Not Just Cruisers Getting Ripped Off !

[MarkJ]

I always thought it was just you and me getting ripped off for marine parts....

Dunlop, Bridgestone fined over cartel

April 14, 2010 - 7:09PM AAP

The national consumer watchdog on Wednesday said Melbourne's Federal Court had ordered four foreign-based suppliers of marine hose to pay penalties of more than $8.24 million for the illegal behaviour.

It alleged the companies' international cartel arrangement saw them offer "rigged" marine hose supply bids to Australian customers such as Woodside Energy, BHP Billiton Petroleum and ConocoPhillips, during the period of 2001 to 2006.

Marine hose is used at offshore moorings to transfer crude oil and gas products from production facilities to tankers or buoys.


The court ordered Trelleborg Industrie SAS pay $3.2 million in fines, Dunlop Oil & Marine $2.68 million, Bridgestone Corporation $1.68 million and Parker ITR $675,000.

Dunlop, Bridgestone fined over cartel

Mind you, in the case of the big boys someone goes and investigates...

[sailorboy1]

Assuming that the bid rigging resulted in a lower price, we probably got ripped off in the end as the price for everyone else adjusted to make it up.