Liquigas right to demand deposit receipts - Office of Fair Competition

The Office for Fair Competition said today that the manner how Liquigas was requesting receipts from customers who were demanding a refund of their deposits on gas cylinders was not meant to hinder competition and this procedure had actually been introduced by Enemalta in the 1970s.

In a statement this morning the Office said the deposit on gas cylinders had risen over the years.

It was once from 50c (€1.16) but was now €25.

It said that consumers had a right to request and be granted a refund on gas cylinders from Liquigas.When consumers were unable to produce a receipt of the deposit which they would have paid, the company, voluntarily, gave a refund of €5.

The matter arose after consumers wishing to switch to new gas supplier Easygas complained that when they returned the old cylinders to Liquigas and asked for a refund of their deposit, they were asked for the deposit receipt.

The company argued that while the current deposit was of €25, it was lower over the years and customers, in line with a procedure introduced by Enemalta, were therefore required to produce the receipt of the depoit they would have paid in order to be given a refund of the amount they would have paid.