MIL-OSI Australia: Companies behaving badly?
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ACCC Chair Rod Sims delivered the Giblin Lecture in Tasmania today, and shared his observations on company behaviour that drives breaches of Australia’s competition and consumer laws. “Few companies behave badly often, but rather many engage in occasional significant instances of bad behaviour, which remains unacceptable.” “It is often […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: Servcorp’s business contract terms declared unfair
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The Federal Court has declared by consent that 12 terms in standard form contracts used by two Servcorp Ltd subsidiaries (Servcorp Parramatta Pty Ltd and Servcorp Melbourne 18 Pty Ltd) (together Servcorp) are unfair and therefore void. The terms declared unfair include those that had the effect of: automatically […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: When and how to intervene in markets
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission In a speech to the Australian Conference of Economists in Canberra today, Chair Rod Sims discussed the ACCC’s approach to market intervention in our current inquiries. “Enhancing competition does not mean protecting all market participants from failure, nor does consumer protection extend to shielding consumers from price increases set […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC institutes proceedings against Cryosite for alleged cartel conduct
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Cryosite Limited for alleged cartel conduct in relation to its entry into an asset sale agreement with Cell Care Australia Pty Ltd (Cell Care). In June 2017 Cryosite signed an agreement to sell its assets in its cord blood […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC releases blueprint to reduce electricity prices
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The ACCC’s recommendations to significantly improve electricity affordability for Australian consumers and businesses are outlined in its final Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry report, released today. The Inquiry, which commenced in March 2017, began by identifying the root causes of high electricity prices across the entire electricity supply chain, and […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC takes action against Click Energy for misleading savings claims
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The ACCC has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against Amaysim Energy Pty Ltd (trading as Click Energy) alleging it made false or misleading marketing claims about discounts and savings that Victorian and Queensland customers could obtain, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law. From around October 2017 to March 2018, Click […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC examining vital questions in media and advertising
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The impact of digital platforms on society was a vital issue for Australia and the world, ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a speech at the International Institute of Communications’ Telecommunications and Media Forum in Sydney today. “The question of how we approach the proliferation of digital platforms, and […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: Warrnambool Cheese and Butter amends contract terms
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Company Holdings Limited (WCB) has altered terms in its milk supply agreements and milk supply handbook following engagement with the ACCC regarding potentially unfair contract terms. WCB’s contracts with farmers contained terms that allowed it to unilaterally vary the milk price and other milk […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC allows variations to access undertaking for AAT terminals
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The ACCC has agreed to variations proposed by Australian Amalgamated Terminals Pty Ltd (AAT) and Qube Holdings Limited (Qube, ASX: QUB) to their 2016 undertaking to the ACCC. The ACCC agreed, for a limited three-year period, to remove the open access conditions for AAT’s Appleton Dock general cargo facility […]
Read More →MIL-OSI Australia: Full Court finds LG made misleading representations
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission The Full Federal Court has partially upheld an appeal by the ACCC against an earlier judgment dismissing the ACCC’s case against LG Electronics Australia Pty Ltd (LG). The Full Court found that LG made two representations to consumers that were false, overturning the initial court decision, but dismissed the […]
Read More →