News
Consumers to sue Philips for CRT cartel compensation
ConsumentenClaim/TV-Claim is taking Philips and other cartel parties to court on behalf of consumers who are disadvantaged by the CRT cartel. This is the first class-action in the Netherlands about liability because of cartels.
Read more DutchNews.nl, published on the 17th of January 2017 Interest groups join forces against CRT cartel
ConsumentenClaim/TV-Claim and the Dutch consumers ' association work together to enforce a compensation scheme for consumers who have paid too much between 1996 and 2006 for their television or computer monitor by prohibited price fixing.
Published on the 15th of January 2016 European Court reaffirms cartel fine Philips
On september 9, 2015, the European Court determined that the previously to Philips CRT cartel fine must remain fully in. By prohibited price fixing everyone paid around 10% too much for a tv or computer monitor. This ruling opens the way for a compensation scheme for victims.
Published on the 9th of September 2015
“Cartel claims should be made easier” says the European Commission
Brussels signals that most consumers find it hard to get compensated for their damage in cartel cases. The EU wants to make the process of complaints against cartels more transparent and accessible to consumers. The European Parliament and the Member States have yet to approve the plans. Read more.
Nu.nl, published on 11 June 2013
“Claim organisation is looking for angry British consumers” and “Hunt for British picture tube claims” headlines in Dutch newspapers
The Dutch press picked up on recent developments in the picture tube claim. Both NU.nl and de Telegraaf mention the picture tube claim going overseas to the United Kingdom. The newspapers calculate that the claim in the Netherlands, with 45.000 registrations so far, could rise to 4,5 million euro and mention a possible further expansion of the claim to Germany. Read more here and here.
TV Claim, published on 11 June 2013
Registration opened for picture tube claim in United Kingdom
Free registration for the picture tube claim is now open to UK residents. TV Claim works on a ‘no cure no pay’ basis, which means that you only pay if you receive compensation. Duped consumers can register for free here.
TV Claim, published on 11 June 2013
Picture tube claim started in the Netherlands
Due to illegal price-fixing agreements between picture tube producers, consumers and businesses who bought TVs and computer screens between 1996 and 2006 paid too much. This overcharge involved some 10% of the purchase price.
According to the European Commission, “For almost 10 years, the cartelists carried out the most harmful anti-competitive practices, including price fixing, market sharing, customer allocation, capacity and output coordination and exchanges of sensitive commercial information."
In December 2012, the European Commission imposed a 1.47bn euro fine on a number of picture tube producers for running a cathode ray tube cartel. On the basis of this, TV Claim/ConsumentenClaim has decided to start a claim against the cathode ray tube producers. Registration for this claim started on Saturday 16 February 2013. Tens of thousands of victims have already registered.
TV Claim, published on 20 February 2013
European mega fine
Philips, along with six other electronics companies, has received mega fines for forming a cartel in the cathode ray tubes (CRT) market. The companies made illegal agreements over the price and production of CRTs between 1996 and 2006. They effectively divided up the market among themselves and agreed to produce a limited number of CRTs. The CRT is an important component of 'old-fashioned' televisions, and amounts to approximately half the total costs of a television or computer screen. According to the European Commission, there were two cartels, one for TV CRTs and one for computer screen CRTs. The European Commission indicated that the actions of these cartels have ultimately led to consumers paying more than a fair price.
NOS.nl, published on 5 December 2012
Fine of hundreds of millions for electronic giants' cartel
Philips and six other TV manufacturers have been fined for illegal price-fixing agreements regarding cathode ray tubes (CRTs). According to Brussels, the companies made agreements regarding components of CRTs for televisions and computers from 1996 to 2006. They also divided the markets and customers among themselves and limited their production of CRTs. The seven companies were fined a total of more than 1.47 billion euros by the European Commission, with Philips being given the highest fine of some 500 million euros. The fine must be paid within three months.
NU.nl, published on 5 December, 2012