Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Fisher & Paykel Customer Services Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 1393

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Fisher & Paykel Customer Services Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 1393 Citation: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Fisher & Paykel Customer Services Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 1393

Parties: AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION and SCOTT GREGSON, CURRENTLY THE EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, CONSUMER ENFORCEMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION v FISHER & PAYKEL CUSTOMER SERVICES PTY LTD (ACN 003 335 171) and DOMESTIC & GENERAL SERVICES PTY LTD (ACN 127 221 032)

File number: NSD 2309 of 2013

Judge: WIGNEY J

Date of judgment: 19 December 2014

Catchwords: COMPETITION – misleading or deceptive conduct – admitted contraventions of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) – orders sought by consent – whether declarations, injunctions, non-punitive orders and pecuniary penalties sought appropriate – relevant principles

Legislation: Australian Consumer Law (Cth) (Sch 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth)

Cases cited: Australian Communications and Media Authority v TPG Internet Pty Ltd (2014) 221 FCR 502 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Albert (2005) 223 ALR 467 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Artorios Ink Co Pty Ltd (No. 2) [2013] FCA 1292 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (2007) ATPR 42-140; [2006] FCA 1730 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Dataline.Net.Au Pty Ltd (2007) 161 FCR 513 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Flight Centre (No 3) [2014] FCA 292 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v IPM Operation and Maintenance Loy Yang Pty Ltd (2006) 157 FCR 162 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Mandurvit Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 464 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v MSY Technology (No 2) (2011) 279 ALR 609 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v MSY Technology Pty Ltd (2012) 201 FCR 378 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Real Estate Institute of Western Australia Inc (1999) 161 ALR 79 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Renegade Gas Pty Ltd (trading as Supagas NSW) [2014] FCA 1135 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Seven Network Ltd (2007) 244 ALR 343 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Target Australia Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1326 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Telstra Corporation Ltd (2010) 188 FCR 238 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Titan Marketing Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 913 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Woolworths (South Australia) Pty Ltd (trading as Mac's Liquor) (2003) 198 ALR 417 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Z-Tek Computer Pty Ltd (1997) 78 FCR 197 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v GE Capital Finance Australia, in the matter of GE Capital Finance Australia [2014] FCA 701 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Ingleby (2013) 275 FLR 171 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Macdonald (No 12) (2009) 259 ALR 116 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Mauer-Swisse Securities Ltd (2002) 42 ACSR 605 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Pegasus Leveraged Options Group Pty Ltd (2002) 41 ACSR 561 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Triton Underwriting Insurance Agency Pty Ltd (2003) 48 ACSR 249 Australian Securities Commission v Donovan (1998) 28 ACSR 583 Barbaro v The Queen (2014) 305 ALR 323; [2014] HCA 2 BMW Australia Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2004) 207 ALR 452 Commodore Business Machines Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1990) 92 ALR 563 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Cahill (2010) 269 ALR 1 Director of the Fair Work Building Industry Inspectorate v Constriction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union [2013] FCA 1014 DP World Sydney Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia (No. 2) [2014] FCA 596 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 421 Global One Mobile Entertainment Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2012] FCAFC 134 ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1992) 38 FCR 248 J McPhee & Sons (Aust) Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2000) 172 ALR 532 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357 Melway Publishing Pty Ltd v Robert Hicks Pty Ltd (2001) 205 CLR 1 Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts v PGP Developments Pty Ltd (2010) 183 FCR 10 Minister for Industry, Tourism & Resources v Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd (2004) ATPR 41-993; [2004] FCAFC 72 NW Frozen Foods Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (1996) 71 FCR 285 R v MacNeil-Brown (2008) 20 VR 677 Re HIH Insurance (in prov liq); ASIC v Adler (2002) 42 ACSR 80 Rural Press Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2003) 216 CLR 53 Russian Commercial and Industrial Bank v British Bank for Foreign Trade Ltd [1921] 2 AC 438 SingTel Optus Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 287 ALR 249 Tax Practitioners Board v Dedic [2014] FCA 511; Tobacco Institute of Australia Ltd v Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Inc (No. 2) (1993) 41 FCR 89 TPG Internet Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2012) 210 FCR 277 Trade Practices Commission v CSR Ltd (1991) 13 ATPR 41-076; [1990] FCA 521 Wong v The Queen (2001) 207 CLR 584