The federal energy ombudsman service has already received almost 200 complaints from consumers who are unintentionally switched to energy supplier Luminus. This is apparent from a report by VTM Nieuws. Lindy Adriaenssens testifies how she was called by a Luminus call center, after which she was sent various offers by e-mail. Afterwards, the woman suddenly appeared to be tied to an energy contract that is much more expensive than her current contract.
HLA
Source:
VTM News
Even during the conversation with the call center employee, Lindy Adriaenssens receives several e-mails containing offers for a new energy contract. The saleswoman assures the woman that these are quotations, and that opening the files does not lead to contracts being concluded. Nevertheless, it appears that Adriaenssens was indeed incorporated as a new customer at Luminus.
“I called back and said that I don’t want to change energy supplier, that I’m satisfied with Engie and don’t want to switch to Luminus,” she says. Despite confirmation that the contract was cancelled, the contract remained. Only when VTM Nieuws contacted Luminus did Adriaenssens receive the message that her contract was cancelled.
According to investigative journalist Jonas Muylaert, Luminus has been working with Dutch call centers since the acquisition of Essent. “These people work on commission, so they receive an amount when they sell a contract to customers. That is also advantageous for Luminus, because this is of course not about the cheapest contracts,” he explains.
illegal
The fact that the contracts are concluded without customers having given their written consent, as is apparent from the report, means that this is indeed an illegal practice. “If this is passed on to the economic inspectorate, fines of up to 200,000 euros can be imposed,” says Muylaert.
Luminus admits there is a problem and says it is investigating. “Luminus has a code of conduct for all sellers. Any sales method that violates our code of conduct may result in sanctions and termination of the partnership,” it said in a statement.
Tomorrow, energy minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Green) will call on all energy suppliers in the country about the many complaints from consumers. She says she will pass on all complaints to the economic inspectorate.
See also: Journalist Jonas Muylaert about contracts Luminus:
The complaints in this article reached the editors via 4040. Do you have problems with your energy supplier? Let us know via [email protected] or via the app.
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