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Competitive Watchdog warns PCR COVID test providers that they are at risk of misleading advertising and enforcement measures against failure to deliver results on time.
In an open letter to the provider, the Competitive Markets Authority (CMA) violates consumer protection laws in a variety of harmful practices, including prepaid prices that do not include additional charges and no results within a set time period. Said there is a possibility.
“Concerns” include promotion of prepaid prices for tests that do not include additional charges that everyone has to pay, and promotion of cheap PCR tests that are actually only available in very small quantities or not available at all. ..
The CMA may also fail to provide the PCR test, do not provide results within the specified timescale, or refuse to offer a refund to the consumer if the test is not provided on time. Warn the provider against.
The move follows this week’s announcement that the government will announce that 82 companies facing it will be removed from the Gov.uk list if it advertises misleading prices.
Today we sent an open letter to #PCRtest Providers warn that various harmful practices may violate consumer protection laws: https://t.co/keJXpDK7Qe
The types of actions we have identified so far are: pic.twitter.com/dHaw17zZ4Z
— Competitive Market Authority (@CMAgovUK) August 25, 2021
The CMA letter tells the provider that if they misunderstand or mistreat their customers, they may face enforcement action from the CMA or trading standards.
Instruct them to “immediately review their practices and policies to ensure they comply with the requirements of consumer law and make changes as necessary.”
Sarah Cardell, CMA’s legal counsel, said: Otherwise, there is a risk of coercion.
“Our advice today will help people by setting exactly what they should expect from their money.
“This warning is closely linked to the actions taken by the government this week and is the latest step in our work to tackle rip-off prices and bad service.
“We continue to work closely together [the Department of Health and Social Care] DHSC is considering this market and will provide further advice to DHSC on possible actions. “
By Josie Clarke
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