UPDATE 2-Mercedes-Benz accused of breaking competition rules

* OFT allegations include price-fixing

* Five UK dealers and Mercedes (Xetra: 710000 – news -Benz implicated

* Daimler shares up 1. 5 pct

(Adds Mercedes-Benz comment, detail, background, Daimler
shares

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters – Britain’s consumer watchdog said
on Thursday that German automaker Mercedes-Benz and five UK
dealers of its trucks and vans may have broken competition law
by co-operating illegally.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT issued a provisional
finding alleging that the Mercedes-Benz unit of German
automotive group Daimler AG and five UK auto dealers
were involved in price-fixing and the sharing of commercially
sensitive information between 2007 and 2010.

The OFT said that each alleged infringement involved two or
three dealers and that its provisional finding was that
Daimler’s luxury car brand, Mercedes-Benz, was also involved in
two of the alleged infringements.

«The precise content of the arrangements differs among the
five alleged infringements, but all contain, to varying degrees,
at least some element of market sharing, price co-ordination
and/or exchange of commercially sensitive information,» the OFT
said in a statement.

«The evidence also suggests that, in respect of two of the
alleged infringements, Mercedes-Benz helped to facilitate or
consolidate the arrangements amongst the dealers.»

The case involves car dealers in northern England, Wales and
Scotland.

The watchdog added that the findings were provisional and
that the parties would have a chance to respond before it
decided whether competition law had been infringed.

Mercedes-Benz UK said in a statement: «We now have detailed
information about the investigation of the OFT for the first
time. We will analyse the information and then give our feedback
to the OFT.

«We cannot comment further in an ongoing procedure, and we
will continue to co-operate with the authorities. «

Shares in Daimler in Frankfurt, which have lost about a
quarter of their value in the past three months, were up 1.5
percent at 34.34 euros by 0745 GMT, valuing the group at around
35.6 billion euros ($44.35 billion.

British new car sales in May were up 7.9 percent year on
year, the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT
said this month. The SMMT added that the climb in new car
registrations during the first five months of the year suggests
that consumer confidence is returning, despite financial
uncertainty in the euro zone.

Sales growth at Mercedes-Benz edged up by 4 percent in May,
after slipping to 3.6 percent in April, as volumes in its key
China market stabilised.
($1 = 0.

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