NEOPOST'S BUSINESS MALPRACTICE AND THE OFFICE OF FAIR TRADING

EDM number 2267 in 1992-93, proposed by Nigel Griffiths on 05/07/1993.

That this House notes that Neopost, the United Kingdom's second largest supplier of office franking machines, is guilty of gross malpractice and that the Office of Fair Trading is minded to revoke its consumer credit licence, vindicating the 63 honourable Members who signed EDM 791 (Neopost Franking Machines and Malpractice) in November 1992; notes that Neopost's unethical business behaviour originated with Alcatel Ltd. as deliberate company policy, and was continued by Neopost, that Neopost duped customers into changing equipment unnecessarily and fraudulently changed quarterly payment terms to monthly payments without their customers' knowledge: notes the collusion of Anglo Leasing, Neopost Finance and Alcatel in this scam and calls on them to compensate hundreds of victims, including charities, schools, universities, hospices and local authorities; calls on Neopost and Anglo Leasing to cease all legal action against honest customers whose jobs and livelihoods are being put in jeopardy; notes with dismay that Neopost's malpractice continues; calls on the Department of Trade and Industry to investigate the affairs of Neopost and the Select Committee on Trade and Industry to consider holding an inquiry into the supply of business equipment, unethical business contracts and the role of leasing companies; calls on the Director General of Fair Trading to investigate the practices of Anglo Leasing and Alcatel who have made vast profits out of malpractice; and calls on the OFT to investigate collusion between Neopost and leasing companies to prevent commercial rivals obtaining credit and refer Neopost to the Director of Public Prosecutions as a case of criminal intent to defraud customers.

This motion has been signed by a total of 110 MPs.