A legal claim has been filed with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal by Eurospares (Continental Parts) Limited against Porsche Cars Great Britain Limited and its subsidiary, Porsche Retail Group Limited, alleging serious breaches of UK competition law.
The claim, lodged on June 18 under section 47A of the Competition Act 1998, accuses the Porsche entities of infringing both the Chapter I and Chapter II prohibitions of the Act, which prohibit anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominance, respectively.
Eurospares, an independent online reseller of genuine spare parts for premium sports cars, including Porsche, contends it has been unlawfully excluded from the supply chain. The company claims Porsche enforced a so-called “Reseller Ban,” restricting the supply of Porsche parts exclusively to authorised dealers and independent repairers, effectively cutting off Eurospares and other non-servicing intermediaries.
The dispute stems from a long-standing supply relationship between Eurospares and Porsche Retail Group, which ended abruptly in September 2024 following an instruction to cease supply. A transitional arrangement allowed limited supply until May 2025, which has since been extended pending a ruling on Eurospares’ application for urgent interim relief.
The claim alleges that Porsche’s selective distribution system fails to meet the legal standards established under EU case law (Metro case) and includes restrictions not exempt under current UK vertical and motor vehicle block exemption regulations. It further asserts that Porsche Retail Group holds a monopoly in the UK wholesale import market for Porsche parts and has abused this position by engaging in discriminatory and self-preferencing practices.
Eurospares is seeking interim injunctive relief, permanent injunctions against unreasonable supply restrictions, declarations of infringement, damages, and costs.
The Competition Appeal Tribunal will now consider whether the conduct breaches UK competition law and whether urgent interim measures are warranted.
