Tesco fined for breaching price laws

IRELAND’S largest grocery supermarket has had to pay €3,500 in fines and costs after 28 breaches of pricing laws.

Tesco’s branch in Dundrum Town Centre was brought before Dublin District Court yesterday following an inspection by the National Consumer Agency (NCA).

Inspectors found the supermarket had failed to comply with laws requiring retailers to display the price of a product as well as the cost per kilogramme, litre or other unit.

Tesco was fined €750 for failing to display the price of a twin-pack of tissues and another €750 for failing to show the cost of a pack of toilet rolls.

The store was also ordered to pay €2,000 costs. A further 26 offences were taken into the consideration, making a total of 28 breaches.

Welcoming the financial penalty, National Consumer Agency boss Ann Fitzgerald said her staff worked with retailers to make them aware of consumer law and had set up a liaison panel.

“This is a two-way street: we provide advice so that retailers can comply with the law and in turn we expect the store owners to play their part,” she said.

“It is incumbent on retailers to ensure that customers know the correct prices of all products before going to the checkout.

“Consumers have a legal right to this so they can make an informed choice on whether to buy in that particular store or go elsewhere.”

Ms Fitzgerald said the NCA would rather work with retailers to persuade them to comply with law rather than enforce legislation by using the courts.

Yesterday, Tesco said the firm, which has 100 stores in Ireland, was reviewing procedures to ensure prices were displayed properly and to avoid a repeat of the court case.

“We take this matter very seriously indeed,” said spokesman Séamus Banim.

“It should not have happened and we are reviewing our systems to ensure it does not happen again.”

consumerconnect.ie