December 2004
Tis the season for scams - Commission bah humbugs chain letters, horse-betting, lottery schemes and text hoaxes
23 December 2004
The Commerce Commission is warning consumers to be wary of offers that seem too good to be true - because they probably are.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Saatchi & Saatchi convicted for misleading advertising
17 December 2004
Saatchi & Saatchi Limited was fined $6,000 in the Wellington District Court today, after pleading guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act in relation to an advertisement prepared for Telecom New Zealand Limited promoting a Telecom homeline/Sky TV package. The advertisement appeared in The Evening Post and The Press newspapers on 5 February 2002.
Relates to: Fair Trading
$15,000 fines for 'Trade Register' company and director
15 December 2004
A company that targeted over 17,500 tradespeople throughout New Zealand inviting them to sign up to the New Zealand Trade Register, has been fined $10,500 plus $910 costs for making misleading claims under the Fair Trading Act. Its sole director, Gary John Solah has also been fined $4,500 plus $3260 costs.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Vegetarian sausage manufacturer pleads guilty to Fair Trading Act breach
10 December 2004
Auckland-based vegetarian small goods manufacturer Bean Supreme Limited has pleaded guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act and been fined $4,250 plus costs for representing vegetarian sausages as 'GMO Free' and 'Non GM' when they contained traces of GM soy.
Relates to: Fair Trading
November 2004
Fruit and produce wholesaler admits Fair Trading Act breach in settlement with Commerce Commission
22 November 2004
Fruit and produce wholesaling and marketing company Freshmax Limited has admitted it breached the Fair Trading Act in a settlement with the Commerce Commission, following an investigation into the way in which it has been invoicing its grower suppliers using its Auckland Wholesale warehouse.
Relates to: Fair Trading
University of Auckland to refund students over $100,000 in overcharged fees following Commission investigation
10 November 2004
The University of Auckland will refund 18 international Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Health Science students a total of $102,354.48 in overcharged fees, $7,222.36 in interest, and $14,000 in compensation, following a Commerce Commission investigation.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commerce Commission commences legal action against eight credit card providers
10 November 2004
The Commerce Commission will file criminal proceedings against five banks, two credit card companies and one financial services company following an industry-wide investigation into the disclosure of international currency conversion fees.
Relates to: Fair Trading
October 2004
Stagecoach Auckland agrees to honour its Big Ticket Sale after Commerce Commission investigation
12 October 2004
The Commerce Commission has put a stop to Stagecoach Auckland's recent attempt to cut short its 'Big Ticket Sale' promotional offer on monthly passes.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commerce Commission finds widespread non-compliance in pre-paid phone card market
12 October 2004
The Commerce Commission has written to 22 pre-paid phone card companies and distributors advising them of its opinion that their behaviour in relation to the supply of pre-paid phone cards is misleading or deceptive and at risk of contravening the Fair Trading Act.
Relates to: Fair Trading
September 2004
Environmental Air Care fined $17,500 for misleading claims about insect control products
17 September 2004
Environmental Air Care Limited has been fined $17,500 and ordered to publish corrective advertising in the New Zealand Herald, Dominion Post and Press for making misleading claims about its Robocan time-dispensed insect control products, in breach of the Fair Trading Act.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commerce Commission releases draft GM labelling guidelines
15 September 2004
The Commerce Commission invites submissions on a discussion paper that includes draft guidelines on the labelling of genetically modified foods and food products.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Contact Energy admits misleading customers about price increases
14 September 2004
Contact Energy Limited has acknowledged it breached the Fair Trading Act by providing misleading explanations to customers for electricity price changes earlier this year. In a settlement with the Commerce Commission, Contact Energy has agreed to apologise to affected consumers and network lines companies, publish public apology notices, make a $30,000 donation to the Citizens' Advice Bureaux and overhaul its compliance systems.
Relates to: Fair Trading
August 2004
Narva and Repco convicted for misleading cash back offer
27 August 2004
Narva New Zealand Limited and Repco Limited have pleaded guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act in relation to a misleading Projecta battery charger cash back offer. The two cases were heard separately in the Auckland District Court with Narva fined $1,000 in June and Repco $5,000 yesterday.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission warns traders and consumers to be wary of cash-back schemes
24 August 2004
The Commerce Commission is warning traders and consumers to be wary of cash-back schemes after receiving information that an Australian-based company, Cashback Australia Limited, is trying to get off the ground in New Zealand.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission reminds traders: Claims of 100% leave no room for ambiguity
12 August 2004
The Commerce Commission is reminding all traders that there is no room for ambiguity when making absolute claims about the composition of their products.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Further offences cost repeat Fair Trading Act offender Michael Knight over $28,000
10 August 2004
Repeat Fair Trading Act offender Michael Helsby Knight was fined $22,000 plus $6,430 costs in the Auckland District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 12 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act with respect to television and radio advertising production and placement company, One Connect Limited.
