By Chris Nicholls
SYDNEY: Harvey Norman has hit back at accusations made on Saturday by a Victorian MP that it is irresponsible in its lending practices, with Harvey Norman executive director David Ackery calling the claims “absolute bulls**t.”
The accusations, made in The Age newspaper on Saturday by Labor Minister for Pascoe Vale, Christine Campbell, said Harvey Norman and other big chains failed to tell customers all contract details and the final price of goods when they used credit facilities to purchase products. Campbell also said the credit firms used by large chain retailers did not perform proper credit checks and sold credit to clients who could not afford it.
“Harvey Norman credit providers are failing to perform credit checks on customers, preferring to simply hand over retail goods and a finance contract that is likely to become a millstone around the neck of the unsuspecting,” Campbell said.
However, Ackery pointed out Harvey Norman as a business did not lend money, and that the claims were “political grandstanding of incompetent levels”.
“We don’t lend money. We don’t hold a gun to anyone’s head and make them sign a contract. It’s just absolute crap. They’ve [Campbell] got nothing better to do,” said Ackery.
He said Campbell should focus on fixing the country, not picking on large retailers.