May 2013
Shill bidding costs car company more than $165,000
23 May 2013
An Auckland-based car company has been sentenced today in the Auckland District Court on 13 charges under the Fair Trading Act. The Auto Co (Millenium) Ltd has been fined $42,000 plus court costs of $1727.57 after pleading guilty to misleading consumers about the price of vehicles auctioned on Trade Me. The fine is on top of over $122,000 already paid in compensation to affected consumers and related costs.
Relates to: Fair Trading
SkyCity Entertainment seeks clearance to acquire Otago Casinos
21 May 2013
The Commerce Commission has received an application from SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (SkyCity) seeking clearance to acquire 100% of the shares in Otago Casinos Limited.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commission identifies companies liable for $50 million telecommunications levy
20 May 2013
The Commerce Commission today released its draft determination of the amounts telcos will pay towards the $50 million Telecommunications Development Levy for 2011/12.
Relates to: Telecommunications
Canterbury power consumers’ opinions sought on proposed increase in prices
1 May 2013
The Commerce Commission is seeking the views of Canterbury consumers on an application by the lines company Orion to increase its electricity prices as it rebuilds its network following the earthquakes. Orion is also seeking to recover lost revenue and extra costs incurred as a result of the quakes.
Relates to: Electricity
April 2013
Commission issues draft report on Auckland International Airport
30 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has today released its draft of a report to the Ministers of Commerce and Transport on the effectiveness of the information disclosure regulatory regime under Part 4 of the Commerce Act in relation to Auckland International Airport.
Relates to: Airports
Commerce Commission clears Vector to acquire Contact gas metering business
29 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has cleared Vector Limited to acquire Contact Energy Limited’s natural gas metering business.
Relates to: Business Competition
Demand for mobile data doubles for second year in a row says telco report
29 April 2013
The Commerce Commission today released its 2012 telecommunications annual monitoring report analysing the state of New Zealand’s telecommunications markets.
Relates to: Telecommunications
More penalties in long-running air cargo cartel case
22 April 2013
The High Court has ordered three further airlines to pay a combined total of $9.6 million in penalties for their role in the air cargo cartel case brought by the Commerce Commission. This brings the total penalties in the case to over $35 million.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commission seeks public comment on Orion Customised Price-Quality Path Proposal
19 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has commenced the process for setting new maximum prices and new quality standards for Orion New Zealand Limited (“Orion”).
Relates to: Electricity
Commission urges caution for users of multi-purpose ladders
16 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has urged consumers and tradespeople to exercise caution when using two models of ‘Transforma’ multi-purpose ladder, sold nationwide by Brand Developers Limited between 2007 and March 2013.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission approves amendment to costs Transpower can recover for Otahuhu Substation project
15 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has approved an amendment to the Major Capital Expenditure Allowance (MCA) for the Otahuhu Substation Diversity Project. The maximum amount of expenditure that Transpower can now recover from consumers has increased from $99.0 million to $106.1 million (all in 2009 dollars).
Relates to: Electricity
Commission announces next step in setting UBA price
3 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has today released an updated timetable for completing its determination of a cost-based price for wholesale broadband – the unbundled bitstream access (UBA) service.
Relates to: Telecommunications
Commerce Commission declines merger of Hamilton Radiology and Medimaging radiology practices
3 April 2013
The Commerce Commission has declined to grant clearance to the formation of a joint venture between Hamilton Radiology and Medimaging.
Relates to: Business Competition
Penalties for souvenir companies that misled tourists with untrue claims
2 April 2013
Two companies and two individuals have been convicted and fined a total of $259,000 in the Auckland District Court for manufacturing and selling to visiting Asian tourists a range of high-priced souvenir items that were not what they claimed to be.