Relates to: Fair Trading
July 2004
It's a SIN - 64% of vehicle dealers inspected not complying with new regulations
29 July 2004
The Commerce Commission is reminding motor vehicle traders of their obligations under the Consumer Information Standards Regulations for used motor vehicles following recent inspections in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch that revealed 64 percent of dealers were non-compliant.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission alerts public to misleading phone card deals
22 July 2004
The Commerce Commission is warning members of the public to be wary of a number of phone card deals currently on the market.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Commission warns public to be wary of knee pain study: action pending against US company
20 July 2004
The Commerce Commission is warning members of the public to be wary of a Knee Pain 'Study' scheduled for 5pm this evening at the Brentwood Hotel in Kilbirnie, Wellington, and a lecture on new pain healing discoveries at the Newtown Community Centre, Wellington this Friday.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Muscle Marketing USA fined $70,000 for false claims about sports performance product
14 July 2004
Muscle Marketing USA Limited has been fined $70,000 in the Auckland District Court today for breaching the Fair Trading Act in relation to its sports performance enhancing product ATP Advantage Creatine Serum.
Relates to: Fair Trading
June 2004
Telecom Mobile's telemarketing practices found in breach of Door to Door Sales Act
24 June 2004
Following a High Court judgment, the Commerce Commission is highlighting to telemarketers that the Door to Door Sales Act applies to their sales practices and that any failure to comply with that Act may amount to a breach of the Fair Trading Act.
Relates to: Fair Trading
ABC Motor Group convicted for second time under Fair Trading Act: fined $31,000
18 June 2004
ABC Motor Group Limited has been convicted of breaching the Fair Trading Act for the second time in three years over failure to adequately disclose important conditions in advertising.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Waveshield pleads guilty to breaching Fair Trading Act
9 June 2004
A rehearing of a Commerce Commission case against Waveshield (New Zealand) Limited and its director Miles Dixon for falsely claiming that the 'Wave Shield' mobile phone radiation protection device blocked up to 97 percent of electromagnetic radiation from the inner ear and had been 'tested' and 'proven' has resulted in a $4,000 fine.
Relates to: Fair Trading
False claims about trade membership will breach Fair Trading Act
8 June 2004
The Commerce Commission is reminding traders that falsely claiming membership or approval of a trade organisation is a breach of the Fair Trading Act.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Co-operation between Commerce Commission and Police results in three arrests
4 June 2004
Three men have been arrested by Dunedin Police and charged under the Crimes Act in relation to a Commerce Commission investigation into an international operation involving the sale of speakers from the back of vans that hit New Zealand shores earlier this year.
Relates to: Fair Trading
May 2004
New Zealand victims of SkyBiz scam to share in US$20 million redress fund
31 May 2004
New Zealand victims of an internet pyramid scam, SkyBiz.com, may qualify to share in a US$20 million court-ordered redress fund, following a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in the United States.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Misleading promotion costs marketing company $9,000
18 May 2004
Misleading electricity customers about the chance to win free power if they took out 'PowerPLUS' power insurance has cost marketing company David Barrowclough Direct Limited $9,000.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Company to refund customers following 'invoice' mail out
13 May 2004
Australian-based website design and hosting company, Time Away Services Pty Limited, has agreed to refund all money paid by New Zealand businesses on an 'invoice' document sent out in November 2003, and has admitted, in a settlement with the Commerce Commission, that it was likely to breach the Fair Trading Act.
Relates to: Fair Trading
April 2004
Fastlane Autos' appeal dismissed: 'mistake of law' no defence
21 April 2004
Following a recent High Court decision, the Commerce Commission is highlighting to businesses that they cannot avoid liability under the Fair Trading Act by claiming they were ignorant of or misunderstood the law.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Traders must comply with Unsafe Goods Notices: Glitter Bangles recalled
7 April 2004
The Commerce Commission is highlighting to retailers and importers the importance of complying with current Unsafe Goods Notices, following a nationwide recall of glitter bangles by Farmers Trading Company Limited last week.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Brownlie Brothers guilty of misleading juice claims: fined $35,000
5 April 2004
Hawkes Bay juice company Brownlie Brothers Limited has been fined a total of $35,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act in relation to misleading labelling of its Simply Squeezed and Supreme Orange Juice products.
Relates to: Fair Trading
'Back of a van' speaker scam hits central North Island
2 April 2004
The Commerce Commission is alerting the public in the central North Island that an international scam involving the sale of speakers from the back of vans has hit the area.
Relates to: Fair Trading
February 2004
Commission alerts public to 'back of a van' speaker scam
10 February 2004
The Commerce Commission is alerting the public to an international scam that may have hit New Zealand shores involving the sale of fake brand speakers from the back of vans.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Too good to be true? Commission joins forces for International Sweep Day
9 February 2004
Too good to be true?
Commission joins forces for International Sweep Day
Relates to: Fair Trading
January 2004
Commerce Commission cautions car dealers: Interest-free deals must be just that
16 January 2004
The Commerce Commission is cautioning car dealers that interest-free deals that are not truly interest-free risk breaching the Fair Trading Act, an offence which can attract fines of up to $200,000.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Phoenix Organics admits labelling likely to breach Fair Trading Act
15 January 2004
In a settlement with the Commerce Commission, Phoenix Organics Limited has admitted the labelling of its 275ml Organic Orange, Mango and Apple Juice product was likely to breach the Fair Trading Act and has published a public apology on its website.
Relates to: Fair Trading
