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Auto price fixing...[article]

  • 17-01-2004 2:12pm
    #1
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭


    this from unison.ie
    Gardai raid garages in car price-fixing crackdown


    GARDAI have raided more than 15 garages as part of an investigation into suspected car price-fixing.

    The investigation is being headed by the Competition Authority into fears that a number of motor dealers are operating a cartel.

    Among those interviewed were a number of Ford and Citroen dealers. But a spokesman for Citroen distributors told the Irish Independent last night they had not been contacted though they were aware of the inquiries.

    Hundreds of documents have been seized in the raids carried out by detectives from the Garda fraud bureau supporting authority officials.

    The investigation has been under way for the past six weeks and Dublin and Cork garages were among those pinpointed.

    Under competition law price rigging is a criminal offence, carrying a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a fine of €500,000 for convicted persons and fines of up to 10pc of turnover for offending companies.

    The crackdown in the motor trade is one of a series of strikes organised by the Competition Authority since its powers were strengthened and resources beefed up following the introduction of tougher legislation in 2002.

    The authority has adopted a whistle blower policy, run jointly with the office of the DPP, where a person suspected of being involved in a price cartel can be offered immunity from prosecution in return for information.

    According to an authority official whistle blowing is one of the most effective tools for highlighting anti competitive practices.

    Last week it emerged that the Authority is poised to move against a dozen distributors of home heating oil after they were investigated for allegedly conspiring to fix the price to their customers.

    I'd like to know what sort of price fixing this referes to, retail prices of cars or servicing or what?

    Mike.


Comments

  • #2
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Speaking from my own experience, I wanted to trade up from an 02 to an 04 car only last week.

    Two garages I rang gave me identical figures. Admittedly, I didn't actually go in (I certainly won't after the figures they gave me), but it was quite amazing how similar the figures were.


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