December 1998
Baby toy choking hazard: sixth toy recall in nine months
16 December 1998
Commerce Commission action against unsafe toys continued today with the sixth product recall in the last nine months.Relates to: Fair Trading
Director fined $20,000 plus costs for Fair Trading breaches
14 December 1998
The Christchurch District Court has found company director Hugo Barton Kearney personally liable for his company, Kearney Finance (NZ) Limited, breaching the Fair Trading Act and has fined him $20,000 plus $1,430 costs.Relates to: Fair Trading
November 1998
Commission reminds all electricity retailers: don't mislead consumers
22 November 1998
The Commerce Commission is reminding all electricity retailers, new and old, that claims they make about their own and competitors' services must be accurate or they risk misleading consumers and breaching the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
High Court rejects appeal: $130,000 fine for false invoicing scam stands
20 November 1998
The Auckland High Court today rejected an appeal by Ashley Guy Rhodes and his companies and upheld the highest total fines to date under the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission settles with Sanitarium over "So Good"
8 November 1998
In a settlement with the Commerce Commission, Sanitarium has agreed that its "So Good" soy drink television advertising did not accurately describe the effect of "So Good" on cholesterol.Relates to: Fair Trading
Importer to recall 1,800 toys
3 November 1998
Toy importer Geeta Trading Limited will tomorrow begin to recall 1,800 toys which do not meet the toy safety standard.Relates to: Fair Trading
October 1998
Watch for unsafe bikes and toys
21 October 1998
With Christmas promotions about to start the Commerce Commission is warning importers, manufacturers, retailers and customers to check carefully that bicycles and toys are safe.Relates to: Fair Trading
Napier and Hastings businesses to meet Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs
9 October 1998
The Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs will be visiting Napier and Hastings on Monday October 12 to Wednesday October 14 to discuss the Fair Trading and Consumer Guarantees Acts and other consumer protection issues.Relates to: Fair Trading
September 1998
Organiser admits Perpetual Income Trust/Lifetime Income Trust is pyramid selling
23 September 1998
As part of an out of court settlement with the Commerce Commission the organiser of a scheme known as Perpetual Income Trust, and more recently as Lifetime Income Trust, has given signed undertakings admitting that the scheme is an illegal pyramid selling scheme.Relates to: Fair Trading
Whangarei businesses to meet Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs
14 September 1998
The Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs will be visiting Whangarei on Tuesday September 15 to Thursday September 17 to discuss the Fair Trading and Consumer Guarantees Acts and other consumer protection issues.Relates to: Fair Trading
August 1998
Contours and director pay fine and costs of more than $6,000: first Fair Trading conviction of director as a party
6 August 1998
The company behind the Contours women's gyms, Contours Exclusive Limited, and its co-owner and Managing Director, John Wayne Bishop, were ordered to pay a total of $6,150 today after breaching the Fair Trading Act by publishing misleading advertisements 49 times.Relates to: Fair Trading
July 1998
Travel industry has a problem: too often what you see is not what you get
27 July 1998
The Commerce Commission has accepted a settlement with Singapore Airlines Limited that highlights an industry-wide problem - promotions of holiday packages are often wrong and risk breaching the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
Warning to all retailers "free" still means free: Harvey Norman settlement
24 July 1998
The Commerce Commission is warning all retailers that potentially misleading "free" promotions are occurring again, and to avoid risk of breaching the Fair Trading Act free must mean no extra costs.Relates to: Fair Trading
Health Pride conviction: Judge's comments send strong warning but small fine disappoints Commission
6 July 1998
The conviction of a company selling health products, Health Pride Limited, has sent a strong message about how weight loss products should be checked before being promoted, but the Commerce Commission is disappointed with what it describes as the small fine imposed and will consider an appeal.Relates to: Fair Trading
False invoicing warning – business people are the key to stopping these scams
3 July 1998
The Commerce Commission is warning business people that false invoicing scams continue, and that business people themselves are the key to stopping these scams - they should not pay for advertising they did not order.Relates to: Fair Trading
June 1998
Director and his four companies fined record $130,000 for false invoices
23 June 1998
Commerce Commission action against false invoicing resulted in the highest total fine to date under the Fair Trading Act, when a company director and his four companies were fined a total of $130,000 today.Relates to: Fair Trading
May 1998
