The Competition Tribunal has ordered a Gauteng hardware store to refund customers following an overcharge for surgical gloves during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
The store, Main Hardware, must also reduce its mark-up on surgical gloves to 10% during the remainder of the pandemic period and six months thereafter.
In terms of the refund, it will be the amount of money exceeding a net margin of 10% per box of surgical gloves that were sold. Where customers cannot be traced, the refundable amount will be donated to the Solidarity Fund to aid in the fight against the pandemic.
The tribunal on an earlier occasion ordered a Boksburg-based pharmacy to donate hand sanitisers, surgical gloves and face masks to the value of R25 400 to two old age homes as its penalty for having charged excessive prices for face masks.