际损害少于500万澳元[1]。作为判罚的一部分，两公司需在其网站发布通知90天，并支付ASIC的诉讼费用[1]。
Harvey Norman has been ordered to pay AUD $35 million in penalties following a Federal Court ruling that the retailer engaged in misleading advertising between January 2020 and August 2021 [1]. The substantial fine was imposed after appeals from both Harvey Norman and Latitude Finance Australia were dismissed in September 2025, with the latter company also facing an AUD $20 million penalty for its role in the deceptive marketing scheme [1].
Judge Michael O'Bryan emphasized in his judgment that Harvey Norman demonstrated no remorse for its misconduct, citing the company's lack of contrition as a factor in determining the penalty amount [1]. The judge specifically referenced founder Gerry Harvey's public comments criticizing the legal system, noting this rhetoric reflected a dismissive attitude toward consumer harm [1]. While the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) had originally sought penalties of AUD $50 million for Harvey Norman and AUD $35 million for Latitude Finance Australia, the court imposed lower amounts, partly because estimated consumer losses were assessed at less than AUD $5 million [1]. The companies have been ordered to publish corrective notices on their websites for 90 days and to cover ASIC's costs [1].