トヨタ自動車とよたじどうしゃ子会社こがいしゃが「抱き合だきあわせ販売はんばい」 公取委こうとりいが警告けいこく

It has been revealed that Toyota Mobility Tokyo, a car sales company and subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, has been engaging in tying sales by requiring customers to purchase coatings that make the body less prone to dirt when selling new popular models such as the Alphard. The Fair Trade Commission has issued a warning, stating that this may violate the Antimonopoly Act.

The warning was received by Toyota Mobility Tokyo, a car sales company that is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, operating approximately 200 stores in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

According to the Fair Trade Commission, from around June the year before last to around November last year, when selling new cars of the three popular models Alphard, Vellfire, and Land Cruiser, they conducted tying sales, requiring the purchase of coatings to make the body less prone to dirt and maintenance packs for regular inspections.

In other conditions, there were cases where buyers were required to enter into an auto loan contract offered by the group company or to trade in their current vehicle, resulting in additional payments of several hundred thousand yen, or they were unable to purchase a new car if they refused these conditions.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission warned on the 10th, seeking to prevent recurrence, as there is a possibility of violating the Antimonopoly Act by hindering market competition.

In response to complaints from customers, Toyota Motor Corporation, the parent company, issued a warning, prompting Toyota Mobility Tokyo to cease bundled sales around November last year. They commented, We sincerely take the warning to heart, and we will thoroughly ensure compliance with laws and regulations, strengthen education, and strive to conduct careful negotiations to continue providing valuable proposals in the future.

The Fair Trade Commission requested Toyota Motor Corporation and industry associations to thoroughly inform and ensure compliance with the law among sales companies and others.