Displaying items by tag: penalties

New Zealand's competition regulator the Commerce Commission has warned businesses that agreements they reach with their competitors can result in imprisonment, as it undertakes its latest Scene of a Crime education campaign.

Food distributor and retailer HBC Trading Australia has paid penalties of $26,640 after the consumer watchodog the ACCC issued it with two infringement notices for allegedly making false or misleading representations about its Chef’s Choice-branded ‘alcohol free pure vanilla extract’ im an online caalogue posted on its website.

Telstra has paid an infringement notice of $2.53 million after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found large-scale breaches of rules intended to protect the privacy and safety of customers.

Six subsidiaries of media firm Nine Entertainment have paid penalties totalling $159,840 after the competition regulator the ACCC issued them with 12 infringement notices for allegedly charging subscribers and advertisers excessive payment surcharges.

Telcos Dodo and iPrimus have been ordered to pay $1.5 million and $1 million respectively in penalties for making misleading claims about their NBN broadband speeds.

Mobile phone services provider Amayism has paid a penalty of $126,000 and fellow mobile company, Lycamobile, a penalty of $12,600 for alleged false or misleading representations about their mobile phone plans.

Online comparison website iSelect has been ordered by the Federal Court to pay $8.5 million in penalties for making false or misleading representations about its electricity comparison service.

COVID-19 related issues affecting small businesses saw the number of enquiries to the ACCC in the first half of this year increase by 42%, compared to the previous six months, according to the competition watchdog’s small business in focus report.

Sony has been hit with penalties of $3.5 million for misrepresenting PlayStation gamers’ rights after the competition watchdog, the ACCC, took Sony to court for making false and misleading representations on its website and in dealings with Australian consumers about their Australian Consumer Law rights.

New Zealand’s competition regulator The Commerce Commission has fined holiday rental management and accommodation company Bachcare $117,000 for misleading consumers by altering and withholding publication of online reviews posted by users of its accommodation services.

Optus has been hit with a $6.4 million fine by Australia’s competitition regulator for making misleading claims about home Internet disconnections to consumers.

Online digital marketplace Oneflare has paid a $75,600 infringement notice for breaching spam rules by sending commercial SMS messages to phone numbers it found on public directories, and commercial SMS messages without an unsubscribe option.

Training college Unique has copped penalties of $4.165 million for breaches of consumer regulations - including enrolling consumers in VET FEE-HELP funded courses - and luring some consumers with the offer of free laptops to derive revenues from the Commonwealth, to their detriment.

Telco BVivid has paid fines totalling $25,000 for making telemarketing calls to consumers in areas transitioning to the NBN that breached Australian Consumer Law.

Online spare parts retailer Big Warehouse has paid a $12,600 penalty after the ACCC issued an infringement notice against the company for allegedly breaching Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by misleading a consumer about their consumer guarantee rights in relation to spare parts they had ordered.

Energy retailers Dodo and CovaU have been hit with penalties by the competition regulator, the ACCC, for alleged misleading claims about discounts available on their energy plans.

Mobile service provider Lycamobile has been penalised $25,000 for underpaying an employee’s wages, including full overtime entitlements.

Telemarketing company Lead My Way has fallen foul of the Do Not Call rules governing unsolicited telemarketing calls, paying a penalty of $285,600 for an infringement following an investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

ACCC chair Rod Sims is advocating for changes to business-to-business “unfair” contract terms in standard form contracts, saying there is a strong case to both strengthen the law and introduce penalties for breaking it.

NBN provider MyRepublic has "paid penalties totalling $25,200 following the ACCC issuing two infringement notices for alleged false or misleading representations about its NBN service performance".