Moving Belgium to Scotland

Belgian movers fined for operating a price fixing cartel

In a press release issued by the European Commission, seven of Belgium's leading international movers, excluding Capital Worldwide, fixed the prices quoted to their customers for their international moving requirements. The full press release can be found here:

IP/08/415
Brussels, 11 March 2008Antitrust: Commission fines providers of international removal services in Belgium over €32.7 million for complex cartelThe European Commission has imposed fines, totalling € 32 755 500, on Allied Arthur Pierre, Compas, Coppens, Gosselin, Interdean, Mozer, Putters, Team Relocations, Transworld and Ziegler for fixing prices, sharing the market and bid rigging for international removal services, in violation of the EC Treaty's ban on cartels (Article 81). The cartel operated for almost nineteen years (from October 1984 to September 2003). Cartel members fixed prices, presented bogus quotes to clients and compensated each other for lost bids. Allied Arthur Pierre's fine was reduced by 50% because it cooperated in the investigation under the Commission's 2002 Leniency Notice. The case was investigated on the Commission's own initiative.

Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said: "Clients of international removal companies have been cheated for almost two decades. Fortunately, the Commission discovered this cartel on its own initiative, demonstrating that the Commission has independent means to detect cartels and is using them successfully."

The Commission started an investigation at its own initiative with surprise inspections, carried out at the premises of Allied Arthur Pierre, Interdean, Transworld and Ziegler in September 2003 in Belgium. The inspections proved particularly successful and abundant evidence of cartel activities was obtained.

What annoys me most about this, is the way my company has been muscled out of working for such companies as Huntsman, Coca-Cola and other multi national by the very companies that have been fined for price fixing!! Of course, I now know why - I wasn't part of the scam.

Capital Worldwide Limited
Web site: http://www.capital-worldwide.com
Email: moving@capital-worldwide.com
Phone: 02 535 7430