[110111.EN.LOG] Trust Busters Out To Get UPS, FedEx For Thwarting Bargain Hunters

US TRUST BUSTERS are out to get United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx for allegedly breaking antitrust law by trying to shut out bargain-hunting shipping consultants, Reuters reports.

The US Justice Department is investing whether the two express delivery giants worked to prevent customers from employing third-party shipping consultants and negotiators to save money, said antitrust lawyer Maxwell Blecher, representing shipping consultant AFMS Logistics Management.

Mr Blecher said he had been contacted by a Justice Department attorney who had looked at a lawsuit that AFMS filed in August in Los Angeles. Mr Blecher arranged for the department's antitrust division to talk to AFMS chief executive Mike Erickson.

Mr Erickson told Reuters that he talked to the Justice Department three or four weeks ago. "They asked a lot of questions that pertained to antitrust activity but also other things," he said.

Said FedEx spokesman Maury Lane: "We are aware of the investigation. We encourage our customers to work directly with us to determine the best FedEx service, shipping solutions and rate structure for them."

Said UPS spokeswoman Susan Rosenberg: "They [prosecutors] asked UPS to respond voluntarily to questions and give them information on our policies. We have had policies to negotiate directly with customers, and look at their shipping characteristics and build a programme for them.""

Ms Rosenberg said that FedEx and UPS compete aggressively and that any assertion that they conspired was "a bit outrageous".

Source : HKSG, 11.01.11.