Antitrust watchdog raids funeral service companies over price-fixing claims

Hong Kong’s antitrust watchdog on Wednesday raided 13 premises in Hung Hom, Tuen Mun, and Yuen Long, including funeral service companies and an office of a trade association over allegations that they had engaged in price fixing.

The Competition Commission said the operation came after they received intelligence earlier alleging that funeral service practitioners engaged in anti-competitive conduct including market sharing by coordinating their solicitation of customers at the New Territories (Shatin) Forensic Medicine Centre.

The Commission said it gathered and analyzed information relating to the case, and conducted a surprise visit to the Forensic Medicine Centre, assisted by the Police, with the aim of gathering more information on-site during August last year. 

The investigation found evidence supporting the allegation of market sharing, while officials also found a trade association and certain funeral service companies and practitioners suspected of having engaged in anti-competitive conduct including price fixing, said the watchdog.

The Commission thus decided to escalate the case to the investigation phase.

“The Commission has exercised its compulsory powers in today’s operation. In addition to searching premises with warrants, it also requested relevant parties to produce documents and information,” the Commission’s statement read.