One prosecution, four cartel raids and 122k items taken off Irish market in 2023 say CCPC
Market surveillance found travel adaptors, hurling helmets, water beads and toys with chemicals among items recalled
The Annual Report 2023 published by the Consumer Competition Protection Commission (CCPC) has found only one completed prosecution for the year, four cartel raids and over 120,000 products removed from the Irish market.
The prosecution was in relation to a Limerick based car dealer, Patrick Quinn, trading as Raheen Auto Centre.
Mr Quinn was found, in an investigation by the CCPC, to be displaying the wrong mileage of the car at the time of sale.
According to the CCPC, having purchased the vehicle from another trader, Mr Quinn had brought the car for the NCT and subsequently placed an advert on Donedeal which included a photograph of the car’s odometer which read 183,231km.
Further to a report received by the CCPC, officers visited Mr Quinn at Raheen Auto Centre in the following days and upon inspection of the car, found that the odometer reading was approximately 68,000km higher than advertised online.
On entering the guilty plea, Mr Quinn was fined €2,000 and €500 costs. Judge Patricia Harney gave Mr Quinn six months to pay the entire sum in full.
Under consumer protection law, it is an offence for traders to give false, misleading or deceptive information about the history of a car.
The CCPC also conducted unannounced searches at four locations for two cartel investigations, using District Court search warrants.
This bid-rigging prosecution involving 13 public transport operators continued in the Central Criminal Court, with the CCPC assisting the DPP in disclosure and six court appearances. The preliminary trial date for the first group of five accused is set for 27 January 2025.
In addition, it was stated that "the CCPC investigated 139 notifications from Ireland and across Europe on unsafe products. This resulted in the withdrawal or recall of over 122,225 products from the Irish market."
Market surveillance found travel adaptors, hurling helmets, water beads and toys with chemicals among products recalled from the Irish market.