Businesses warned against ripping off customers during lockdown

Cropped view of young woman putting goods on counter in supermarket

Businesses are being warned they must not rip customers off during lockdown.

The Commerce Commission says businesses and individuals could be fined or face jail terms under new cartel laws if they fix prices or collude.

It comes as Consumer NZ says it’s been inundated with complaints from Kiwis about price increases at supermarkets under Alert Level 4.

The Commerce Commission says while businesses can work together to ensure essential supplies are distributed, they must not agree to fix prices, allocate markets or restrict output.

They give the examples of competing tradespeople – they should not agree on the prices they’ll charge for essential repair services during a lockdown.

The Commerce Commission has revealed it's already had complaints about such behaviour.

People are being urged to report any similar conduct to the Commerce Commission.

Examples of price increases at supermarkets reported to Consumer NZ include people saying their usual shopping bill has increased by nearly $100 and prices of essential items such as yogurt, eggs and meat going up by over $1 an item.

Have you noticed price increases on goods during lockdown? Feel ripped off? Contact Katie Bradford at  Katie.Bradford@tvnz.co.nz .

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