The Netherlands Consumer Authority (Consumentenautoriteit) states that consumers must receive the mobile phones they paid for. The Netherlands Consumer Authority has received reports that this has not been the case at Mijngsmwinkel.nl and Dutchfone.nl. In order to prevent harm to the consumer, the Netherlands Consumer Authority is informing consumers regarding the risks inherent in ordering from these online stores.
Swift intervention is necessary to prevent harm to the consumer
Bernadette van Buchem, Director of the Consumer Authority, notes: “Online shopping has expanded considerably. Consumers must receive proper delivery of what they buy or order just as they would in a physical store. Consumers must be able to rely on this service. Since we have received reports that this was not the case, we are intervening. These stores require full payment in advance, but recent reports received by ConsuWijzer have indicated that mobile telephones are not being delivered nor have consumers received a refund. Moreover, consumers are complaining that it is difficult or impossible for them to contact both companies. Because in these cases it concerns considerable amounts of money, we have decided to inform the consumers as soon as possible.”
Online Shop Scan of ConsuWijzer
The web shops have a professional appearance. Nevertheless, it is wise to use the shop scan of ConsuWijzer.nl. Based on this scan, the potential buyer can form a good picture of the web shop. In the event of doubt, it is wise to assess whether the competitive price compensates for potential risks.
For urgency’s sake, the Netherlands Consumer Authority is initiating this alert because consumers run a real risk of being taken advantage of. For that same reason, not all of the mentioned reports received by ConsuWijzer have been investigated.
Consumer and Market Authority
At 1 January 2013, the Consumer and Market Authority (Autoriteit Consument en Markt) will merge with the Netherlands Competition Authority (Nederlandse Mededingingsautoriteit, NMa) and the Netherlands Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (Onafhankelijke Post en Telecommunicatie Autoriteit, OPTA) under the name of Consumer and Market Authority (Autoriteit Consument en Markt, ACM). The new supervisory authority wants markets to safeguard consumers’ interests. In that respect, ACM is focusing on three pillars: consumer protection, sector-specific market supervision, and competition monitoring.
