The Fair Trade Commission is suspected of violating the Antimonopoly Act, saying that a company in Osaka that operates an Internet funeral service that is growing its business by selling low prices has set up a system to give preferential treatment to funeral companies that do not deal with other companies in the same industry. It was found that this system was abolished after the investigation.
The survey was conducted by the Internet funeral company "Uniquest" in Nishi-ku, Osaka.
According to the Japan Fair Trade Commission, the Internet service "Small Funeral", which the company started 12 years ago, currently introduces 4000 funeral homes nationwide, and its share in the industry is expected to reach 40%. increase.
The company outsources the business by paying a part of the fee received from the user to the affiliated funeral company as a consignment fee, but on condition that it does not deal with other companies in the same industry, it pays a lot of this fee "special contract member store" It means that a "system" was set up.
The Fair Trade Commission announced at a press conference on the 2nd that it has been investigating since June, saying that the system is suspected of being an unfair trading method that violates the Antimonopoly Act.
In response, the company resolved by the board of directors to abolish this system and not to do the same by October, and the Fair Trade Commission has completed the investigation. ..
Uniquest says, "We want to be more conscious of compliance and aim for a service with high customer satisfaction while consulting with lawyers."
In the field of "digital platform" that provides a place for transactions on the Internet, cases where the operating company uses its superior position to force an unfair contract to a member business are regarded as a problem, and the Fair Trade Commission investigates. We are focusing on.