7/19/2023 0 Comments Lock smith services![]() ![]() In these actions, ACM works together with Dutch police and regulators in other countries. ![]() ACM has forced two online marketing companies to stop their misleading customer-acquisition practices for locksmiths and other emergency services.ACM has had phone numbers blocked belonging to businesses that used these numbers for fraudulent practices,.Following reports from ACM about the use of false information in the registration process, domain name registry SIDN checked and cancelled domain registrations of websites of untrustworthy businesses,.After consultations with ACM, Google has removed ads of untrustworthy locksmiths, and no longer allows new ads for these businesses,.Examples of actions that ACM has carried out: Previous ACM studies revealed that consumers that are in an emergency situation often end up doing business with individuals or companies that deliver bad quality, charge far too much, and sometimes act aggressively. These fines are part of ACM’s broad campaign against fraudulent practices of a number of locksmiths. ACM’s campaign against emergency services That is why ACM imposes a fine on the company as well as on the individual that exercised leadership over these practices. In reality, KeyService dispatched random locksmiths from its network, whose plans were to make as much money as possible in the shortest amount of time. Consumers that hired the company were under the impression that they would get a trustworthy, professional, local locksmith. Aggressive and misleading practicesĪCM considers the commercial practices of KeyService and of its executive as aggressive and misleading. The amounts could be as high as 2,200 euros for just a few minutes of work. If they complained about the amount they had to pay, they were sometimes pressured to pay immediately. After the job was done, they were confronted with a hefty bill on the spot. In addition, consumers that hired a locksmith through KeyService were not given a price estimate in advance. ![]() However, these misleading practices did create confidence among consumers that they were dealing with a trustworthy company. ![]() In addition, fake positive reviews were also listed on these websites. On its websites, it advertised that the locksmiths with which it did business all met certain quality criteria, whereas, in reality, they had not been assessed on such criteria. In ads that KeyService ran, it presented itself as a local locksmith. The company ranked high in online search results, because it had placed and paid for many ads. That is why we have imposed fines on this company.” What has been the problem?Ĭonsumers that had locked themselves out of their homes found the company online. This company, however, took advantage of that vulnerable position by misrepresenting themselves, sending hefty bills afterwards, and by putting pressure on consumers to pay those bills. In these situations especially, consumers should be able to trust the services of a business such as a locksmith. For using such aggressive and misleading commercial practices, ACM has imposed a fine of 200,000 euros on the company, and a fine of 50,000 euros on its executive.Ĭateautje Hijmans van den Bergh, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “If you have locked yourself out of your home, you search for a trustworthy company that can help you. Cost information was not provided in advance, but consumers were sometimes pressured afterwards to pay the hefty bills immediately. On its website, the company presented itself as more trustworthy than it actually was, and it seemed as if KeyService Nederland checked the quality of the locksmiths that it dispatched. The company offered locksmith services online, where consumers that hired the company were given the impression that they would be doing business with a local locksmith. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed fines on KeyService Nederland / Plumberservice, registered in the southern Dutch city of Helmond, as well as its executive. ![]()
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