The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines of nearly 16 million euros on AVM Computersysteme Vertriebs GmbH and one staff member for vertical price fixing with six electronics retailers. AVM, a German company, is known for manufacturing telecommunications and network technology products under the 'FRITZ!' brand, including routers, repeaters, telephones, and smart home products.

The investigation was initiated based on an anonymous tip-off to the Bundeskartellamt's whistleblowing system, leading to a dawn raid in February 2022. The allegations centered around AVM's coordination of end consumer prices with electronics retailers, restricting price competition and harming consumers.

AVM employees not only negotiated purchase prices but also coordinated end consumer prices with retailers, often pushing for price increases and setting 'target prices' between recommended retail prices and purchase prices. Monitoring of retailers' prices was done through in-store research, online comparisons, and specialized software.

The Bundeskartellamt emphasized that AVM's actions hindered the free formation of prices and violated the prohibition of resale price maintenance. The fines were imposed to deter such anticompetitive practices and signal intolerance towards violations of competition law.

No fines were levied on the retailers involved in the price-fixing scheme. A settlement was considered in setting the fines, and the orders are final. A case summary will be published on the Bundeskartellamt's website in accordance with the German Competition Act.