Leased Funds Investment Programme
28 May 1998
The Commerce Commission has decided not to investigate the Leased Funds Investment Programme. This scheme has received considerable publicity recently after a meeting concerning the scheme was held in MP Owen Jennings' office.Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission supports Fair Trading Act amendments
27 May 1998
The Commerce Commission is pleased with moves being taken to amend the Fair Trading Act's three year limitation period.Relates to: Fair Trading
Palmerston North businesses to meet Commerce Commission
14 May 1998
The Commerce Commission will be in Palmerston North on Monday May 18 to Wednesday May 20 to visit shops and businesses to discuss the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
More than $200,000 compensation and costs a warning to franchisers: get your facts right
11 May 1998
A Christchurch man, Brian Joseph Direen, being ordered to pay more than $200,000 in compensation and costs is a warning to anyone selling franchises: get the facts right before making any claims.Relates to: Fair Trading
April 1998
Baby Factory prosecution a message: don't ignore warnings
30 April 1998
The Commerce Commission's prosecution of Baby Factory (NZ) Limited is a message to all businesses: if they ignore advice or warnings from the Commission, then they can expect to face court action.Relates to: Fair Trading
Business magazine convicted for false invoicing
22 April 1998
Commerce Commission action against false invoicing has continued with a business magazine, the Taxation and Business Examiner Limited, being convicted in the Waitakere District Court of breaching the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
False invoicing scam stopped by record Fair Trading fine
16 April 1998
The latest Commerce Commission action against false invoicing scams has resulted in the highest total fine to date under the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission settlement – Barney Easter eggs recalled and refund offered
7 April 1998
As part of a settlement with the Commerce Commission, Easter eggs manufacturerd by Waikato Valley Chocolates exclusively for The Warehouse have been recalled.Relates to: Fair Trading
Johnson and Johnson admits Fair Trading breach
1 April 1998
In the Auckland District Court today Johnson and Johnson (New Zealand) Limited admitted that its television advertising of a "free trial" of Acuvue contact lenses was misleading, pleaded guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act and was fined $9,000.Relates to: Fair Trading
March 1998
Judge Brown completes Fletcher Homes reviews
19 March 1998
The process established by the Commerce Commission to settle homeowners' allegations of over-valuations of homes built by Fletcher Homes has made good progress Commission Acting Chairman Peter Allport said today.Relates to: Fair Trading
Nelson businesses to meet Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs
18 March 1998
The Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs will be visiting Nelson on Monday March 23 to Wednesday March 25 to visit shops and businesses to discuss the Fair Trading and Consumer Guarantees Acts and other consumer protection issues.Relates to: Fair Trading
Cellphone City admits ads breached Fair Trading Act
18 March 1998
Commerce Commission action against cellphone retailers is continuing, with a settlement in which Cellular City Limited, trading as Cellphone City, has admitted its advertising breached the Fair Trading Act.Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission warns about travel vouchers
11 March 1998
The Commerce Commission today warned consumers that conditions attached to travel vouchers offering airfares to the Gold Coast of Australia may make holidays no cheaper than flying normally.Relates to: Fair Trading
February 1998
Commerce Commission and Ministry of Consumer Affairs to meet Invercargill businesses
25 February 1998
What does the law say about interest free deals? Why is a "no refunds" sign illegal? What rights does a customer have to redress? How does a false representation come about?Relates to: Fair Trading
Criminal conviction against company director in first of seven false invoicing cases
4 February 1998
A company director, Peter Ian Dey, was convicted and fined in the Auckland District Court yesterday when he was sentenced for his part in his company issuing false invoices for advertising.Relates to: Fair Trading
January 1998
Failed franchise promoter ordered to pay $157,000 compensation
29 January 1998
Judge J Cadenhead sitting in the District Court in Auckland imposed a $157,000 compensation order on Higgs Holdings Ltd and its director David Higgs. This is the highest compensation order awarded in a Commission action.Relates to: Fair Trading
Record fine for breach of childrens nightclothes fire safety standard
29 January 1998
Dress For Less has been fined $20,000 plus $1,130 in costs, after pleading guilty in the Wellington District Court this afternoon to six charges of supplying children's nightclothes which did not meet the product safety standard. That is the highest penalty imposed to date by the courts for breaches of these regulations.Relates to: Fair Trading
