Consumer advocates advise you to be especially careful when concluding contracts with a signature on a tablet in the store. The head of the Federal Consumer Association, Klaus Muller, said about the German news agency.
Consumers treat paper differently
Consumers are always surprised by what they signed up for. So Mueller proposes the right of withdrawal from such concluded contracts – similar to online trading, where the purchase can be withdrawn for up to 14 days after its conclusion.
With printed paper, Muller said, consumers still treat themselves differently than contracts offered digitally. “Sometimes there are normal questions like lighting conditions and whether I can really read the tablet.” Respects technical innovations in retail. “But then it has to go hand in hand with more consumer rights and the possibility of revocation.” To date, the phrase “signed” in the store applies. “It should also differ in the future in consistent trade with such technical means,” Muller said.
Federal headquarters calls for shorter periods and the right of withdrawal
Consumer advocates also demand that contract periods for cell phone contracts, for example, are typically only 12 months. This was last discussed in the Bundestag in February 2021, but was subsequently rejected. “This was a mistake and it should be corrected,” Mueller said.
Federal Center for Consumer Protection student in August Improvements to the Fair Consumer Contracts Act by the following federal government: The first permitted contract period must be 12 months. Consumer advocates have also called for “a 14-day right of withdrawal for all long-term contracts entered into in a retail store.”
More pressure, lower prices
“As before, there are these tempting offers with 24-month contracts with some kind of reduced service on the side,” he criticized. The terms of the shorter contract ensured that consumers switch more frequently, which puts pressure on prices — and “that’s good news for consumers at first,” Mueller emphasized.
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