Property firm hit for false super claims
The director of Consumer Affairs Victoria has accepted an enforceable undertaking from a property investment company that made false claims related to investing in a superannuation fund.
Earlier this month, Consumer Affairs announced that it had accepted an enforceable undertaking from Melbourne-based Accrue Property.
Consumer Affairs found that Accrue made several false or misleading statements on its website.
One of these claims was that the company could show investors how to use their super funds to “earn an outstanding return, regardless of market conditions or whether capital growth occurs”.
It also claimed the Accrue Landbanking system could turn an investor’s super fund into a “goldmine – to purchase an appreciating asset, without taking a cent out of your own pocket”.
Accrue must now advise current or prospective customers that “no return is ever guaranteed” in relation to investing in property and investing through an SMSF.
The company has also agreed to remove all false or misleading claims from its website and to submit to a two-year compliance program to ensure all company statements comply with Australian Consumer Law.
Accrue has also agreed to pay $5,000 to the Victorian Consumer Law Fund.
