There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch - Or Laptop

The Federal Court decision of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Institute of Professional Education Pty Ltd (in liq) (No 3) in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Commonwealth of Australia (the Commonwealth), (collectively known as the Applicants), concerns contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in relation to the provision of vocational education courses provided by the Australian Institute of Professional Education Pty Ltd (AIPE). The Applicants alleged breaches of various sections of the ACL in relation to AIPE's practices when marketing and enrolling students into courses, and sought declarations and pecuniary penalties accordingly. As it stands, these proceedings represent the highest penalty imposed under the ACL to date, with a record $153 million in penalties being ordered against AIPE.

Automated summary

The Australian Institute of Professional Education (AIPE) was found to have breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) in the provision of vocational education courses. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) successfully brought a case against AIPE, resulting in a record penalty of $153 million being imposed.