A small Darwin real estate agency has been aided by a court enforceable undertaking given to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission by Remington White Australia.
Flagstaff Real Estate can now join the Rent Check Database, operated by Remington White Australia, without having to join the Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory.
"No business should be required to pay for services from two organisations, when they actually only want services from one," ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, said. "The ACCC will intervene to protect small businesses in the market place when it believes that there is a breach of the Trade Practices Act."
The ACCC formed the view that Remington White requiring Flagstaff to join REINT as a condition before they could join the database was a breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Remington White has undertaken to grant Flagstaff membership of the database, and not refuse any organisation membership of and access to the database, for the reason that organisation is not a member of the REINT.
More than 90 percent of all businesses in the NT are small businesses. The ACCC takes seriously its role in ensuring that the operating environment in which small businesses exist continues to be fair and competitive.
The ACCC acknowledges Remington White's cooperation in achieving a suitable outcome in this matter.
Flagstaff Real Estate can now join the Rent Check Database, operated by Remington White Australia, without having to join the Real Estate Institute of the Northern Territory.
"No business should be required to pay for services from two organisations, when they actually only want services from one," ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, said. "The ACCC will intervene to protect small businesses in the market place when it believes that there is a breach of the Trade Practices Act."
The ACCC formed the view that Remington White requiring Flagstaff to join REINT as a condition before they could join the database was a breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Remington White has undertaken to grant Flagstaff membership of the database, and not refuse any organisation membership of and access to the database, for the reason that organisation is not a member of the REINT.
More than 90 percent of all businesses in the NT are small businesses. The ACCC takes seriously its role in ensuring that the operating environment in which small businesses exist continues to be fair and competitive.
The ACCC acknowledges Remington White's cooperation in achieving a suitable outcome in this matter.