October 2010
Bluestone applications declined
29 October 2010
The High Court in Auckland has declined applications by Bluestone Mortgages NZ Limited and two other entities for leave to apply for summary judgment, and alternatively to strike out claims brought by the Commerce Commission.
Relates to: Consumer Credit
Statement of preliminary issues available for Pact Group subsidiary's clearance application
29 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application received from TEC Projects Limited on 19 October 2010 seeking clearance to acquire the plastic packaging business and assets of Tecpak Industries Limited.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commerce Commission releases draft report on competition review of UBA service
28 October 2010
The Commerce Commission today released a draft report on its review into whether Telecom New Zealand Limited faces competition in the provision of the unbundled bitstream access (UBA) service. The UBA service is a wholesale broadband service that allows telecommunications operators to differentiate their retail products from Telecom's retail broadband services.
Relates to: Telecommunications
Final consultation on input methodologies for electricity distribution services
22 October 2010
The Commerce Commission today released its revised draft input methodologies determination for electricity distribution services for technical consultation.
Relates to: Pan Industry Projects, Electricity
Statement of preliminary issues available for AsureQuality Limited's and Proficiency Services Limited's clearance application
22 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application received from AsureQuality Limited and Proficiency Services Limited on 15 October 2010 seeking clearance to form a new joint venture company.
Relates to: Business Competition
Businesses reminded not to mislead over public holiday surcharge
21 October 2010
The Commerce Commission is reminding those businesses who choose to apply a surcharge on public holidays that they must not mislead consumers. This follows a warning to a company that is a major provider of food and alcohol at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Refunds for second tier home loan borrowers
21 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has entered into a settlement with New Zealand Guardian Trust Company resulting from an investigation into break fees. The settlement will see 77 affected consumers sharing refunds of $165,000.
Relates to: Fair Trading, Consumer Credit
Pact Group subsidiary applies for clearance to acquire Tecpak Industries Limited
20 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has received an application from TEC Projects Limited seeking clearance to acquire the plastic packaging business and assets of Tecpak Industries Limited.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commerce Commission focuses on construction sector
19 October 2010
Research conducted on behalf of the Commerce Commission indicates that some construction businesses are not aware of competition law and this may be affecting competition for non-residential building projects.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commerce Commission appoints new CEO
19 October 2010
The Commerce Commission is very pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Alderton as the new CEO from 1 January 2011. He replaces Nicholas Hill who is leaving the Commission at the end of this year.
Relates to:
Commission ends plans to draft enforcement guidelines on misuse of market power
18 October 2010
The Commerce Commission will no longer develop guidelines on section 36 of the Commerce Act.
Relates to: Business Competition
Commerce Commission opens investigation into Telecom's compliance with Separation Undertakings
15 October 2010
The Commerce Commission announced today it has launched an investigation into an alleged breach of Separation Undertakings by Telecom Corporation of New Zealand. The investigation will assess whether Telecom Wholesale is likely to have discriminated against telecommunications providers in favour of Telecom Retail.
Relates to: Telecommunications
AsureQuality and Proficiency Services apply for clearance to form a joint venture
15 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has received an application from AsureQuality Limited and Proficiency Services Limited seeking clearance to form a new joint venture company. The joint venture company would acquire all of the proficiency testing business assets of AsureQuality and Proficiency Services Limited.
Relates to: Business Competition
Statement of preliminary issues available for Sanford's clearance application
14 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application received from Sanford Limited on 29 September 2010 seeking clearance to acquire the Pacifica Seafoods Group of companies.
Relates to: Business Competition
Company director and car dealership fined for misleading about damaged vehicles
12 October 2010
The managing director of a Porirua car dealership and his company, Sunrise Motor Group Limited, were fined in the Wellington District Court today after pleading guilty to multiple charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act. Surya Kumar was fined a total of $9,600 on six charges and Sunrise Motor Group a total of $19,200 on twelve charges.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Revised draft information disclosure determination for airport services released
11 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has released a revised draft information disclosure determination for specified airports services, for technical consultation.
Relates to: Pan Industry Projects, Airports
Businesses reminded not to mislead over GST pricing increases
8 October 2010
The Commerce Commission is reminding businesses that they risk breaching the Fair Trading Act if price increases are misleadingly represented as being due to the GST increase. This follows a warning issued to the owners of Wellington's daily paper, The Dominion Post, which represented that a price increase was 'forced' by the GST change, when this was not the case.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Next step underway for the determination of mobile termination rates
7 October 2010
The Commerce Commission has today issued a notice to Vodafone New Zealand Limited to prepare a standard terms proposal for terminating mobile calls and text messages. This proposal will specify the non-price terms and conditions on which mobile termination services should be made available to both mobile and fixed line operators. The price of the mobile termination access services (MTAS) will be specified by the Commission.
Relates to: Telecommunications
Methven pleads guilty to misleading consumers over shower water and energy savings
4 October 2010
Methven Limited, a company that manufactures and supplies bathroom fittings, has pleaded guilty to nine breaches of the Fair Trading Act for misleading consumers about the potential savings gained when using the Satinjet shower product range.
Relates to: Fair Trading
Final consultation on input methodologies for airport services
1 October 2010
The Commerce Commission today released its revised draft input methodologies determination for specified airport services for technical consultation.
Relates to: Pan Industry Projects, Airports
