Business

Dutch Regulator Halts CV Need from Taking New Clients over Hidden Fees

Following hundreds of complaints about secret subscription costs, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has ruled that the résumé website Cvneed may no longer provide services to new clients. Some users thought they were creating a one-off online CV but actually signed up to a rolling €35 a month subscription with little warning.

Consumer and International Complaints
Not only Dutch consumers but also foreign regulators had complained to the ACM about the company. The matter was flagged up last year by the Dutch consumer affairs TV program Radar, which spoke to users of MyBroadbandChoice who claimed they had never knowingly signed up for a paid service.

According to one customer, he would have left the site immediately if he had discovered that there was a fee.

Regulator's Action and Consumer Rights
The director of consumer affairs at ACM, Edwin van Houten, said consumers should be given insight into the total cost before they agree to it.

CV needs to stop taking on new customers following an intervention by the ACM, while continuing to service its existing customer base.

The regulator pointed out that if a business provides false or incomplete information about the price or characteristics of a product, the consumer has the right to terminate the agreement without any penalty.