*Claiming that a loan is interest free, when in fact the interest has been collected in advance.
I would have thought at the very least, that this would considered an undesirable trade practice.*

Not really Thinker 2, for its no different to a car company throwing
in a few thousand Dollars worth of extras for "free". Of course
its built into the price, they simply reduce their margins.

It just goes to show the big margins that Harvey Norman must work
on, for those who pay up front and pay the sticker price. That
is exactly why I haggle :)

*What do you think they do?, change prices in unison by running down the road
and looking at each other's price signs?.*

Never underestimate how competitive business can be, Thinker 2.
I've known business people who went through their competitors
rubbish bins. If you follow their financial reports, net margins
are indeed pretty slim in most industries, due to competition.

*If only we knew how expensive our phone and internet services were*

Oh I know alright, Thinker 2. I remember when Telstra was a big
fat Govt monopoly and robbed me blind, because they could.
Perhaps you weren't on the internet, when Telstra under Frank Blount,
were charging 9$ an hour for internet access and a fortune for
overseas calls. How times have changed