Loans firms decision due from OFT – BBC News
“A decision over whether action should be taken against firms making unsolicited loan offers is due from the fair trading regulator later.”
BBC News, 1st June 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: unfair commercial practices
OFT to act on ‘Big Four’ audit firms – Daily Telegraph
“The ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms are to face regulatory intervention for anti-competitive behaviour, which would severely curb the industry’s most powerful companies and cost them hundreds of millions in revenue.”
Daily Telegraph, 18th May 2011
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Treating licensees differently to their competitors does not constitute unreasonable discrimination, Copyright Tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com
“Agencies acting for copyright holders can charge different companies different royalty rates without engaging in unlawful discrimination, the Copyright Tribunal has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th May 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Brothers jailed over Lapland New Forest park – BBC News
“Two brothers have been jailed for misleading thousands of customers at a Lapland-themed park on the Hampshire and Dorset border.”
BBC News, 18th March 2011
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Brothers guilty of Lapland con – The Independent
“Two brothers were convicted today of misleading thousands of customers into visiting a what they claimed was a Lapland-style theme park.”
The Independent, 18th February 2011
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Gold-buying websites forced to change trading practices – The Guardian
“The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has clamped down on gold-buying websites, forcing three firms to make changes to their business practices and two to cease trading altogether.”
The Guardian, 14th February 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Office of Fair Trading v Purely Creative Ltd and others – WLR Daily
Office of Fair Trading v Purely Creative Ltd and others [2011] EWHC 106 (Ch); [2011] WLR (D) 34
“For the purposes of applying the causation test in regulations 5 and 6 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 the combined effect of all relevant misleading acts and omissions had first to be ascertained, and then subjected to the test whether, taken in the aggregate, it would probably cause the average consumer to take a transactional decision which he would not otherwise have taken.”
WLR Daily, 3rd February 2011
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
High Court backs OFT’s action against scratchcard promoters – OUT-Law.com
“A series of linked scratchcard promotion companies must fundamentally change the way they do business or stop operating after the High Court ruled their promotions were unlawful.”
OUT-LAW.com, 3rd February 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Consumer laws undermined by gaps and complexity, say Law commissions – OUT-LAW.com
“Consumers face many situations in which a trader has broken unfair trading regulations but they have no direct course of action, the Law Commission and Law Commission of Scotland have said. Laws that could cover consumers are too complex, they said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 25th October 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
A fake eBay bidder in County Durham must pay £5,000 – BBC news
“The first eBay seller to be prosecuted for bidding in his own auctions to boost prices has been ordered to pay nearly £5,000 in fines and costs.”
BBC News, 5th July 2010
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
OFT takes prize draw companies to court over scratchcards – OUT-LAW.com
“Consumer regulator the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is taking five prize draw companies to court over competitions that it believes are unfair to consumers. It has asked the High Court for an injunction to stop the competitions taking place.”
OUT-LAW.com, 19th January 2010
Source: www.out-law.com
Office of Fair Trading takes prize draw companies to court – The Guardian
“More than two years after Guardian Money highlighted the questionable tactics of two prize draw promotions companies, Britain’s consumer watchdog is launching court action aimed at putting a stop to their ‘deceptive’ practices.”
The Guardian, 16th January 2010
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Shops ‘unfair’ over shoplifting cases – The Independent
“Tesco, Boots and a host of high street giants are using a ‘deceitful’ and ‘unfair’ system to seek hundreds of pounds in compensation payouts from petty shoplifters, a report claimed today.”
The Independent, 9th December 2009
Source: www.independent.co.uk
£500 fine for £7k fake jacket con – BBC News
“A ‘dispicable’ conman must pay nearly £7,000 after conning an elderly couple into buying fake leather jackets.”
BBC News, 3rd December 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
ISP can use unfair practices law to back unlawful interference claim, rules judge – OUT-LAW.com
“An internet service provider (ISPs) can use an alleged breach of new laws on unfair commercial practices, laws that it has no powers to enforce directly, as the basis of a common law claim of ‘unlawful interference’, the High Court has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 17th December 2008
Source: www.out-law.com
Unfair marketing becomes a criminal offence next week – OUT-LAW.com
“Imitating a consumer to promote your business will become a criminal offence from Monday. New laws banning unfair commercial practices will outlaw any practice that fails to make a trader’s commercial intent clear.”
OUT-LAW.com, 20th May 2008
Source: www.out-law.com
