The German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt) has launched a sector inquiry into the online price comparison websites.
The investigation focuses on comparison websites active in the area of travel, insurance, financial services, telecommunications and energy. By means of questionnaires sent to a large number of website operators, the Bundekartellamt is seeking information on topics such as rankings, financing, corporate links, reviews, availability or relevant market coverage, in order to uncover possible violations of consumer law provisions.
The recently launched investigation represents the first occasion for the Bundeskartellamt to apply its newly gained investigative powers in the area of consumer protection.
The Bundeskartellamt press release is available here.