Mobile phone retailers restrained from certain advertising

Two Northern Territory mobile telephone retailers have been restrained in the interim from certain advertising.

In the Federal Court, Justice O'Loughlin yesterday ordered that two Northern Territory mobile phone retailers, and their managing director, be restrained from, in any manner, advertising mobile phones as 'free' without fairly and clearly disclosing the substance of all the conditions to which the supply of a free mobile phone is subject, pending full trial of the matter.

The decision follows Australian Competition and Consumer Commission court action against Prebeal Pty Ltd (trading as 'Mobile Phones etc'), Wavequest Pty Ltd (trading as 'Alice Computers') and Mr Kevin Thomas Clerke. Justice O'Loughlin also ordered a number of other specific interim injunctions. The full trial of the matter is due to begin in Darwin on 29 September 1998.