RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Sign in user
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • RetailDetail Plus
  • Events
  • Hunts
  • RetailHub
  • Advertising & Partnerships
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
RetailDetail EU
Europe - EN
  • België - NL
  • Belgique - FR
  • Nederland - NL
  • Europe - EN
  • About us
  • Contact
  • Sign in user
  • News
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Electronics
    • Beauty/Care
    • DIY/Garden
    • Leisure
    • General
  • RetailDetail Plus
  • Events
  • Hunts
  • RetailHub
  • Advertising & Partnerships
    • EVENT PARTNERSHIPS
    • PRINT ADVERTISING
    • ONLINE ADVERTISING
thumb
Written by Pauline Neerman
In this article
Share article
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • email

Apple distributor Switch sued for deceptive practices

icon
Electronics16 February, 2022

The Belgian consumer organisation Test-Aankoop has sued the Apple distributor Switch and its parent company SFAM following a flood of consumers’ complaints. Disgruntled customers are being lured into unwanted insurance policies, which they struggle to cancel afterwards. It is also not the first time that the company has been criticised.

 

466 complaints

Before many realised it, Switch customers signed up for additional insurance or subscriptions. Consumers are often under the delusion that this is merely a cashback promotion without realising that additional monthly costs are involved. The number of complaints is high, 466 since September 2020, so the consumer organisation Test-Aankoop is filing a double complaint with the relevant authorities. In January alone, there were nearly 50 complaints.

 

Switch customers reported that when they bought an Apple device, Swith offered them a (temporarily) free insurance or a cashback, according to Test-Aankoop. “Consumers have to sign several documents for this without being given the time to read everything.” In this way, they would usually sign up for an insurance contract for a year, a subscription to a gift voucher or for the creation of a website without knowing it.

 

“Well thought out strategy”

Afterwards, it would also be difficult for consumers to get rid of subscriptions within the legal cooling-off period, as customer service is hardly accessible. “The complaints from consumers are so numerous that we can only conclude that this is a well-thought-out strategy by Switch and SFAM”, concludes the Consumers’ Association. The French insurance company SFAM has been the owner of Switch since 2020.

 

Test-Aankoop filed a complaint against both companies with the Economic Inspection and the market authority FSMA. The Economic Inspection monitors companies’ obligation to provide the necessary information in advance, while the market authority has established rules around insurance mediation to counter such abuses.

 

Noteworthy: in 2019, SFAM was already sentenced to a fine of 10 million euros in France for virtually the same activities. At the time, when buying a device, mainly at Fnac, customers unwittingly signed up for an insurance contract. A cashback discount (of 30 euros) was used as bait. So the insurer seems to be simply moving its territory.

Stay up-to-date

Receive our free newsletters and do not miss out on the latest retail news.

Subscribe
logo

The Belgian consumer organisation Test-Aankoop has sued the Apple distributor Switch and its parent company SFAM following a flood of consumers’ complaints. Disgruntled customers are being lured into unwanted insurance policies, which they struggle to cancel afterwards. It is also not the first time that the company has been criticised.   466 complaints Before many realised it, Switch customers signed up for additional insurance or subscriptions. Consumers are often under the delusion that this is merely a cashback promotion without realising that additional monthly costs are involved. The number of complaints is high, 466 since September 2020, so the consumer...

More on Electronics
See more
  • icon
    Electronics18 January, 2023
    Fnac Darty postpones ambitions for another year

    Fnac Darty sold less in December and is struggling with negative cash flow. The French group is therefore pushing back its targets for 2023 by a year.

  • icon
    Electronics16 December, 2022
    Lucrative services boost MediaMarkt sales

    German electronics giant Ceconomy benefits from its increasing range of services, such as repairs and subscriptions. The parent of MediaMarkt and Saturn is also launching its own marketplace.

  • icon
    Electronics9 December, 2022
    Krëfel buys back used appliances

    All Belgians combined have a whopping 49 million unused or broken electrical appliances lying around. Belgian whitegoods chain Krëfel wants to help changing that, offering to buy back and resell such appliances.

Events
  • 16
    Feb
    Captains of Retail 2023
  • 23
    Mar
    Omnichannel & E-Commerce Congress
  • 20
    Apr
    RetailDetail Congress
  • 11
    May
    Fashion & Beauty Congress
  • 15
    Jun
    Human Resources & People Congress
  • 29
    Jun
    Food Congress
Most read
  • icon
    Food24 January, 2023
    Europeans now also allowed to eat cricket powder and small mealworms
  • icon
    Food10 January, 2023
    Makro Belgium now officially bankrupt
  • icon
    Food13 January, 2023
    Carrefour Belgium tests autonomous delivery robot
  • icon
    Fashion16 January, 2023
    False discounts earn Yoox millions in fines
Follow RetailDetail
  • socialFacebook
  • socialTwitter
  • socialInstagram
  • sociallinkedIn
footer-logo
RetailDetail, the leading b2b-retailcommunity in the Benelux, keeps retail professionals up-to-date by means of online & offline publications, retail events, inspiring retail hunts and the unique co-creation platform retailhub, where retailers and their suppliers can experience the future of shopping.
RetailDetail Mailing Address:
Kolveniersstraat 7, bus 26 
2000 Antwerp
Visiting address:
Stadsfeestzaal – Meir 78 
2000 Antwerp
How to reach us:
Directions
© 2023 RetailDetail
general conditions | privacy policy
+32 3 500 89 59 info@retaildetail.be
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT