Main Hardware in Gauteng has agreed to a partial refund for customers who bought surgical gloves from the store at an inflated price.
The Competition Commission found that the hardware store had charged its customers an excessive price for surgical gloves during the State of National Disaster and the national lockdown.
“[Main Hardware] must also reduce its mark-up on surgical gloves to 10 per cent during the remainder of the pandemic period and for six months thereafter,” said Competition Tribunal communications officer Gillian de Gouveia.
De Gouveia added that in terms of the agreement the hardware store must:
- Immediately stop the excessive pricing;
- Reduce its net mark-up on surgical gloves and cap it at 10 per cent to make the products affordable to customers;
- Refund all its customers, who bought boxes of surgical gloves, for the amount charged exceeding a net margin of 10 per cent per box; and
- The tribunal says where such customers cannot be traced; the refundable amount will be donated to the Solidarity Fund.
“This arrangement forms part of a settlement between the Commission and Main Hardware which has been confirmed as an order of the tribunal,” de Gouveia concluded.
According to director Jeff Sidersky, Main Hardware has accepted the findings of the Commission.
“In the interests of accommodating a responsible, fair and effective resolution to the query, we are proactively contacting customers to make the necessary refunds as part of the settlement agreement,” Sidersky said.
He added that any customers who wish to contact the hardware may do so at info@mainhardware.co.za
This is the second consent agreement relating to excessive pricing during the Covid-19 pandemic to be confirmed by the tribunal.
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