DCC denies 'rip-off' allegations

Industrial holdings group DCC has denied allegations made in the Sunday Times that it had inflated bills and "ripped off" oil customers in Britain.

The claims were made about DCC's British oil distribution business GB Oils in a series of articles over the past three weeks. The paper alleged that the company had billed customers more than they were originally quoted, and had built up a "stranglehold" on the British oil market.

DCC today strenuously denied the allegations, which it described as "misleading".

"GB Oils' policy is that the price it quotes to its customers is the price that the customer is invoiced and in the event of any administrative errors credit notes are issued. DCC absolutely refutes any allegation that GB Oils has defrauded its customers," the company said in a statement today.

GB Oil, which entered the market in 2001, has acquired a number of businesses in the oil distribution sector in Britain and has continued to sell product under national, regional and local brands. It also owns price comparison website BoilerJuice.com.

However, DCC denied claims that it has a "virtual monopoly" in parts of Britain in the heating oil market, saying there were more than 175 other oil distributors in Britain, and GB Oils faces strong competition in every local area in which it operates.

It also said the website continued to be impartial, and works with about 50 suppliers that are not owned by DCC.

It acknowledged that a Welsh county council is investigating customer complaints over GB Oils' business in South Wales arising from January last year. However, it denied any fraudulent activity or unfair trading concerning pricing.