Press release archive 2008
Press release | December 18, 2008 | Consumer Authority: Dynabyte makes amendments to its guarantee provisions
The Dynabyte company has provided the Consumer Authority with an undertaking that it will henceforth adhere to the regulations governing guarantees and conformity. The company made this undertaking following an investigation by the Consumer Authority.
Meer informatiePress release | December 3, 2008 | Consumer Authority: over half a billion euros lost as a result of unfair commercial practices
The loss suffered by Dutch consumers as a result of so-called ‘unfair commercial practices’ amounts to a minimum of 579 million euro per year. Two thirds of Dutch people aged 18+ have come into contact with at least one unfair commercial practice over the past year.
Meer informatiePress release | October 24, 2008 | Consumer Authority enforces travel industry compliance with regulations to provide statutory guarantees
The Consumer Authority is taking action against tour operators who fail to meet their legal obligations to provide consumers with statutory guarantees for package holidays.
Meer informatiePress release | September 4, 2008 | Consumer Authority fines ringtone providers
The Consumer Authority is fining Wizz Mobile and Holdvest Investments a total of EUR 76,000 for providing consumers with inadequate information when they offer so-called free ringtones. Consumers are attracted by captions such as ‘free ringtone’ and they unwittingly sign up to a subscription they do not want.
Meer informatiePress release | July 24, 2008 | ConsuWijzer.nl already visited more than a million times
Consumers have consulted the website www.consuwijzer.nl more than one million times since it went online in 2006. ConsuWijzer is the government information desk that gives consumers practical advice about their rights.
Meer informatiePress release | July 17, 2008 | Misleading ringtone offers are European problem
Inaccurate, incomplete and/or misleading offers for SMS services on children’s and young people’s websites are not just a problem in the Netherlands, but can also be found everywhere else in Europe. This is the conclusion of joint investigation conducted by consumer supervisory bodies from all 27 Member States of the European Union.
Meer informatiePress release | July 8, 2008 | Half-yearly report
During the first half of 2008, the Consumer Authority directed its focus to ‘SMS services’, ‘Guarantees within the Travel Industry’ and ‘Guarantees and Conformity’.
Meer informatiePress release | June 18, 2008 | Consumer Authority: Garant-O-Matic modifies mailings to consumers
The Consumer Authority has received an undertaking from the company Garant-O-Matic that in the future it will abide by the rules on providing information to consumers.
Meer informatiePress release | May 22, 2008 | Consumer Authority: consumer information not up to scratch
"Consumers are too often poorly informed, which means that they end up being misled and their rights are curtailed. This is the theme that has emerged in our work over the past year.” This was the comment made by Marije Hulshof, Director of the Consumer Authority, on the occasion of the publication of the Consumer Authority’s first annual report.
Meer informatiePress release | May 15, 2008 | Consumer Authority imposes fine on UPC
The Consumer Authority is imposing seven fines on the company UPC Nederland B.V., as a result of the manner in which UPC offered subscriptions to digital television services by means of door-to-door selling and telephone sales.
Meer informatiePress release | April 2, 2008 | New website provides consumers with information on quality hallmarks
“To provide an insight into the reliability of quality hallmarks”: this, according to State Secretary Heemskerk, is the aim of the new quality hallmark website, which was introduced on 2 April 2008 and can be accessed at www.consuwijzer.nl, the government’s consumer information desk.
Meer informatiePress release | March 14, 2008 | Reports to ConsuWijzer in 2007 result in action by enforcement authorities
Consumers made frequent use of ConsuWijzer in 2007. This government information desk had more than half a million contact moments with the Dutch consumer during the first calendar year.
Meer informatiePress release | March 11, 2008 | Consumer Authority launches consumer campaign about sales tricks
The Consumer Authority is organising this campaign as part of Fraud Prevention Month, an initiative of the international network of consumer enforcement authorities ICPEN to draw consumers’ attention around the world to misleading practices.
Meer informatiePress release | February 11, 2008 | Consumer Authority imposes fine on PostGarant B.V.
The Consumer Authority is imposing a fine on the company PostGarant B.V. (formerly Fitanova), as it has violated a number of consumer law regulations, which has resulted in consumers being seriously duped.
Meer informatiePress release | February 7, 2008 | Advertising for ‘free’ ringtones considered misleading
The Dutch Advertising Code Committee (Reclame Code Commissie, RCC) has upheld six complaints submitted by the Dutch Consumer Authority (Consumentenautoriteit) against ringtone providers last year.
Meer informatiePress release | January 21, 2008 | Consumer Authority sets out its priorities for 2008
The Consumer Authority intends to focus upon the following areas during 2008: Unreasonably stringent stipulations in General Terms and Conditions, Warranty scheme for the travel industry, in the event of insolvency, Warranties and conformity, SMS services, such as ringtones, Unfair commercial practices
Meer informatie