Bait advertising continues to be a concern in Fiji, despite numerous awareness and advocacy campaigns by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The Commission says a handful of unscrupulous traders still engage in such tactics to lure customers.

It adds that bait advertising is a practice of offering items for sale at low or discounted prices to attract consumers even though the trader does not possess the item in sufficient quantities to last till the end of the sale.

The FCCC has stressed that this is unethical as it involves luring consumers with the promise of sale of an expensive item at a discounted price without the intention of keeping that promise.

It says bait advertising is a breach of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Act 2010 (FCCC Act 2010) and if an investigation by FCCC proves that a trader has engaged in such tactics, they will be held accountable and possibly face punishment.

FCCC advises that if consumers come across any advertisement where a trader has or is advertising certain items or products and that item or product is not available in the store, to report such matters to the Commission.