- Many cases of consumer fraud in Thuringia
Miscalculated Interest, Expensive Energy Contracts, or Scams Involving Allegedly Valuable Books - The Demand for Consumer Advice in Thuringia is Rising
The need for advice at the Consumer Advice Center in Thuringia is increasing. Last year, its staff advised approximately 10,100 consumers. Among them were more than 3,000 consultations on energy issues, said Mara Mertin of the Consumer Advice Center Thuringia in Erfurt.
The number of consultations has thus increased by about 1,500 compared to the previous year. "2023 was a year of crisis for many consumers due to high prices for groceries and energy." This situation was exploited by some companies that acted unfairly.
Often, the consultations were about contract terms - from fitness studios to telecommunications providers to electricity suppliers. In response to the increased demand, contract law advice on energy, electricity, and water has been expanded. It now accounts for a third of the approximately 7,000 consultations on consumer rights. Energy law is now offered at all 12 consultation centers throughout Thuringia. Additionally, there is a free energy law hotline provided by the Consumer Advice Center twice a week.
The director of the Consumer Advice Center, Ralph Walther, called on politics to permanently secure the funding for the expanded energy law advice. So far, it has only been clarified until the end of the year. "We need to move away from this unstable project funding," said Walther.
Incorrectly Calculated Interest
Last year, the consumer advocates also dealt with incorrectly calculated interest on long-term premium savings contracts. In one case, the recalculation by the experts at the Consumer Advice Center resulted in a sum of more than 7,000 euros, which the person seeking advice was then able to enforce with their bank, said Rebecca Bergmann of the Consumer Advice Center. There were 100 inquiries alone about interest calculations.
A telecommunications provider also caused a lot of demand for advice, according to Bergmann. It had allegedly scammed older people with an unfair tactic. There were more than 600 complaints against a provider from North Rhine-Westphalia at the Consumer Advice Center Thuringia last year. "This year, there have already been several hundred," said Bergmann. She reported on "desperate older people" who were ultimately unreachable by phone for a long time.
Scam with Allegedly Valuable Books
In another case, consumers fell victim to a nationwide scam involving allegedly valuable books. The perpetrators sold facsimiles to their victims with the promise that this would increase the value of their own collections, which could then be sold at high prices. They pretended that the books were much more valuable than they actually were.
The victims were predominantly older people who had previously been customers of the reference work "Bertelsmann Lexikothek". Some of them had taken out loans to buy the allegedly missing books from their collection to increase their value. Bergmann knows of a Thuringian who lost his house as a result. "The amount of damage is extremely high," said Bergmann. "We are working with the police on this."
New Project: Nutrition Advice
This year, the Consumer Advice Center is starting a new project to help poorer people eat healthily even with little money. It will offer information stands, consultations, and discussions - also in cooperation with social advice centers, family centers, or food banks.
The Consumer Advice Center in Thuringia is seeing an increase in consultations from individuals affected by the high prices of groceries and energy, leading to more focus on contract law advice related to energy, electricity, and water. This year, misunderstood interest calculations on long-term premium savings contracts also became a common topic of consultation, resulting in significant refunds for some consumers.
