The Price is not right

June 13, 2003 Suzy Shier had placed price-tags on garments indicating a ‘regular’ and ‘sale’ price when in fact the garments were not sold in any significant quantity or for any reasonable period of time at the ‘regular’ price. The civil Ordinary Selling Price provisions of the Competition Act are designed to ensure that when products are promoted at sale prices, consumers are not misled by reference to inflated regular prices. The civil Consent Agreement, filed with the Competition Tribunal, will remain in effect for 10 years. Under the terms of the Agreement, Suzy Shier will :

• ensure that all future regular price representations comply with the Ordinary Selling Price provisions of the Act;
• implement a corporate compliance program designed to ensure the company’s compliance with the Ordinary Selling Price provisions of the Act;
• publish corrective notices in newspapers across Canada; and
• pay an administrative monetary penalty in the amount of $1,000,000.