Tag: cartels
£7m in fines issued in office fit-out competition case
First published by Author on April 04, 2019 in the following categories: Bid-Rigging Cartels Market Sharing Price Fixing Price Hikes Pricing and tagged with cartels | cma | cover bidding | cover pricing | market abuse | marktet sharing | price fixing | pricing
A huge £7m in total fines has been issued after five companies have admitted to breaches in the office fit-out competition case.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the design, construction and fit-out services market since 2017. In July 2018, they decided to continue their probes, and in March this year, fines have been issued and agreed.
The five companies that have admitted to breaches and will be fined are Coriolis, Fourfront, Loop, Oakley and ThirdWay.
Court upholds ruling in galvanised steel tanks cartel investigations
First published by Author on March 21, 2019 in the following categories: Cartels Investigations Price Fixing Pricing and tagged with cartels | cma | competition law | price fixing | pricing
The Court of Appeal has upheld a previous ruling obtained by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that’s related to the galvanised steel tanks cartel case.
Supplier Balmoral Tanks were fined £130,000.00 for exchanging competitively-sensitive information with competitors, despite refusing to engage in the main cartel they’d been invited to join. They’d tried to have the ruling overturned in 2017, which failed, and we’re glad to see the Court of Appeal has upheld the initial rulings.
The galvanised steel tanks cartel case has been a huge, long-running investigation involving the CMA. Although Balmoral were not a part of the main cartel, they still infringed vital competition law.
Supply of solid fuel and charcoal products competition breach
First published by Author on June 15, 2018 in the following categories: Bid-Rigging Market Sharing Pricing and tagged with bid-rigging | cartels | marktet sharing | pricing
The CMA say they have found that a fuel cartel has been in place following their investigation into the supply of solid fuel and charcoal products coming to a head.
The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has fined two of the main suppliers in the market of bagged household fuels a total of £3.4 million having been found to have taken part in an illegal market-sharing cartel.
The two suppliers, CPL and Fuel Express, have been found in breach of competition laws by rigging competitive tenders for the supply of fuel products to Tesco and Sainsburys.
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.
read more
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.
read more
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.
read more
Steel water tank suppliers fined a total of £2.6 million for anti-competitive practices
First published by Admin on December 31, 2016 in the following categories: Latest and tagged with cartels
The U.K. competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has issued two decisions imposing fines on three suppliers in the steel tank industry for anti-competitive practices. The companies involved are: Franklin Hodge Industries Ltd; Galglass Ltd; Kondea Water Supplies Ltd; and CST Industries (U.K.) Ltd.
The civil investigation, which has been ongoing since 2012, has finally come to a head with The CMA satisfied that suppliers of galvanised steel tanks have infringed U.K. and EU competitions laws.
read more
Energy price comparison websites being investigated for anti-competitive behaviour
First published by Author on September 05, 2016 in the following categories: Latest and tagged with cartels
Third party intermediaries / price comparison websites are being investigated by the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) for suspected anti-competitive behaviour.
Ofgem had originally been investigating the issue which has now been formally transferred to the CMA to complete the enquiries. The investigation is in to whether there has been a breach of the Competition Act by companies allegedly agreeing to behaviours relating to the use of keyword search advertising online.
read more
What to do if you have been affected by the Truck Cartel!
First published by Admin on August 26, 2016 in the following categories: Latest and tagged with cartels
Companies who bought heavy to medium duty trucks may be able to able to claim damages due to the uncovering of a truck cartel involving several major truck companies.
The cartel was a price cartel for both sale prices and for cost increases with new technology being introduced. The truck companies involved in the 14 year cartel were MAN, Daimler, Iveco and Volvo/Renault, with investigations in to Scania ongoing.
Anyone who bought trucks from then between 1997 and 2011 may have a claim, with the cartel being uncovered when MAN acted as a whistle blower.
read more
The Truck Cartel in a nutshell
First published by Author on August 24, 2016 in the following categories: Latest and tagged with cartels
We’ve already blogged about this and we’re already taking action on what’s happened; but in case you want a bit of a “nutshell” guide as to what’s happened, read on:
Companies who bought heavy to medium trucks between 1997 and 2011 may be able to claim damages due to the investigation and finding of truck cartel involving several truck companies. A cartel is in breach of the Competition Act 1998 and the Enterprise Act 2002.
in addition, due to the truck companies involved being international and supplying to the EU, the companies also being held to have breached The Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union; thus breaching EU law.
read more