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Companies Dell Technologies Inc FollowJune 6 (Reuters) - Dell Technologies Inc's (DELL.N) Australian unit has been found guilty by the country's Federal Court to have misled customers about the prices or discounts on its add-on monitors on its website, Australia's competition regulator said on Tuesday. When customers chose to buy a personal computer, Dell Australia gave them an option to bundle a compatible monitor at a discounted, or a 'strikethrough' price, suggesting it would be cheaper to buy the monitor in a bundle rather than separately. Consumers paid more than A$2 million ($1.32 million) for add-on monitors between August 2019 and mid-December 2021, the regulator added. Dell Australia, which sold more than 5,300 add-on monitors with overstated discounts during the period, has refunded or agreed to offer compensation to more than 4,250 affected consumers, and has been ordered to offer full or partial refunds to affected customers. ($1 = 1.5122 Australian dollars)Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sameer Manekar, Rashmi Organizations: Dell Technologies, Dell Australia, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Origin, Australia's top energy retailer, on Monday agreed to the long-running takeover offer from the consortium, nearing the conclusion of one of the country's biggest private equity-backed buyouts. Once the deal is completed, EIG's MidOcean Energy will take control of Origin's integrated gas business. Thomas said government policy swings world over are a by-product of the volatility associated with the tension between energy security and the transition to cleaner energy. Origin, Australia's No. Brookfield said it plans to invest a further A$20 billion of capital to fully replace Origin's power generation and its power purchases with green power over a decade.

☆ Alliance Aviation says Australian regulator delays Qantas deal review again
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO: Qantas aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Australia, November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo/File PhotoMarch 20 (Reuters) - Australia's Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (AQZ.AX) said on Monday the country's competition regulator has delayed a review until April 20 of the proposed acquisition of the charter operator by Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX). This marked the fourth delay so far by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the carrier's A$610.8 million ($409.97 million) acquisition offer of Alliance Aviation. Last May, Qantas announced plans to buy the remaining 80% stake in Alliance Aviation in an all-stock deal to expand its footprint in the charter business. Under the agreement, Qantas said the number of wet-lease aircraft options available from Alliance Airlines, a unit of Alliance Aviation Services, will be up to 12 additional Embraer E190 aircraft.

☆ Alliance Aviation Services says Australian regulator delays Qantas deal review
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 20 (Reuters) - Australia's Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (AQZ.AX) said on Monday the country's competition regulator had delayed a review of the proposed acquisition of the charter operator by Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX). The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has delayed its decision until April 20, marking the fourth delay so far on the carrier's A$610.8 million ($409.97 million) buy of Alliance Aviation Services. In May last year, Qantas said it would buy the remaining 80% stake in Alliance Aviation Services in an all-stock deal to expand its footprint in the charter business. ACCC and Qantas did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. ($1 = 1.4899 Australian dollars)Reporting by Upasana Singh and Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australian regulator to monitor rapid growth in digital platforms sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 8 (Reuters) - The Australian competition regulator said on Wednesday it would probe the country's fast-evolving ecosystem of digital platform service providers as part of a five-year inquiry into the sector. "Interconnected products ... can provide consumers with a seamless experience that simplifies everyday tasks, but it's important that competition and consumers are not harmed as digital platforms invest across different sectors and technologies and expand their reach," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. ACCC also published an issues paper, seeking feedback from consumers, businesses and relevant stakeholders concerning the investment choices made by digital platforms and the potential effect on competition and consumers. This follows the ACCC announcing in January that it had conducted a sweep to identify misleading testimonials and endorsements by social media influencers across a range of digital platforms. Reporting by Riya Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brookfield consortium trims offer for Australia's Origin Energy to $10.5 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Scott Murdoch | Thomson Reuters | Scott Murdoch Has Been A Journalist For More Than Two Decades Working For Thomson Reuters | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 22 (Reuters) - A Brookfield-led consortium trimmed its offer for Origin Energy by 1% on Wednesday, valuing Australia's no.2 power producer and energy retailer at A$15.33 billion ($10.5 billion), after government moves to cap gas prices hit valuations in the sector. The consortium's first offer in November of A$9 per share was a near 55% premium to its previous close and valued Origin A$15.5 billion. Argo Investments, Origin's ninth largest investor, said the revised offer was still good value for the takeover target. The revised offer comprises A$8.90 apiece for the first 100,000 Origin shares. Almost 75% of Origin's shareholders own fewer than 100,000 shares, according to its annual report.

