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 press release. Wednesday.
The complaint for
“misleading commercial practices”
must be filed on Wednesday before the Paris Court of Justice, explains UFC-Que Choisir, which explains that,
“if the circular economy must be encouraged, it must still respect fundamental consumer rights
.
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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 is not about promotions”
, underlines the association.
She also denounces
“service fees”
systematically billed to consumers, which can reach 5.99 euros, and which only appear
“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 guarantee 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 reconditioned giant"
, even if it has already been pinned down by other associations, such as VZBV in Germany.
And the president of UFC-Que Choisir Alain Bazot, to explain that the association
"wishes that the
" reconditioned unicorn "
continues to put glitter in the lives of consumers, without its communication being only powder in the eyes”
.
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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.
