Case law

  • Case Details
    • National ID: ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2014:1138
    • Member State: Netherlands
    • Common Name:link
    • Decision type: Court decision in appeal
    • Decision date: 22/04/2014
    • Court: Court of Appeal 's-Hertogenbosch
    • Subject:
    • Plaintiff: Proximedia Nederland B.V
    • Defendant: Voormalig vennoot van Body Moving Sport & Beauty VOF
    • Keywords: consumer, doorstep selling, judicial review, scope of the Directive
  • Directive Articles
    Doorstep Selling Directive, Article 1
  • Headnote
    (1) The Door-to-Door Sales Act is not of consequential effect when the parties both cannot be defined as a private person.
    (2) Small business owners and general partnerships do not fall under the definition of private person or consumer.
  • Facts
    Plaintiff is a business which facilitates websites for companies. Defendant operated a fitness center. Both companies have entered into contract for the creation of a website, the rent of a printer and a laptop.
    Correspondence followed a year later about the clarification of the invoices send by plaintiff. After that plaintiff blocked access to the website created and facilitated for defendant.
    Defendant in the proceedings of first instance claims (among other things) that art. 24 (1) Door-to-Door Sales Act is applicable and the contract is void from signing as they never received a copy of the contract. Defendant's claim is approved and plaintiff in second instance claims the Door-to-Door Sales Act is not applicable.
  • Legal issue
    The court considers certain the fact defendant has entered into an agreement within the scope of her business operations as the goods were being used for the business. Defendant cannot be defined as a private person in accordance with art. 1 (1) (d) Door-to-Door Sales Act. Only a consumer, not acting as part of a business, can fall under the protection of the Directive 85/577/EEC. The Dutch legislator has not opted to include the small business owners under the scope of the Act.
  • Decision

    (1) Is the Door-to-Door Sales Act of consequential effect when two businesses enter into contract?
    (2) Do small business owners and general partnerships fall under the definition of private person?

    URL: http://deeplink.rechtspraak.nl/uitspraak?id=ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2014:1138

    Full text: Full text

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  • Result
    The court reversed the first instance court's judgment.