Relates to: Fair Trading
March 2013
Businesses urged to take care with Holidays Act surcharges over Easter
27 March 2013
Businesses that open for trading over Easter, such as cafes and bars, must not mislead their customers about their reason for a surcharge.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commerce Commission seeks more information on interest rate swaps
27 March 2013
The Commerce Commission is seeking more information from farmers and others who entered into a financial derivative product known as interest rate swaps.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commerce Commission clears merger of Penguin and Random House book publishers
19 March 2013
The Commerce Commission has cleared Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA (owner of Random House) and Pearson plc (owner of Penguin) to form a new jointly-owned company - Penguin Random House- which will acquire the consumer book publishing businesses of the two companies. Consumer books exclude text books and technical books.
Relates to: Business Competition
Great news in the post for investors in failed investment product Credit SaILs
19 March 2013
Thousands of investors who lost millions of dollars when the financial product Credit SaILS failed in the global financial crisis will receive some welcome news in the post around Easter.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Baxter International seeks clearance to acquire Gambro AB
15 March 2013
The Commerce Commission has received an application from Baxter International Inc. seeking clearance to acquire Gambro Pty Ltd. The application relates to a global merger.
Relates to: Business Competition
Suppliers providing telecommunications services must check liability for Telecommunications Development Levy
13 March 2013
The Commerce Commission reminds those who deliver telecommunications services to check whether they are liable to contribute to the 2012/13 Telecommunications Development Levy.
Relates to: Telecommunications
Commission consulting on business competition guidelines
8 March 2013
The Commerce Commission is consulting on new draft guidelines that outline the Commission’s approach to assessing clearance and authorisation applications.
Relates to: Business Competition
Lessons for finance sector from Commerce Commission investigation into Credit SaILS
7 March 2013
The Commerce Commission is advising the finance sector to take note of the lessons to be learned from its investigation into the marketing and sale of the failed investment product Credit SaILS.
Relates to: Fair Trading
February 2013
Commerce Commission sets prices and quality standards for gas pipeline services
28 February 2013
The Commerce Commission has released its final decision on the first default price-quality paths for gas pipeline services.
Relates to: Gas Pipelines
Commission updates Primary Production select committee on interest rate swaps investigation
28 February 2013
Commerce Commission Chairman Dr Mark Berry has today provided an update to the Primary Production select committee on the Commission’s progress in its interest rate swaps investigation.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission settles with Marac Finance following $500,000 payout
25 February 2013
The Commerce Commission has settled with Marac Finance Limited following the finance company’s decision to refund 1,000 customers a total of about $567,000.
Relates to: Consumer Credit
Commerce Commission clears Hirepool to purchase Hirequip
21 February 2013
The Commerce Commission has cleared the owner of Hirepool, Bligh Finance Limited, to purchase Hire Equipment Group Limited (Hirequip).
Relates to: Business Competition
Commerce Commission final report on Wellington International airport points to excessive profits
8 February 2013
The Commerce Commission’s report on the effectiveness of the information disclosure regulatory regime under Part 4 of the Commerce Act finds that the regime has not limited the ability of Wellington International Airport Limited to make excessive profits.
Relates to: Airports
January 2013
New report tracks electricity distributor trends 2008 –2011
30 January 2013
A new report from the Commerce Commission gives consumers information on how well their local electricity distribution business is performing.
Relates to: Electricity
Statement of preliminary issues available for Perry Metal Protection Limited / CSP Coating Systems clearance application
25 January 2013
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application from Perry Metal Protection Limited (PMP) to acquire the CSP Coating Systems (CSP) division from Fletcher Steel.
Relates to: Business Competition
Statement of preliminary issues available for Random House/Penguin clearance application
11 January 2013
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application from Bertelsmann SE & Co. (owner of Random House) and Pearson plc (owner of Penguin) seeking clearance to form a new jointly-owned company to be called Penguin Random House, which will acquire the retail book publishing businesses of Random House and Penguin.
Relates to: Business Competition
Perry Metal Protection seeks clearance to acquire CSP Coatings
4 January 2013
The Commerce Commission has received an application for clearance from Perry Metal Protection Limited (PMP) to acquire the CSP Coating Systems (CSP) division from Fletcher Steel.
Relates to: Business Competition
