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The Irish Sun

Major retailer to pay over €5k to charity & CCPC after admitting breaking new pricing laws during Black Friday sales

BOOTS Ireland has admitted breaking pricing laws during a 2023 Black Friday sale, triggering a Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) investigation. The retail giant was summonsed to appear before Judge Anthony Halpin at Advertisement It was prosecuted under a law that compelled traders to base any discount on the lowest price in at least the previous 30 days and to display this price clearly on any price tag or advertisement. The case centred on Oral B toothbrushes. Noting that the wrongly advertised price information stemmed from "human error", the firm's lack of prior convictions and its guilty plea, Judge Halpin said He adjourned the case until June 26, saying that if it paid €4,624 toward the CCPC costs and €1,000 to the Little Flower Penny Dinners charity, he would apply the Probation of Offender's Act. It was among the first batch of prosecutions under new sales pricing rules introduced in 2022. Advertisement Read more in Money Cathal Ó Braonáin BL, for the competition regulator, said the offence arises when a retailer announces a reduced selling cost without announcing the product's prior price, which must be the lowest offered by that trader in the preceding 30 days. Boots Ireland pleaded guilty to a sample count, with two others withdrawn. Counsel explained that a proposal was accepted on the basis that the company would pay costs and the court would hear facts on all three charges. Mr Ó Braonáin said CCPC authorised officer David Mulholland was tasked with overseeing and managing traders' price reduction announcements on their websites for the November 17, 2023, Black Friday sale. Data collected from Boots revealed there had been three breaches. Advertisement Most read in The Irish Sun Exclusive Latest The first involved a black limited edition Oral-B iO 10 electric toothbrush, which was advertised for sale at €470, and the prior price indicated was €999.99. The date of the reduction announcement was November 16, 2023, but that was not the lowest price applied to the product over the previous 30 days. INCORRECT PRIOR PRICE Judge Halpin heard that from November 11 to 14, it was offered for sale at €470, the same price, so €999.99 was not the correct prior price. The next item was another Oral B electric toothbrush advertised on November 16 for €240, with the indicated prior sale price being €590.99. However, from November 9 to 14, it was offered at a lower cost of €228. Advertisement The final charge involved the sale of Dior Eau de Toilette at €104 when the previous price indicated was €123, but it had been offered at a lower cost of €94 earlier that month. Boots' solicitor, Eoin Mac Aodha, pleaded for leniency, telling Judge Halpin that it was a human error and the firm was remorseful. TINY NUMBER He stressed that there were about 104,000 products on promotion on A full review of internal processes has since taken place, and guidance, protocols, and governance have been updated. Advertisement Mr MacAodha submitted that Boots was happy to make a charitable donation and to pay costs. Judge Halpin remarked that Boots was a very reputable firm in HARM CAUSED The charge came under the European Union (Requirements to Indicate Product Prices) (Amendment) Regulations introduced in November 2022. Following the court hearing, Brian McHugh, Chairperson of the CCPC, said: 'Misleading sale discounts harm consumers and harm competition. Businesses need to be able to compete for consumers openly and honestly on price. Advertisement 'Transparency around sales discounts allows consumers to make informed decisions about their purchases and to shop with confidence.' Lifestyle Sports (Ireland), DID Electrical Appliances, Rath-Wood Home and Garden World Today, Judge Halpin noted they had each paid €1,000 to the Little Flower Penny Dinners and the costs of the CCPC. Consequently, he spared them convictions and applied the Probation of Offenders Act in their cases. 1 Boots Ireland has admitted breaking pricing laws during a 2023 Black Friday sale Credit: Getty Images - Getty Advertisement