Tag: pricing

CMA initiates court action against Care UK

First published by Author on February 14, 2019 in the following categories: Care Homes Compensation Claims Investigations and tagged with care home | cma | pricing

There’s been a huge development in the care homes consumer protection case. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated court action against Care UK.

We recently blogged about the developments in the care homes consumer protection case where pre-action letters had been sent. Now, they have proceeded with court action against Care UK.

The reason for the court action is because the CMA isn’t satisfied with the response from care UK following the investigations. Although they’ve stopped charging administration fees that the CMA had deemed to be breaking consumer protection laws, they haven’t agreed to refunds. The CMA has taken issue with their stance.

Pharmaceutical competition investigation extended

First published by Author on February 01, 2019 in the following categories: Industry Investigations and tagged with cma | competition law | market study | Pharmaceuticals | pricing

The pharmaceutical competition investigation has had a key deadline extended this month. The time being allowed for the analysis of information has been moved.

The ongoing pharmaceutical competition investigation is an important one. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into potential breaches of important competition law. Specifically, they’re looking at two different generic pharmaceutical drugs and whether there are illegal anti-competitive agreements and conduct in place.

This is an important sector when it comes to healthy competition. Any breaches need to be severely punished.

CMA secondary ticketing investigation updated

First published by Author on January 18, 2019 in the following categories: Investigations Latest Price Hikes Pricing and tagged with cma | pricing | secondary ticketing

There has been another update in the CMA secondary ticketing investigation following on from the recent court action against Viagogo.

As of yesterday, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) demanded that a number of the big players in the secondary ticketing market must have improved their business behaviour. This ongoing investigation and review is hugely important given the growth in touts and overcharging. This is among practices that have arguably made pricing unclear, with the consumer not being protected by the market players.

The changes that the CMA are pushing through should help to defend the consumers against unfair practices. It should ensure consumer rights are not infringed and should enforce the ticketing companies to act more responsibly.

Random Argos price changes?

First published by Author on January 04, 2019 in the following categories: Price Hikes Pricing and tagged with comparison sites | pricing | retail

investigation into retail banking competition

An investigation last year reportedly indicated randomness in terms of Argos price changes, alongside Amazon, AO, John Lewis and Currys PC World.

The internet has allowed for price comparison to be a huge factor in consumer decision making. In the aftermath of Christmas, when sales are everywhere, the consumer is expecting to make some savings.

But a consumer report last year reportedly indicated some strange behaviours when it came to Argos price changes. The same was also found for Amazon, AO, John Lewis and Currys PC World as well.

Loyalty penalty CMA investigation concludes

The massive loyalty penalty CMA investigation – deemed a ‘super complaint’ – has resulted in a set of reforms to stop the issue affecting people.

The investigation found “damaging practices by firms, which exploit unsuspecting customers”. This issue is estimated to equate to a cost to the consumer in the region of £4bn per year. There are thought to be millions of people affected by loyalty penalties.

The loyalty penalty CMA investigation looked at five markets: savings; insurance; mortgages; mobile phone contracts; and broadband. New regulatory rules are set to be introduced to stamp out the loyalty penalty endemic.

The Heathrow parking competition infringements case

First published by Author on December 14, 2018 in the following categories: Industry Latest Price Fixing Pricing and tagged with cma | price fixing | pricing

A hefty fine has been issued in the wake of the Heathrow parking competition investigation that drew to a conclusion a couple of months ago.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a fine of £1.6m to Heathrow after they admitted to competition law infringements. The fine was originally £2m, but as a result of Heathrow’s cooperation and acceptance of wrongdoing, they received a leniency discount of 20%.

The investigation surrounds how parking charge rates were set in connection with the operator of Terminal 5 Hotel, Arora Group.

Huge funeral costs investigation development

First published by Author on November 29, 2018 in the following categories: Industry Investigations Latest Pricing and tagged with cma | competition law | funerals market | market abuse | pricing

There’s been a huge development in the regulator’s funeral costs investigation that we’ve been tracking for a long time now.

The Regulators, the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority), are set to move from a market study to a referral for a market investigation. Their interim report states that there are “reasonable grounds for suspecting that a feature or combination of features of a market or markets in the UK prevents, restricts or distorts competition”.

The CMA now want to look into any adverse impact on the consumer. For a huge and sensitive market that’s worth something like £2bn a year, this is big news.

Most favoured nation clause competition law investigation

First published by Author on November 09, 2018 in the following categories: Investigations Market Dominance Abuse and tagged with cma | market abuse | pricing

There’s been an update in an ongoing most favoured nation clause competition law investigation being conducted by the CMA.

The CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) has an open investigation looking into whether there’s been a breach of competition law. This case surrounds the use of a ‘most favoured nation clause’ used by a price comparison website in the home insurance market.

The companies being investigated for alleged breaches of competition law include BGL (Holdings) Limited; BGL Group Limited; BISL Limited (BISL); and Compare The Market Limited.

Royal Mail competition fine

First published by Author on October 05, 2018 in the following categories: Market Dominance Abuse Pricing and tagged with competition law | market abuse | pricing

A Royal Mail competition fine has been issued in the sum of £50m by the UK communications regulator for abuse of a dominant market position.

Regulators Ofcom accused the Royal Mail of penalising wholesale customers over bulk mail deliveries for things like council tax demands and bank statements. They were fined for discriminating against a rival, Whistl, who were subject to contractual changes back in 2014.

These changes included price increases that led to Whistl scrapping expansion plans that cost the business millions of pounds.

Design, construction and fit-out competition case to continue

First published by Author on September 07, 2018 in the following categories: Industry Investigations Latest and tagged with competition law | construction industry | pricing

Watchdog investigations into the design, construction and fit-out competition issues is set to go on, according to a recent update published by the CMA.

The CMA – the Competition and Markets Authority – have been investigating the industry since July 2017 on the basis of suspected anti-competitive agreements that may be having an adverse effect on the market, and therefore the consumer.

A year on from the CMA’s investigations commencing, the CMA has taken the decision to extend the investigation with the view to publish a further update toward the end of the year.