UFC-Que Choisir files a complaint against Back Market for “misleading commercial practices”


The consumer association blames the start-up, among other things, for the repackaging of service charges “only appearing at the payment stage”.

The consumer association UFC-Que Choisir will file a complaint on Wednesday June 15 against the start-up Back Market, specializing in the resale of refurbished electronic objects, accusing it of “many breaches of consumer law”, according to a statement Wednesday. The complaint for “deceptive marketing practices” must be filed Wednesday before the Paris Court, explains UFC-Que Choisir, which explains that, “if the circular economy must be encouraged, it must still respect the fundamental rights of consumers”.

The UFC-Que Choisir reproaches several practices to the French company. For example, it is accused of making customers believe that they are getting a good deal by displaying the selling price of the refurbished product next to the price of the new product, when the latter is not sold on the site. “It’s not about promotions”, underlines the association. She also denounces “service charge” systematically billed to consumers, up to 5.99 euros, and which do not appear “only at the payment stage”. Finally, “Back Market offers consumers a 12-month contractual guarantee, suggesting a considerable advantage offered by the company”when in reality “this warranty is imposed by law, but above all lasts 24 months, including for reconditioned products”.

A booming sector

The consumer defense association specifies that this is “the first complaint in Europe by a consumer association against the refurbished giant”, even if it has already been singled out by other associations, such as VZBV in Germany. And the president of UFC-Que Choisir Alain Bazot, to explain that the association “wish the “refurbished unicorn” continues to put glitter in the lives of consumers, without its communication being just smoke and mirrors”.

The start-up Back Market, created in 2014, has established itself since its creation as the essential place for refurbished electronics, a booming sector, driven by ecological discourse which advocates a reduction in the environmental impact of products. electronics. Last January, it announced that it had raised 450 million euros, a funding round which then propelled it, with a capitalization of 5.1 billion euros, to the podium of French unicorns. It then had more than 650 employees and planned to recruit 400 in 2022.



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