07-12-2013, 11:00 AM
1
Price Fixing
Four security firms were found to have broken competition law.The Office of Fair Trading said their behaviour "likely" meant "higher prices were paid by many elderly and potentially vulnerable people."
Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley said the case had left people feeling "frustrated, impoverished and angry."
The four firms are: Cirrus Communication Systems Limited, Peter O'Rourke Electrical Limited of York, Owens Installations Limited of Weymouth and Glyn Jackson Communications Limited of Leeds.
The OFT has found that, between 2005 and 2009, they engaged in "a number of collusive tendering arrangements in relation to the supply and installation of certain access control and alarm systems to retirement properties in the UK".
The Executive Director of the Office of Fair Trading, Cavendish Elithorn, said: "Our investigation found considerable evidence of collusive tendering between these companies which restricted price competition in the tendering for this work.
"This decision sends a clear message to businesses, however large or small, that we will pursue enforcement action where we believe competition law has been broken. We urge any business engaged in similar practices to call our cartels hotline for leniency - before their co-conspirators do."
Sir Peter Bottomley, a long standing campaigner on the issue, told the BBC: "It can't be right that people on fixed incomes have been charged for things they might not need, or at prices which are much higher than the competitive price would bring."
Given that the OFT has acted in this case, how does it differ from the Bix Six energy companies doing the same thing and why hasn't action been taken against them for affecting most of the country?
08-12-2013, 09:43 AM
3
Re: Price Fixing
Originally Posted by ben-varrey
->
Four security firms were found to have broken competition law.The Office of Fair Trading said their behaviour "likely" meant "higher prices were paid by many elderly and potentially vulnerable people."
Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley said the case had left people feeling "frustrated, impoverished and angry."
The four firms are: Cirrus Communication Systems Limited, Peter O'Rourke Electrical Limited of York, Owens Installations Limited of Weymouth and Glyn Jackson Communications Limited of Leeds.
The OFT has found that, between 2005 and 2009, they engaged in "a number of collusive tendering arrangements in relation to the supply and installation of certain access control and alarm systems to retirement properties in the UK".
The Executive Director of the Office of Fair Trading, Cavendish Elithorn, said: "Our investigation found considerable evidence of collusive tendering between these companies which restricted price competition in the tendering for this work.
"This decision sends a clear message to businesses, however large or small, that we will pursue enforcement action where we believe competition law has been broken. We urge any business engaged in similar practices to call our cartels hotline for leniency - before their co-conspirators do."
Sir Peter Bottomley, a long standing campaigner on the issue, told the BBC: "It can't be right that people on fixed incomes have been charged for things they might not need, or at prices which are much higher than the competitive price would bring."
Given that the OFT has acted in this case, how does it differ from the Bix Six energy companies doing the same thing and why hasn't action been taken against them for affecting most of the country?
Being the cynical old sod that I am Karen darlin' - the answer to your question lies in the number of Tory MPs who have substantial portfolios of shares with these energy companies.
08-12-2013, 04:11 PM
5
Re: Price Fixing
Originally Posted by Uncle Joe
->
Being the cynical old sod that I am Karen darlin' - the answer to your question lies in the number of Tory MPs who have substantial portfolios of shares with these energy companies.
It's a pity that people can't transfer wholesale to the newcomers - I'd love to see the Big 6 take a mighty fall.
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
