LG Electronics mislead consumers with respect to the actual parameters of its TV sets, the President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection has found and ordered the company to abandon the practice

The proceedings against LG Electronics, initiated in May 2006, proved that the Mława-based company violated collective consumer interests by providing its clients with unreliable information. UOKiK contested all the TV set packages produced and marketed by LG Electronics since 2004 (over 37 thousand in total). The Office found that the packages have been used for advertising purposes and, moreover, that in many stores only packed TV sets have been displayed for the clients to see.

In the course of the proceedings, the President of UOKiK found that the producer uses TV packages which mislead consumers as regards one of the essential features of the product, i.e. the size of the screen. UOKiK found that the information contained on the TV packages might lead consumers to believe that the screen is larger than it is in reality.

Obtaining complete product information is the most basic right of the consumer and providing information that reflects the actual features of the goods on offer is the most basic obligation of the entrepreneur. Consumers cannot be expected to bring a ruler with them when they go shopping for a TV set in order to be able to check whether the dimensions provided by the manufacturer are correct.

The President of the Office decided that LG did not inform customers reliably and by doing so breached the law. The company was ordered to abandon the unfair practice. As the proceedings were initiated pursuant to the provisions of the “old” Act on competition and consumer protection, the company got away without a fine. The decision is not final: LG has the right to appeal against it to the Court of Competition and Customers Protection.

Additional information:
Małgorzata Cieloch, UOKiK Spokesperson
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel. 22 827 28 92, 55 60 106, 55 60 314
faks 22 826 11 86

E-mail: mcieloch@uokik.gov.pl

UOKiK Branch Office in Lublin
ul. Dolna 3-go Maja 5, 20-079 Lublin
Tel.: (81) 532 35 31, (81) 532 54 48
faks 81 340 59 22
E-mail: lubin@uokik.gov.pl