Adjudication of Ofcom Content Sanctions Committee - Auctionworld Limited (in administration)
| Issuer | Office of Communications |
1
Adjudication
In the case of AUCTIONWORLD LIMITED (in administration)
Summary
On the basis detailed in the Decision:
Under powers delegated from the Ofcom Board to Ofcom’s Content Sanctions
Committee, Ofcom has decided in accordance with section 238 of the
Communications Act 2003 that the licence held by Auctionworld Ltd (“Auctionworld”)
to provide the service known as Auctionworld should be revoked with immediate
effect for the following reasons:
a) Auctionworld Ltd (in administration) has failed to comply fully with directions
previously imposed on it by Ofcom to take action to remedy serious breaches
of the Ofcom Code; and
b) Ofcom is satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest to do so because:
• the seriousness of the Code breaches committed by Auctionworld,
combined with Auctionworld’s inability to remedy its failures in accordance
with directions issued by Ofcom, are such that the continued holding of a
licence by Auctionworld is not in the public interest;
• Ofcom is concerned to ensure that such breaches are not perpetrated in
future by Auctionworld or by any successor to Auctionworld;
• Ofcom does not believe that Auctionworld, which is in administration, is
capable of complying with all the other directions Ofcom has made
including those seeking to remedy Auctionworld’s failures in respect of its
dissatisfied customers; and no evidence has been produced by the
Administrators of Auctionworld to suggest that it is capable of doing so;
• In the light of Auctionworld going into administration, Ofcom has reason to
believe that it was materially misled as to Auctionworld’s financial position
(it has not paid any of the fine of £450,000 imposed by Ofcom and
payable to HMG);
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