Competition Authority probes Auto24.ee for potential competition violations
The Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) has launched supervisory proceedings against AllePal OÜ, owner of the auto24.ee car sales portal, to investigate whether its service terms comply with competition laws.
The focus of the probe is on terms related to the import, export, or mirroring of data offered via auto24.ee, and whether these are applied fairly to vehicle sellers.
Kadri Lepikult, head of the administrative proceedings department at the authority, explained that the goal is to determine if and when there have been violations of competition rules, particularly concerning the unequal treatment of sellers.
The authority is also assessing the impact of these terms on the broader market.
The Competition Authority previously determined that AllePal OÜ holds a dominant position in the vehicle ad brokerage market, which serves to amplify the scrutiny of its practices.
The investigation follows complaints and tip-offs from market players, though the authority has made it clear that the initiation of proceedings does not imply any wrongdoing at this point in time.
AllePal OÜ is owned by Lithuania's Antler Group.
The company's turnover for the third quarter of this year was reported at €5 million.
While the investigation is ongoing, the Competition Authority has not yet concluded whether any violations have occurred.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
