| Unfair competition? • The law • Enforcement • How we can help • How to complain |
Unfair competition: how to complain
Unfair competition is a Reckon guide to complaining about anti-competitive conduct or regulations. This section provides information about bodies that can consider your complaint and help enforce competition law and contact details for Reckon's complaint handling service.
Office of Fair Trading (OFT)
The OFT's published advice is to call 0845 224499 before submitting a complaint, for advice on "whether or not the matter is covered by the Act".
If you ask Reckon to handle your complaint, we will begin by understanding your business grievance and expressing it in the language of competition law. We can then call the OFT with all relevant elements at hand and try to ensure that the complaint goes to the right person.
Other regulatory bodies
Complaints relating to certain business sectors specified by the legislation may be transferred by the OFT to one of the following regulators: CAA (air traffic control), Ofreg/Utility Regulator (Northern Ireland electricity, gas and water), Ofcom (telecoms and media), Ofgem (Great Britain electricity and gas), Ofwat (England and Wales water and sewerage) or ORR (Great Britain railways).
The European Commission can also consider matters that might affect trade within the European Union, and has exclusive powers to control State aid. The annex of this Commission Regulation (7 pages, PDF) or this Notice (13 pages, PDF) specifies the information expected to be included in a complaint under Council Regulation 1/2003 (which provides for the enforcement of Article 81 and Article 82).
If you ask Reckon to handle your complaint, we will consider whether it falls within a regulated area and whether it is appropriate to invoke European Community procedures. We will then target the relevant regulators.
Contacting Reckon LLP
Reckon is a London-based consultancy specialising in regulation and competition economics. We offer a complaint handling service specifically designed to help you prepare an effective complaint to the authorities or explore other ways of solving problems arising from anti-competitive conduct or regulations.
For an initial discussion of a case or to ask Reckon LLP to handle a complaint, please contact Franck Latrémolière (020 7841 5858) or Nicholas Francis (020 7841 5859), or e-mail f.latremoliere@reckon.co.uk.
This guide provides general information only. It is not a full substitute for professional or legal advice tailored to your circumstances.
