ACCC

The ACCC will attempt to make online shopping less treacherous for consumers this year, vowing to take enforcement action against misleading influencers, online reviews, in-app purchases and price comparison sites.

The competition regulator will not appeal a tribunal ruling that set aside its decision to block the $4.9 billion merger between ANZ and Suncorp, but promised it will continue to scrutinise the banking industry.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has brought proceedings against fashion retailer Mosaic Brands Limited, alleging it failed to deliver several hundred thousand products to customers within advertised time frames.

A judge has handed Ultra Tune a $1.5 million fine for contempt, saying the car repair franchise failed to meet the requirements of a court-ordered compliance program, instituted after the company copped a $2 million fine for contravening its disclosure obligations to franchisees.

Builder J Hutchinson and the union for construction workers have successfully appealed a finding that they unlawfully agreed to boycott an independent subcontractor at a Brisbane building site.

Online auction business Grays has agreed to pay a $10 million penalty for engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct by posting hundreds of descriptions of cars for sale on its website that contained incorrect information.

A judge has sentenced the former CEO of Bingo Industries to two years’ imprisonment to be served in the community and imposed $30 million in penalties against the waste company for a cartel arrangement with rival Aussie Skips, which copped fines of $3.5 million and an 18 month’ intensive corrections order for its boss. 

The ACCC’s rejection of a $4.9 billion merger between ANZ and Suncorp was hardly surprising given the concentrated nature of the home loans market, but the competition regulator faced an uphill battle in having the decision upheld, an expert says.

The ACCC’s decision to block a $4.9 billion merger between ANZ and Suncorp has been set aside, with a tribunal finding the transaction will not substantially lessen competition in the home loans market or for agribusiness and SME clients in Queensland. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has raised concerns about the owner of realestate.com.au acquiring a national forms platform used by real estate agents, saying it could “significantly harm competitors”.