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Hotel booking sites watchdog investigation calls for changes
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the hotel booking sites watchdog, has called for changes in to the way rooms and ranked and displayed online.
According to the investigations initiated by the CMA , concerns are being raised about potentially false or misleading discounts, and false representations about room availability to pressure people into making booking decisions.
With the majority of people using online booking sites nowadays, any potential infringement of competition law must be closely scrutinised.
Informing the CMA of a competition concern
Informing the CMA of a competition concern can be vital to ensure that our markets are fair, and to ensure they’re focused on consumer confidence and competitive pricing.
You may find yourself, as a business, embroiled in a potential competition issue. It may be that you’re being asked to engage in price-fixing or market-sharing, or you may discover that suppliers or competitors are engaging in behaviour that’s in breach of the Competition Act.
Discovering this can be worrying, but we can help. As the Competition Lawyers, we can guide you through the process of a damages claim as well as the matter of informing the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) of a competition concern.
Google competition breach yields massive fine
A Google competition breach has yielded a massive fine imposed by the European Commission over its behaviour surrounding Android phones.
The fine amounts to £3.9bn ($5bn) and is based on Google’s search-related revenue earned during the period the competition breach is said to have taken place.
The investigations into the Google competition breach stem back to 2015 and surround impositions of pre-installed browsers and search apps that it’s claimed has led to users not looking for alternatives, with Google paying huge sums to manufacturers to pre-install its own software.
Venntro Media Group complaints leads to CMA warning
Venntro Media Group complaints has led to a warning issued from the UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
According to the recent report, Venntro had the profiles of users of some of their online dating platforms appear on other website platforms, including websites containing explicit adult content. The CMA found that users’ information was being held on a central database, making their profiles visible on websites they hadn’t signed up to.
Venntro Media Group complaints were received by the CMA by people who were not happy that they had been signed-up to websites without realising or being properly informed; especially when some of those were adult websites.
Boots overcharging the NHS for pain-relief mouthwash
Boots overcharging the NHS for pain relief mouthwash is a serious allegation that must be closely investigated.
The allegations are that the company behind high-street chain Boots, Walgreens Boots Alliance, are reportedly overcharging the NHS by almost 3,500% for pain-relieving mouthwash used by cancer patients.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are considering the issue and health Minister, Steve Brine, is calling for an urgent investigation.
Musical instruments and equipment sector competition investigations
The musical instruments and equipment sector is in the midst of competition investigations over suspected anti-competitive agreements.
The UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), are investigating the sector in accordance with Chapter I CA98 and Article 101 TFEU.
This massively profitable market sector has boomed in recent years. Now, under the microscope of UK competition regulators, we will find out if there is anything that the consumers need to be concerned about when it comes to competition within the market.
Competition and Markets Authority study in to the heat networks market
At the end of last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a study in to the heat networks market, which is the market that involves the generation and distribution of heat to buildings.
The study was launched to ensure that the market was working for the consumers, and since the launch of their investigations at the end of 2017, a number of action steps have taken place.
These kinds of studies are common for the CMA to engage in as they look at any sector in the UK to make sure there is healthy competition and ensure that the consumer is always being treated fairly. The CMA will usually talk to the businesses involved in the market and obtain data from consumers and public sector sources.
Asda-Sainsbury’s merger will raise competition questions
The Asda-Sainsbury’s merger will raise competition questions and will, we strongly suspect, draw the attention of the UK’s competition watchdog, the Competition and Market’s Authority (CMA), who will conduct a review to assess the impact the merger may have on the market.
With the merger set to result in Asda and Sainsbury’s controlling 60% of the market, the CMA will need to ensure that any merger that does go ahead – if it’s even allowed to proceed in the first place – will not put consumers in a worse position in the long-run.
Consumers are being promised price cuts of 10%, but in the absence of any specificity as to the products that will be cut, the potential merger has raised a lot of eyebrows.
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A new draft consumer law advice for the UK care home industry is being considered, with a particular focus on curbing charges after a resident’s death.
The care home industry has been under close scrutiny in recent years from the UK’s competition watchdog – The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – over families bearing the costs of fees after a resident has passed away. The CMA has been looking at the industry as a whole to ensure there is fair competition to keep fees down in an era where elderly care is both costly and straining under a continually ageing population.
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CMA clamp down on car hire websites over “hidden” costs
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have clamped down on car hire websites over “hidden” costs, resulting in changes as to how quotes are to be presented, and ensuring more information is provided as to what additional costs could be incurred.
The investigation has seen online travel agent P&P Associates Ltd, as well as price comparison website companies Affordable Car Hire Ltd and Flexiblecarhire.com Ltd, commit to ensuring all compulsory charges are contained within quotes.
Now, things like fuel surcharges, additional fees for young drivers and out-of-hours pick up charges must be included in the initial quotes.
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