Response From Noel Leeming On Commerce Commission Charges
"We're baffled by the Commerce Commission's decision to press charges. We firmly maintain that we have committed no offence and will vigorously defend this.
We're perplexed by the Commission's claim that price matches were difficult to obtain, when over 250,000 Kiwis saved money with our Price Promise between 2019-2021. Our terms and conditions are fair and presented just like other retailers, and when we can't price match, we often don't get the sale. Price matching is widely used by the industry, and it helps drive competition, and without it, Kiwis will end up paying more.
Our business is built on getting our customers the products they want, when they want them, and at the best possible prices. If we don't get something right, we work hard to ensure fair resolutions for our customers.
Some of the additional matters raised by the Commission occurred during the Covid-19-pandemic, when all businesses experienced unprecedented pressure, and our team went to extraordinary lengths to help Kiwis access the products they needed, handling over ten million transactions.
It is concerning that significant public resources and time have been spent on this matter for over three years, while overlooking more pressing potential harm to consumers from overseas online retailers operating outside of the rules. The system needs to evolve and hold all retailers selling to New Zealanders to the same standards of care.'
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