The Antitrust has launched investigations with inspections against Eni, Esso, IP, Kuwait Petroleum Italia and Tamoil.
The Authority announced it, explaining that it had found irregularities in the application of a different price to the pump than advertised, as well as in the failure to communicate fuel prices to the "Osservaprezzi carburanti" portal.
The checks revealed "lack of diligence" on the part of the companies in checks on distributors.
Eni, Esso, IP, Kuwait Petroleum Italia and Tamoil "have not adopted suitable measures or initiatives to prevent and combat this illegal conduct to the detriment of consumers".
"Today - reads the Antitrust note - the Antitrust Authority for competition and the market, with the help of the special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza, carried out inspections in the offices of the companies Eni Spa, Esso Italiana Srl, Italiana Petroli Spa, Kuwait Petroleum Italia Spa and Tamoil Italia Spa. The proceedings were also initiated on the basis of the documentation promptly provided by the Guardia di Finanza regarding the infringements ascertained on fuel prices charged by over a thousand petrol stations (Eni 376 brand, Esso 40, Ip 383 trademark, Kuwait 175 trademark, Tamoil 48 trademark) distributed throughout the national territory".
The Antitrust has started the investigations as "
the documentation and data transmitted by the GdF would reveal conduct on the part of the oil companies attributable to the omitted diligence on controls with respect to the network of distributors, in violation of art.
20 of the Consumer Code.
In many cases there was a discrepancy between the advertised price and the higher one actually applied;
in others, failure to display the price charged, or failure to notify the 'Osservaprezzi Carburanti' portal was found, which is useful for the consumer to find the pump with the lowest price". "In particular, Eni, Esso, IP, Kuwait Petroleum Italia and Tamoil would not have adopted suitable measures or initiatives to prevent and combat this illicit conduct to the detriment of consumers".
