Hasbro fined Â£5,000,000

StoneCold Skywarp · Post by **StoneCold Skywarp** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 12:36 pm

Posted on behalf of Brendocon

Reports just in indicate that Hasbro have been fined £5,000,000 for price fixing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2527267.stm

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 1:14 pm

Originally posted by StoneCold Skywarp
Posted on behalf of Brendocon

I thought I'd ruin what you were kinda trying to hide

Man, that can't be good.

Scout · Post by **Scout** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 5:53 pm

We all know where the fines are gonna get paid from.... they just raise prices more.

But, as a random sidenote... I still think Armada Laserbeak is way too expensive as it is.

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 6:24 pm

Originally posted by Scout
We all know where the fines are gonna get paid from.... they just raise prices more

Yeah, but at least the stores are allowed to discount them now...

never again · Post by **never again** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 7:38 pm

i'm not sure i understand what price-fixing is; not allowing stores to lower prices?

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 10:27 pm

Originally posted by never again
i'm not sure i understand what price-fixing is; not allowing stores to lower prices?

Yes.

The supplier tells the shop "you can only stock the product if you sell it at this price"

That practise is against EU laws on competition. It isn't fair to the stockist, or to the end consumer.

It's why they're called "manufacturer's suggested retail prices"

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 10:36 pm

Originally posted by Brendocon
Yeah, but at least the stores are allowed to discount them now...

Cool... I'll get an RiD Optimus if Woolies bother to flex this new muscle...

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:18 pm

Originally posted by Scout
But, as a random sidenote... I still think Armada Laserbeak is way too expensive as it is.

When he gets released in Australia, apparently stores are going to sell him for a price thats about inbetween the basic and duluxe price point.

Zath · Post by **Zath** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:31 pm

Armada is already available in Australia.

Grimlock · Post by **Grimlock** » Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:59 pm

WHAT? WHERE?! lol

I'm serious, I want Megs, and I want him now lol.

EDIT: That can't be right, Toys R Us are saying that they will be released on the 1st, alright that's tomorrow, but still.

EDIT2: I stand corrected, Armada is infact out in Australia.

Ravage · Post by **Ravage** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 7:49 am

Oh don't get me started on the EU and their anti-monopoly and fair trade policies. Or how we will do everything in our power to make sure our businesses don't get screwed over. But if yours do oh well. For more proof just looked that GE-Honeywell merger that the EU struck down as it would have possibly hurt European Aircraft Engine builders.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 4:36 pm

Originally posted by Brendocon
Yes.

The supplier tells the shop "you can only stock the product if you sell it at this price"

That practise is against EU laws on competition. It isn't fair to the stockist, or to the end consumer.

It's why they're called "manufacturer's suggested retail prices"

Hmm... the local Toy Cupboard has had Ultra Magnus [RiD] at £19.99 for a while now...

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 6:08 pm

Originally posted by Stuart Denyer
Cool... I'll get an RiD Optimus if Woolies bother to flex this new muscle...

I don't think Woolies were one of the distributors (-ers?) involved. Those who weren't willing to agree to their terms had to go through "other" channels to stock the items, and seeing as the recolour Sideburn I picked up today has the blurb in almost every language bar English, I'd guess that it wasn't a direct Hasbro UK release.

By Ravage
Or how we will do everything in our power to make sure our businesses don't get screwed over. But if yours do oh well

Well, that IS the point of a trade block. To protect the business interests of those member countries, by blocking business from abroad. Don't try and claim any moral high-ground, as the US does exactly the same thing. You have a monopoly and mergers watchdog, you also implement a work-permit system. It all equates to the same thing.

By Quicksilver
Hmm... the local Toy Cupboard has had Ultra Magnus [RiD] at £19.99 for a while now...

Prolly didn't go through the official channels. Or it's very possible that TFs weren't one of the lines included in the arrangement.

Hmm... Toy Cupboard in Winchester... I'd almost forgotten about them. Must try and drum up some business... I bet they're full of bloody K&M...

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 6:18 pm

K&M...? It's quite a nice little store... it got the Trainbots and keyrings before anywhere I checked in So'ton, if nothing else...oh, and they're one of the few places in the area to have a decent stock of mdel aircraft,even if it is all Revel...

Halfshell · Post by **Halfshell** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 7:14 pm

K&M... uhm... what's the bloody brandname? Wild Republic or something... eh. They're not on my Christmas Card list...

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 8:54 pm

Booya! That's what I like to hear.

Originally posted by Brendocon
Well, that IS the point of a trade block. To protect the business interests of those member countries, by blocking business from abroad. Don't try and claim any moral high-ground, as the US does exactly the same thing. You have a monopoly and mergers watchdog, you also implement a work-permit system. It all equates to the same thing.

Unfortunately, ours is broken (see microsoft's anti-trust lawsuit, and the fact that microsoft is still a monopoly).

Ravage · Post by **Ravage** » Sat Nov 30, 2002 10:51 pm

The thing with the Mircosoft case is as much as it sucks to say it.

Breaking up Microsoft would have caused far too much choas than good.

Other OS's would need to be made that are very similar if not close to exact clones of Windows or the millions of people that use Windows that are not computing geniuses would be lost.

As of late alot of companies have went merger crazy and usually it does not work out for the betterment of that company unless they really know what they are doing.

I am somewhat baised against the EU anyway for their blocking of the GE/Honeywell merger as for 1. I was working for GE at time and 2. There seemed to be no reason to block it except to say Rolls Royce, Bombarder and few other companies tails. Also, the fact that GE was more than willing to make more cuts in the deal to make it work but Mario Montfi *or however you spell it* seemed to not care until the deal was butchered to the point where it was useless to both companies.

Roy Fokker · Post by **Roy Fokker** » Sun Dec 01, 2002 7:03 am

Hmm Hasbro sould have just sold these products to the EU distribution companies at a fixed rate and let it go. That way they don't have to worry about these price wars.

Risk · Post by **Risk** » Wed Dec 04, 2002 12:30 pm

How do you think this affeced hasbro's share value? Gone down i would say. Hasbro is a PLC right?

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