☆ Australia regulator to probe social media influencers for false endorsements
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator said on Friday it would check whether influencers on social media platforms had failed to disclose their affiliation with the brands they were promoting. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it would look at more than 100 influencers after several consumers informed the regulator about some endorsements and testimonials which they said were misleading. The probe will target influencers in fashion, cosmetics, food and beverage, travel, fitness, parenting, gaming and technology. It will also check if advertisers, marketers, brands and social media platforms are facilitating any misconduct. The ACCC has been conducting a series of investigations as part of a broader Digital Platform Services Inquiry, focused on the provision of social media services, including sponsored posts and influencer advertising on social media platforms.

☆ Australia blocks Telstra-TPG wireless internet deal, sparking legal fight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Australia's antitrust regulator blocked an asset transfer deal between Telstra and TPG, the country's No.1 and No.2 wireless internet firms, citing competition concerns, setting the scene for a legal battle over access to four million customers. In a deal announced in May, Telstra Group (TLS.AX) was to buy spectrum - airwaves which carry wireless internet - and transmission towers from TPG Telecom Ltd (TPG.AX), while TPG would keep selling 4G and 5G coverage using what would become Telstra's infrastructure. 3 wireless internet provider Optus, owned by Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI), opposed the deal saying it would build Telstra's market dominance. The decision sets up a second legal showdown between TPG and the ACCC in just over two years. "By knocking back this deal, the ACCC has helped ensure that our regional communities will continue to benefit from competition," said Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin in a statement.

☆ Australia rejects Telstra, TPG's network-sharing deal; firms to appeal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 21 (Reuters) - The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Wednesday rejected TPG Telecom's (TPG.AX) regional network-sharing agreement with Telstra Group (TLS.AX), and said the deal would significantly weaken overall competition in the country. TPG's shares tanked nearly 6% to a record low following the news, while Telstra slipped 0.1%. In February, the telecom giants signed a regional multi-operator core network agreement under which Telstra — the country's largest telecoms operator — would gain access to TPG's 4G and 5G spectrums. TPG and Telstra expressed disappointment with the competition regulator's decision, which the latter said it would appeal against, while rival telecoms firm Optus — owned by Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI) — welcomed it. ACCC noted the network-sharing arrangement is proposed at a time when all the three companies — TPG, Telstra and Optus — are competing in the roll-out of 5G infrastructure including in regional areas.

