| The
table below shows the number of cases received, investigated
and closed by the Fair Trading Commission during the calendar
year 2003.
CASE STATISTICS FOR CALENDAR YEAR
2003
| PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES |
Received |
Investigated |
Resolved |
| Airline
Services |
3 |
17 |
4 |
|
Apparel & Accessories/ Footware |
18 |
28 |
12 |
| Appliances |
2 |
2 |
1 |
| Auto
Parts & Supplies |
7 |
17 |
6 |
| Banking/Credit
Card |
7 |
13 |
2 |
| Cable
Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Cellular
Phones |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Computers |
22 |
58 |
19 |
|
Educational Institutions |
14 |
32 |
6 |
|
Financial Services |
18 |
38 |
14 |
| Food
& Beverages |
12 |
26 |
29 |
| Furniture |
36 |
66 |
18 |
| Hardware
& Household Fixtures |
78 |
169 |
59 |
| Internet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Insurance |
5 |
7 |
2 |
| Lotteries |
3 |
6 |
3 |
| Machine
& Equipment |
4 |
11 |
2 |
| Motor
Vehicle & Bikes |
127 |
266 |
84 |
| Office
Equipment |
1 |
6 |
2 |
| Petroleum |
6 |
12 |
6 |
| Professional
Services |
9 |
17 |
0 |
| Real
Estate |
8 |
14 |
7 |
| Telecommunications |
89 |
136 |
40 |
| Transportation |
0 |
6 |
1 |
| Utilities |
1 |
5 |
1 |
| Other(2) |
68 |
103 |
35 |
| TOTAL |
538 |
1055 |
333 |
Notes
1. Insurance includes Life,
Health and Motor Vehicle Insurance
2. Other includes product areas
such as Agriculture, Consumer Welfare, Health, Pharmaceuticals
and Optometry. It also includes categories not listed in CCM
(eg. Government Services)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A review of the year 2003 indicates that a
total of 538 cases were received, 1,055 cases were investigated
and 333 cases were closed. The highest volumes of complaints
related to the product areas indicated in the pie chart and
table below. 'Motor Vehicles and Bikes' accounted for 25% of
the total number of cases investigated; 'Hardware & Household
Fixtures' for 16%; 'Telecommunications' for 13%; 'Furniture'
, 'Computers' and ‘Financial Services each accounting
for 6%, 5% and 4% respectively. The category 'Other' includes
product areas such as Agriculture, Consumer Welfare, Health,
Pharmaceuticals, Optometry and Government Services
PRODUCTS
WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES INVESTIGATED
DURING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2003
| Products
And Services |
Cases
Investigated |
| Motor
Vehicle & Bikes |
266 |
| Hardware
& Household Fixtures |
169 |
| Computers |
58 |
| Telecommunications |
136 |
| Financial
Services |
38 |
| Other |
322 |
| TOTAL |
1100 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
statistics below indicate that the calendar year 2003 has accounted
for the second highest number of cases received by the FTC,
since its inception. The table below shows the number of cases
received, investigated and closed as well as the corresponding
resolution rate for the last six years. The resolution rate
has declined from 53% during the year 2002 to 32% during the
year 2003. This resulted in the FTC closing 250 fewer cases
during that period (from 583 cases in 2002 to 333 in 2003).
CASES RECEIVED, INVESTIGATED AND CLOSED CATEGORIZED
BY BREACH FOR THE PERIOD JANUARY 1, 2003- DECEMBER 31, 2003.
Breach
/ Investigation |
Received |
Investigated |
Resolved |
| Abuse
of a Dominant Position |
- |
4 |
3 |
| Double
Ticketing |
1 |
1 |
- |
| Failure
to Supply at a bargain Price |
1 |
1 |
- |
| FTC
Initiated Investigation |
- |
1 |
- |
| Misleading
Advertising |
457 |
927 |
281 |
| Sale
Above Advertised Price |
1 |
1 |
- |
| Not
Covered by the FCA |
29 |
43 |
24 |
| Not
Under the ACT |
1 |
1 |
- |
| Offences
Against Competition |
29 |
44 |
10 |
| Request
for Opinion / information |
19 |
31 |
14 |
| Sale
Above Advertised Price |
- |
1 |
- |
| TOTAL
INVESTIGATED |
538 |
1055 |
332 |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CASES RECEIVED, INVESTIGATED AND CLOSED
FOR THE CALENDAR YEARS 1998-2003
| Year |
Received |
Investigated |
Closed |
Resolution
rate |
1998 |
430 |
802 |
540 |
67% |
1999 |
349 |
611 |
280 |
46% |
2000 |
371 |
702 |
458 |
65% |
2001 |
485 |
729 |
231 |
31% |
2002 |
602 |
1100 |
583 |
53% |
| 2003 |
538 |
1055 |
333 |
32% |
|
