ACM forces online store Kjekk to cooperate with investigation

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed an order subject to periodic penalty payments on the owner of online store Kjekk because the owner refuses to cooperate with the investigation launched by ACM following reports filed by consumers. Kjekk sells various products, such as posters, cards, and gift items. Consumers report that they do not receive their orders on time, and that they do not get their money back within 14 days if they cancel their purchases within the cooling-off period. Furthermore, Kjekk is difficult to reach for questions and complaints. During the investigation, ACM had requested information to see whether the online store complies with consumer protection rules. The owner failed to provide the information requested by ACM. With the order subject to periodic penalty payments, ACM now forces the owner to provide the information that is necessary for the investigation. If the owner fails to do so, they have to pay penalty payments.

What was this case about?

Consumers filed complaints with ACM ConsuWijzer, ACM’s consumer information portal, alleging that the online store did not deliver purchases on time or did not give consumers their money back on time if consumers invoked their right to cancel during the cooling-off period. In addition, the online store was difficult to reach for questions. The owner of the online store failed to provide the information that ACM requested as part of its investigation, not even after repeated requests. That is why ACM now forces the owner of the online store to provide information about the company’s operations over the past few months, so that ACM can see whether the online store complies with consumer protection rules. The online store had until 1 October to provide this information or else pay penalties of 1,000 euros per week with a maximum of 5,000 euros.

The digital economy

The digital economy is one of the key priorities on ACM’s Agenda this year. The starting point is that consumers are fully able to reap the benefits of the digital society. With its oversight efforts, ACM helps realize that objective.

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21-10-2022 ACM imposes order subject to periodic penalty payments on online store Kjekk (in Dutch)