Golf club manufacturer Ping Europe Limited (Ping) has long been fined 1.45 million for banning UK retailers from selling its golf equipment?online.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) finds that Ping broke competition law by preventing 2 UK retailers from selling its clubs on their own websites. Ping is necessary to bring the webs sales ban for an end, and will not impose a similar or equivalent terms on other retailers.

Whilst Ping must allow retailers to sell online it could possibly require these people to meet certain conditions before doing so. These conditions must, though, be appropriate competition law.

The CMA found out that, while Ping was pursuing a genuine commercial purpose of promoting in-store custom fitting, it could possibly have achieved this through less restrictive means.

Ann Pope, Senior Director for Antitrust enforcement, said: The online world is an increasingly important distribution channel and retailers’ capacity to sell online, and reach as wide a consumer base as is feasible, must not be unduly restricted.

“The fine the CMA has imposed on Ping should serve as a stern reminder to companies which preventing its products from house for sale online might be illegal.”

The amount of the fine imposed on Ping reflects how the CMA found the breach of competition law taken place the context of an genuine commercial aim of promoting in-store custom fitting.

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