Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S consumer group FACUA has reported 230 filling stations for putting up pump prices on April 1- the same day that a 20 cents per litre government discount started.
FACUA has filed complaints with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Spain’s competition regular, the CNMC.
The 20 cent discount is paid for by a 75% government subsidy and the remainder coming from the oil companies.
FACUA says that 230 stations across 37 provinces in 13 regions applied rises of at least five cents per litre on April 1.
It adds that there appears to be evidence that stations colluded over price-fixing.
The worst offenders by region were in Andalucia(65); Castilla-La Mancha(46) and the Valencian Community(32).
The complaint to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs quotes the new law introducing the discount that states that ‘competent authorities may sanction unfair commercial practices with customers over the application of the discount’.
FACUA believes that has happened and wants the Ministry to instruct regional consumer protection authorities to carry out investigations and open up disciplinary proceedings.
Under law, service stations have to pass on the 20 cent discount to all customers.
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