☆ Australia's competition watchdog rejects Telstra-TPG network sharing deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Wednesday rejected TPG Telecom's (TPG.AX) network sharing agreement with Telstra Corp (TLS.AX), saying the deal would significantly weaken competition in the country. 2 internet service provider - said it was "disappointed" with the Australian competition regulator's decision and is preparing an application for a review of the decision. In February, the companies signed a regional multi-operator core network agreement under which Telstra, the country's largest telecoms operator, would gain access to TPG's 4G and 5G spectrums. The deal was expected to deliver between A$1.6 bln ($1.07 bln) and A$1.8 billion of revenue to Telstra over the initial 10-year term. Reporting by Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Shinjini GanguliOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia fines Uber $14 mln for misleading on fares and cancellation fees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Dec 7 (Reuters) - An Australian court fined Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) A$21 million ($14 million) on Wednesday for threatening cancellation fees it never charged and overstating fare estimates on some rides. The evidence supplied suggested less than 0.5% of Uber customers had gone ahead with a trip due to concern about cancellation fees. The UberTaxi algorithm overshot the fare estimate 89% of the time, but less than 1% of total Uber rides used that service, the judge said. The judge had made clear that the lower penalty "should not be understood as any reduction in the court's resolve to impose penalties appropriate to ... deterring contraventions of the Australian Consumer Law", Cass-Gottlieb added. ($1 = 1.4945 Australian dollars)Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Bradley Perrett, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia sues Telstra for not informing customers of downgrade in internet speed
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Australian competition regulator on Tuesday took the country's top telecom firm Telstra Corp (TLS.AX) to court for failing to inform some customers about downgrading the upload speed of its broadband plan. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) initiated the lawsuit in the Federal Court, alleging it downgraded broadband upload speed for nearly 9,000 residential customers in October and November 2020 without informing them or lowering its charges. The regulator alleged that the affected customers had opted for Telstra's cheaper broadband offering, Belong, between May 2017 and October 2020. While around 2,500 customers were remediated with a one-off A$90 credit after Telstra acknowledged the error in early-2021, it is yet to inform more than 6,300 customers of the downgrade to their maximum upload speed, the ACCC alleged. Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australian telecom firms fined $22.1 mln for false internet speed claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 11 (Reuters) - Three Australian telecom firms have been ordered by a court to pay a collective A$33.5 million ($22.08 million) in penalties for making misleading claims about speeds of some NBN internet plans, the country's competition regulator said on Friday. The Australian Federal Court has ordered Telstra (TLS.AX) to pay A$15 million, a unit of TPG Telecom (TPG.AX) to cough up A$5 million, and imposed a fine of A$13.5 million on Optus, a unit of Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI), the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) said. All three telcos have admitted in court of making false or misleading statements, the regulator said, claiming nearly 120,000 customers were affected. According to the ACCC, the false or misleading statements were made for at least 12 months in 2019 and possibly extended until 2020, related to their 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) or 100Mbps fibre to the node plans. ($1 = 1.5175 Australian dollars)Reporting by Harshita Swaminathan; Editing by Sherry Jacob-PhillipsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Origin Energy Ltd (ORG.AX), Australia's no.2 power producer and energy retailer, backed an A$18.4 billion ($11.8 billion) non-binding buyout offer from a consortium led by Canada's Brookfield Asset Management, the companies said on Thursday. The deal sent Origin's share price soaring nearly 40% in early trade to A$8.14. Origin opened its books to the consortium after it raised its offer to A$9 per share in cash, a near 55% premium to Origin's last close of A$5.81. The bid from Brookfield comes after it was rebuffed earlier this year when it led a $3.5 billion takeover offer for Australia's top power producer, AGL Energy (AGL.AX). Under the indicative proposal submitted on Thursday, Brookfield would acquire Origin's energy markets business, while MidOcean Energy, the other consortium partner, would take control of Origin's integrated gas business, including its 27.5% stake in Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG).

☆ Australian watchdog to take Dell to court for alleged misleading cost claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator said on Friday it would take the local unit of U.S. computer firm Dell Technologies Inc (DELL.N) to court for allegedly misleading people about the cost of buying add-on monitors. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said between August 2019 to Dec. 16, 2021, Dell Australia allegedly made false or misleading representations on its website and the potential savings a customer got when an additional monitor was purchased with a computer. In an emailed statement, Dell said the issue affected about 2,100 customers due to an error in its pricing processes which led to incorrect information being displayed on its website about the pricing and savings associated with certain monitors. The company added that it was actively working to update its systems to prevent the error from re-occurring. Reporting by Jaskiran Singh and Upasana Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qantas 'disappointed' at regulator delaying Alliance Aviation deal verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) on Friday "expressed disappointment" at the country's competition regulator delaying its decision on the carrier's $394 million buy of Alliance Aviation Services (AQZ.AX). In May, Qantas said it was buying the remaining 80% stake in charter flights operator Alliance Aviation Services for A$610.8 million ($394.03 million). read moreAlliance Aviation's charter alliance agreement with Virgin Australia also hangs in the balance, with the ACCC proposing to deny approval for the firms to extend their agreement. If Qantas succeeds in buying Alliance Aviation, the charter alliance deal extension is even less likely to go through. Alliance Aviation's shares last traded at A$3.23, a 32% discount to Qantas' offer price of A$4.75.

☆ Fitbit sued in Australia for misleading consumers on faulty devices
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Australia's competition regulator has begun court proceedings against Fitbit LLC for allegedly making false or misleading claims to consumers about their guarantee rights on faulty devices, it said on Monday. "All consumers have... automatic consumer guarantee rights that cannot be excluded, restricted or modified. The consumer guarantee rights exist in addition to any warranties offered by manufacturers," said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb. Additionally, Fitbit told consumers that once they received a replacement device for an originally faulty product, they were not entitled to a second replacement if Fitbit's two-year 'limited warranty period' for the original device had expired, ACCC alleged. The ACCC, which is seeking penalties and injunctions, said their case includes 58 examples of consumers who were allegedly misled by Fitbit when they complained about faulty devices.

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