For example, the union wants to gain insight into companies that implement excessive, sneaky or unnecessary price increases, of which the consumer is the victim.
Not just supermarkets
As an example, the union cites companies that make the packaging of a product smaller, but keep the price the same. Although the supermarkets are not the only ones who want to make consumers pay more with tricks. Another example is energy suppliers who do not pass on their VAT reduction in the advances or suppliers who announced their rate increases very late.
“And Eneco completely screwed up by significantly reducing the feed-in fee within fixed contracts for solar energy. That’s against the rules. Especially in uncertain times, it is important that consumers can count on companies to comply with the rules,” says Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumers’ Association.
No fines by Consumers’ Association
The union aims to hold the companies that misbehave in such a way to account for their actions and hopefully force them to do business in an honest manner. So there don’t seem to be any hard consequences. Molenaar: “During the corona crisis, we asked consumers to be lenient towards companies that were having a hard time. Without the massive support of consumers, many companies would have died. Now the tables have turned and we can’t help but see companies trying to capitalize on the current circumstances.”
With the hotline fair is fair the Consumers’ Association does not only want to address ‘wrong’ companies. They also want to show how things can be improved. For example, by emphatically putting the spotlight on companies that show their best side in these difficult times.