Category: Investigations
Customers being duped into bogus holiday discounts and deals
First published by Author on April 06, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with holiday deals
According to investigations by consumer group Which?, who have asked Trading Standards to investigate travel firms, consumers are potentially being duped into purchasing holiday deals in bogus sales and discount schemes.
Promotions were reportedly tracked, and it was found that some discounts and deals were available for the same price or less after a time-limited “sale” had ended.
Some travel firms are being accused of offering misleading discounts to dupe holidaymakers into paying hundreds of pounds more than necessary off the back of bogus deals.
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CMA investigate the design, construction and fit-out services industry
First published by Author on March 30, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cma | construction industry
At the end of last year, six months on from initial investigations and information gathering, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decided to open investigations in to the ‘design, construction and fit-out services’ sector over suspicions of competition act breaches.
No conclusions have yet to emerge, and the investigations remain ongoing. However, this sector has had its fair share of investigations and breaches in the past, so we wouldn’t be at all surprised if the investigation concludes that the law has been broken in some way.
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CMA decision published: anti-competitive arrangements lead to fines of £1.71m issued to suppliers of ‘cleanroom’ laundry services
First published by Author on March 15, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cma | competition law
Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) decision was published about Micronclean Limited and Berendsen Cleanroom Services Limited who were found to have allocated territories and customers plus both companies had agreed not to compete with each other’s relevant allocations.
This is a very serious breach of competition laws – the market is essentially rigged in their favour by sharing the market and agreeing not to compete. This can lead to inflated prices, a lack of innovation and little choice for consumers in the market. This behaviour favours the companies financially, and not the consumer; totally against the principles of fair competition.
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A review of the construction recruitment agencies competition investigation
First published by Admin on February 23, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cartels | price fixing
Six construction recruitment agencies were found to be in breach of the Competition Act 1998 between 2004 and 2006 by creating a cartel in order to boycott another company, Parc UK, and fix the fee rates they would charge other construction companies as well.
The six companies reportedly met on five occasions where they agreed to not use Parc, who were a mediator between recruitment agencies and constructions companies. Parc was apparently putting pressure on the margins of the six construction recruitment agencies involved.
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CMA provides updated reports on investigations into the care home sector
First published by Admin on February 09, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cma | elderly homes
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published a couple of reports concerning their investigations into the care home market in the U.K. The first is a final report on the general market, and looks at how elderly and vulnerable residents are being treated. The second consists of an order to stop care homes from overcharging families in upfront costs, fees and continuing to charge families when the resident passes away.
The care home sector has seen a fair amount of scrutiny in the past few years, and for good reason. These institutions take in the elderly and vulnerable to provide them with a home and a sense of community with peers. These people are the most susceptible to harm as their physical and mental states deteriorate; relying on carers to look after them.
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CMA investigating pharmaceutical sector for alleged excessive and unfair pricing over liothyronine tablets
First published by Admin on February 02, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cma | price fixing
After a year of making its preliminary probes, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided that there are substantive grounds and evidence to continue investigations into the pharmaceutical sector for allegedly charging excessive and unfair prices for liothyronine tablets.
Liothyronine tablets are used to treat hypothyroidism. Without enough thyroid hormones, our bodies’ metabolism slows down, making us feel tired, depressed and cold, all the while putting the pounds on. Liothyronine isn’t the main drug used to treat hypothyroidism but a lot of people are not suited to the primary drug and can only take liothyronine.
The suspected players in the market may be distorting competition for the thyroid hormone drugs
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A brief overview of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle dealers’ competition investigation
First published by Admin on January 19, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cartels
In June 2010 The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) launched an investigation into Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle dealers based on suspicions that the Competition Act 1998 had been breached.
Almost three years later the OFT found that Mercedes-Benz and five of its commercial dealers had in fact breached the Competition Act, and were fined for engaging in illegal cartel activity.
The OFT found that, out of the five dealers, two agreed to include substantial margins when quoting customers as well as another two agreeing not to trade with customers in each other’s area.
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CMA has found evidence of cartel arrangements in the supply of precast concrete drainage products
First published by Admin on January 12, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cartels | cma
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will be going ahead with their investigations into the supply of precast concrete drainage products industry over suspicions of cartel behaviour after reportedly finding enough evidence from their initial probes.
The case was opened on 15 April 2016 and the CMA has spent over a year obtaining vital information for analysis and review. The competition watchdog’s preliminary investigations have apparently proved fruitful as it announces its intention to continue the probes.
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The 2013 access and alarm systems competition breach in retirement homes
First published by Admin on January 05, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cover pricing | elderly homes
Retirement homes and care homes have been at the centre of competition breaches several times. The 2013 access and alarm systems case was a notable one…
In 2013, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) fined four U.K. suppliers of access and alarms systems who had taken part in anti-competitive behaviour when supplying services to retirement homes.
The four companies were fined over £50,000.00 after an investigation that started in 2011.
The Office of Fair Trading investigated the behaviour of the four companies during a four-year period between 2005 and 2009. They found that all four companies had engaged in anti-competitive behaviour across this period.
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The Competition and Markets Authority opens two more investigations in the pharmaceutical sector
First published by Admin on December 29, 2017 in the following categories: Investigations and tagged with cma
Announced only days apart, the two Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigations will be looking into suspected anti-competitive agreements and conduct in the Pharmaceutical and Pharmaceutical Drugs sectors. The competition watchdog will be checking how companies conduct their business and looking into whether any of their practices are in breach of Chapters I and II of the Competition Act 1998, and Article 101 and 102 of related competition laws.
From October 2017 to April 2018, the CMA will begin its investigations and gather as much relevant information as possible. At this point, they will issue formal and informal requests for information, and if need be, the CMA will also attend state-of-play meetings with the investigated parties.
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