Rechtspraak

  • Bijzonderheden van de zaak
    • Nationaal ID: ECLI:NL:CBB:2015:191
    • Lidstaat: Nederland
    • Gangbare benaming:N/A
    • Soort beslissing: Overige
    • Datum beslissing: 08/07/2015
    • Gerecht: College van Beroep voor het Bedrijfsleven
    • Onderwerp:
    • Eiser: ACM
    • Verweerder: ITC Reisclub
    • Trefwoorden: administrative actions, age, unfair commercial practices, vulnerable consumer
  • Richtlijnartikelen
    Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Chapter 2, Section 1, Article 6, 1., (c) Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Chapter 2, Section 1, Article 6, 1., (d) Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, link
  • Koptekst
    (1) When a specific group of consumers is targeted for certain products or services and this group is more vulnerable, for instance because of their age, this group will receive extra protection compared to other, less vulnerable consumers.
    (2) When the information provided by a trader does not include the core activity/product/service, it can be misleading for consumers.
    (3) It is misleading to state that customers can become 'club members' upon which they will recieve a present, when in fact, they can only become club members if certain conditions are met.
    (4) It is misleading to suggest that a certain discount is only for a specific consumer or a small, select groups of consumers, when all consumers who received an invitation receive the same discount.
  • Feiten
    A German enterprise operating under the name ITC Reisclub organizes day trips for which they invited consumers by mail. The invitations made it seem like these trips were a nice day out. However, the main activity was sales demonstrations of their own health care products.
  • Juridische kwestie
    (1) Should a distinction be made between different kinds of consumers?
    (2) Under which circumstances may it be concluded that information is misleading for a reasonably well informed and reasonably observant consumer?
    (3) Is it misleading to promise customers a present when becoming a 'club member', and not mention that to become 'club nember' he/she has to meet certain conditions?
    (4) Is it misleading to imply that only one individual consumer has received certain discounts, even though every consumer that received an invitation, has received the same discount?
  • Uitspraak

    (1) As certain kinds of consumers, such as elderly people, are more vulnerable for certain commercial tactics, such as invitations, leaflets, offered products, day trips and low costs in combination with these trips, they should receive more protection.
    (2) On the original invitation and registration slip, it was mentioned that the trip would include sale demonstrations. However, the overall impression made by the invitations were that these day trips would be touristic events. The commercial incentives were not made clear enough.
    (3) A misleading situation was created by informing consumers that they could become club members, upon which they would receive a present, even though the invitation did not mention that there are certain conditions for becoming a club member. These conditions only became clear during the day trip, and were that a certain product must be bought. Furthermore, there were no free gifts, even though these were suggested in the invitation.
    (4) The invitations state that the day trip normally costs €19,90 but in this case, for this specific consumer it would only costs €1,90. This is misleading, as the consumer will think only a certain select group of consumers received this discount. However, every consumer that received the invitation got the discount.

    URL: https://www.navigator.nl/document/idad252ebf7caf4e1b9d94c8e14635fd60/ecli-nl-cbb-2015-191-ab-2016-347-mystery-shopping-heimelijke-deelname-toezichthouders-aan-dagtochten-naar-verkoopdemonstraties-is-niet-onrechtmatig

    Integrale tekst: Integrale tekst

  • Verwante zaken

    Geen resultaten

  • Rechtsleer

    Geen resultaten

  • Resultaat
    The plaintiff's requests were denied.