On the 24th July, the EU Commission issued fines against four electronics companies for breaching antitrust rules by fixing resale prices on their online retailers.
All four companies, namely Asus, Denon & Marantz, Philips and Pioneer, did not allow their resellers to set their own prices and instead pressured them to maintain a minimum resale price. The fines issued ranged from more than 63 million for Asus to 7.7 million for Denon & Marantz. The fines were reduced as a result of the cooperation of the companies to the investigation. The prime target of this practice were online resellers, who tend to sell their products at lower prices.
As online resellers adjust their prices automatically to that of competitors, the practice had a wide effect on the market. Furthermore, the goods in question were widely used consumer goods from computers to kitchen appliances and personal care products, meaning a significant impact on consumers.
The practice of fixing resale prices is prevalent in online markets and Commissioner Margrethe Vestager highlighted the fact that the online market is ever growing and it is imperative to protect consumers.
What happens to the consumer affected by these high prices in electronics? They can seek damages in court, following Directive 2014/104/EU (The Antitrust Damages Directive) using the Commission decisions as proof of illegal behaviour of the companies.
