Boots pleads guilty to overpricing

CHEMIST shop chain Boots has pleaded guilty to four counts of charging more at the checkout than the price displayed on the shelves for certain goods.

It was among a number of companies fined a total 6,600 by the courts for breaches of the consumer laws.

Boots was fined 600 in respect of each case in a Dublin outlet with an additional 300 being awarded by Judge Claire Leonard in the Dublin District Court.

There was nobody at Boots available for comment yesterday. The cases also brought before Dublin District Court this week by the Director of Consumer Affairs, Carmel Foley, involved an insurance company and car dealerships Dublin-based Penco Insurances Ltd, trading as Penco MGM, was fined 1,500 with 300 costs for advertisements which showed the interest rates on personal loans to be less than the annual percentage rate BM Drumcondra Motors Ltd, trading as Drumcondra Renault, was fined 1,000 with 300 costs for failing to adequately display the actual rate of interest on car financing deals.

Another car dealer, Carroll and Roche Cars Ltd was fined 500 with 300 costs for a similar offence.

Commenting on the convictions, Ms Foley said: “All service providers should be aware that consumers have rights which are guaranteed by law."