ACCC

The new chair of the competition regulator has taken aim at companies for “pushing the boundaries” of Australia’s merger control regime and taking a “strategic approach” to clearance, as the regulator yet again flags the prospect of a reform push.

Car dealers that have brought a class action against General Motors over its decision to retire the Holden brand in Australia rejected offers of compensation totaling close to $5 million, according to court documents.

The ACCC has flagged a number of competition concerns over New Zealand campervan giant THL’s proposed acquisition of Australian competitor Apollo, saying the tie-up could leave campers paying more to hit the road.  

Uber has admitted to making misleading statements to passengers and has agreed to pay $26 million in penalties in a case by the consumer regulator over the ridesharing giant’s cancellation warning messages.

A judge has slapped Trivago with $44.7 million in penalties for a “startlingly misleading” rankings system used on its travel comparison website from which it reaped $53 million.

General Motors Holden Australia has denied that it owes compensation to Holden dealers over its decision to retire the iconic brand in Australia, and says its dependence on other GM units to supply the cars constituted “an event beyond its reasonable control”.

The consumer watchdog is challenging a court ruling that found Mazda’s treatment of customers with defective vehicles was “appalling” but did not amount to unconscionable conduct.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has been asked to investigate Qantas’ “unworkable” flight credit redemption scheme, which consumer group Choice says places unreasonable hurdles in the way of travellers trying to get a refund or redeem vouchers.

The maker of the popular Invisalign dental aligners may soon face a cross-claim from competitor SmileDirectClub, which it sued for allegedly misleading consumers about the cost and efficacy of its direct-to-consumer teeth alignment kits. 

A judge has rejected an application by training provider Captain Cook College to postpone the hearing of its appeal in a case won by the ACCC, saying the company’s inability to fund the appeal was “largely a problem of [its] own making.”