Misleading win-a-smartphone promotion
There is currently a win-a-smartphone promotion active. Against payment of a few euros, you are promised the opportunity of winning an expensive iPhone or Samsung telephone. As soon as you accept the offer, it turns out there is a catch. An amount between € 50 and € 100 is charged to your credit card for a subscription. A misleading win promotion with expensive consequences.
Unjustified charge to credit card
The ECC is receiving complaints from consumers about this misleading win promotion. Consumers reaching out to the ECC indicate they did not agree to the credit card charge, ranging from € 50 to € 100, and also not to any subsequent charges.
When taking out a subscription, a company is obligated to inform the consumer clearly and comprehensively of factors such as the cost of the subscription for each invoicing period and the subscription term. In these cases, it appears that the company is in breach of this obligation.
What can you do? Reverse the payment!
Have you accepted a misleading online offer and does it concern a foreign company? Then send the company an email in English with the request to terminate the subscription and reverse the payment. You can use our template text for this purpose. Alternatively, you can ask your credit card issuer to process a payment reversal. Please find more information regarding disputed transactions on the website of International Card Services.
Tips from the ECC
Do not click: if it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Do not click on all kinds of ads and do not enter your details just anywhere.
- Read the small print: always carefully read the conditions.
- Extra check: are you unsure if a win promotion is genuine? Then find the official social media page or website of the promoter. If you cannot find any reference or links to the win promotions there, you can safely assume that this concerns a fake win promotion.