Website fined for misleading ad about Aussie beef

The Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday fined social commerce services provider Coupang for deceiving customers with a misleading ad describing standard beef ribs imported from Australia as being premium grade. Coupang was slapped with a fine of 8 million won (7,380 U.S. dollars) and ordered to take corrective measures.

The trade watchdog said the company sold 117 million won (108,000 dollars) worth of Australian beef on its Internet shopping site for three days from Aug. 22 last year, claiming the products as “extra S-grade premium beef ribs with tender texture.” The beef in question was found to be from cattle 42 months old and rated the third-lowest grade in Australia.

“There`s no such thing as ‘extra S’ grade in the Australian beef grading system,” a commission official said. “This is a case in which the seller deceived customers with an ad that misled them to believe that the low-grade beef was premium.”