RB Global, United Rentals call antitrust claims ‘meritless’

Equipment auctioneer and valuation firm RB Global and equipment rental company United Rentals are denying any wrongdoing alleged in class-action antitrust litigation brought against them by AXG Roofing.  

The complaint, filed on April 2 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, alleges that H&E Equipment, Herc Rentals, Sunbelt Rentals, Sunstate Equipment and United Rentals worked through Rouse Services, a subsidiary of RB Global, to coordinate pricing in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. 

RB Global said the claims against Rouse Services are “meritless” and affirms its products regulatory compliance, according to a statement provided to Equipment Finance News. 

“While we generally do not comment on pending litigation, we believe these claims are meritless and mischaracterize Rouse Rental Insights’ business practices and the competitive nature of the rental industry,” according to the statement. “Rouse Rental Insights is purposefully configured to comply with all regulations, including competition and antitrust laws.”

“We intend to vigorously defend the company.” 

United Rentals, the largest rental house in North America, said the claims lack merit and intends to defend itself against them, Elizabeth Grenfell, vice president of investor relations at the company, told EFN. 

“United Rentals has reviewed the allegations of the complaint filed against Rouse and various rental equipment companies in the Northern District of Illinois,” she said.

“United Rentals believes those allegations are wholly without merit and intends to vigorously defend itself against them.” 

Case background 

Filed by class action firms Berger Montague, Edelson and Hausfeld, the lawsuit seeks to prevent further damages and recover treble damages for alleged violations of U.S. antitrust laws. The defendants allegedly shared sensitive internal data with Rouse, which aggregated the information and produced a common benchmark, “Rouse Rental Insights,” according to the lawsuit. 

Rental companies then used this benchmark to align pricing, reduce competition and raise rates across the industry, according to the lawsuit. The complaint claims the pricing system led to higher rental costs for equipment such as lifts, dozers, excavators and loaders, contributing to record profits for rental firms and increased expenses for businesses reliant on equipment rentals. 

The construction equipment rental market has become increasingly concentrated since 2011, according to the lawsuit. During that time, the defendants’ combined market share grew from about 25% to a majority of the industry. 

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