Ringtone websites ‘ripping off’ EU consumers

Consumers who buy ringtones and wallpapers for their mobile phones are being “ripped off”, according to EU consumer protection chief Meglena Kuneva.

Announcing the results of a sweep of over 500 websites on Thursday, the Bulgarian commissioner said 80 per cent of sites seem to be letting consumers down. Out of the sites checked, she said 466 required “further investigation”.

“Consumers need to watch out when buying online,” Kuneva said. “It’s all about the fine print.”

In June, after a slew of consumer complaints, national authorities from all member states were asked to check if websites were complying with EU consumer law.

The figures show that on three major principles of consumer law, websites have been misleading consumers. Fifty per cent of websites surveyed had unclear pricing information, 70 per cent were not displaying their contact details properly and 60 per cent were misleading consumers by advertising supposedly ‘free’ services that in reality entail hidden subscriptions and contracts.

The EU has rules on unfair commercial practices, distance selling and e-commerce, and Kuneva says she’s not afraid to bring member states to book of they are not enforced properly.

“I am really obsessed by enforcement. If there is no enforcement I will not hesitate to start legal proceedings.”

All 27 member states participated in the sweep, with the UK, Romania and the Czech Republic topping the list of countries hosting websites that requite further investigation.

By the end of the year, Kuneva hopes to publish a guide on online services that use unfair commercial practices, and says she will report back in the first half of next year on progress made in the current sweep.

The commission is planning further sweeps, which Kuneva said she couldn’t disclose due to the secrecy of the investigations.

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