Rutlands sale

[Jake]

Perhaps the absence of activity on the part of the authorities is due to an absence of real proof versus circumstantial evidence. Perhaps further reinforcing the view that posts alluding some inside knowledge are risky (unless, of course, the poster does have real proof to substantiate the claim).

My caution comes from some experience in this area. It's the poster and the forum that will end up carrying the stick.

Numerous people have been told this (including me, by Rutlands, and another local to me) - it is open knowledge in the tool retail sector. It is (or was a year ago or so) apparently in their standard t&c's. OFT do not seem to give a fart for some reason. There is enough circumstantial evidence anyway - their tools are always excepted from everyone's sales, Axminster, Rutlands, you name it.

 

[matt]

And I've had lots of conversations with my suppliers but strangely it's never mentioned in any correspondence or otherwise documented (or, say, posted on a forum).

I'd be very surprised if there is any mention of price fixing mentioned in their T&C's.

Bottom line... Based on actual experience of price fixing (and discussions thereabouts with suppliers) I would be careful. I could be wrong and perhaps their is some loophole that allows the practice that is being described as fact. But it's largely clear that no poster on this thread to date really knows - all the comments about the actual legal standpoint seem speculative (curiously by contrast to the comments about price fixing being stated as a fact).

I think it there is a responsibility to the forum to exercise some care and err on the side of caution. Is that too much to suggest?

 

[Jake]

I'd be very surprised if there is any mention of price fixing mentioned in their T&C's.

I have been told that you would indeed be surprised (but I haven't actually been passed a copy). I've been told that it is an express term in the contract twice by retailers I've been dealing with and separately by an industry insider after a previous version of one of these threads. I was surprised too - shocked is a better word, maybe.

Anyway, even if it was libel (or slander, as a recent judgment suggests is the better analogy) the only risk to the forum as opposed to individual posters is if they do complain, and the mods don't then remove the offending bits of the posts.

They are welcome to sue me - somehow I don't think they will.

 

[wizer]

Festool slept with my mate in the pub's daughter. Sue me

 

[Woodcrafts]

There's a similar thread re Festool on the Woodweb site. http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/b ... ead=629406