Artorios Ink Fined AU$100,000 for Ink Cartridge Scams

According to The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), telemarketing company Artorios Ink’s Sole Director Tuan Nguyen and Sales Manager Thuan Nguyen have been ordered by The Federal Court to pay a penalty of AU$50,000 each for misleading small businesses in ink cartridges sales. In addition to the fine, the Court declared that Tuan Nguyen and Thuan Nguyen “could not manage or be a director of a corporation for five years”.

As was revealed by ACCC, the Federal Court found that, during 2011 and 2012, Artorios Ink misled five small businesses by claiming it holds the agreements with these companies for providing printer cartridges. Also, Artorios Ink claimed it has a right to send payment demands for ink cartridges “which the small businesses had never agreed to purchase”.

Justice Mortimer stated that the most serious aspect of the conduct was misleading people of small businesses to believe “they had ordered printer cartridges and were obliged to pay for them”.

Dr. Michael Schaper, Deputy Chair of ACCC, commented, “These penalties send a warning to traders that dishonest business practices can result in substantial penalties being imposed against the individuals responsible. The ACCC will continue to intervene to protect small businesses from traders who attempt to trick them into paying for goods or services they did not purchase.”

ACCC added that Artorios Ink, a telemarketing company selling printer cartridges to businesses from 2008 to 2012, was placed in voluntary liquidation in February 2013.