In the article, the authors raise questions about the specifics of the qualification of acts of unfair competition, their differentiation from other similar violations. Similar patterns of violations can be found in the legislation on advertising and in the field of trade. The authors emphasize the importance and complexity of qualifying acts of unfair competition, which is associated with the use of a number of evaluative concepts such as integrity, reasonableness and fairness. The article analyzes a number of cases considered by arbitration courts and departments of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, initiated due to the withdrawal of clients from one company to another. Being unnamed at a special regulatory level, companies face the lack of an effective compensation mechanism for losses, which often arises due to the difficulty of establishing a cause-and-effect relationship, as well as the disinterest of customers to engage in litigation between business entities. As a result, even administratively confirmed acts of unfair competition do not always become the basis for recovery of losses, as well as for compensation for damage to business reputation. The authors conclude that it is necessary to reform the issue of liability for unfair competition, as well as to create effective mechanisms to protect against such manifestations.