In a ruling that marks a turning point for consumer protection in Australia, Harvey Norman and Latitude Financial have been ordered to pay a combined $55 million for an advertising campaign that dressed up a credit card arrangement as a simple instalment plan, hiding fees and obligations from millions of shoppers. The Federal Court's judgment, handed down in July 2026 after years of legal proceedings, reflects a growing conviction among regulators that structural deception — the kind woven quietly into the architecture of an offer — carries a cost proportionate to the trust it erodes. For ASIC
Harvey Norman, Latitude hit with record $55m penalty for misleading credit ads
Millions of Australian consumers were misled into taking out credit cards with hidden fees, with affected customers liable for minimum $537 in undisclosed charges.