Deutsche Online Service
German Scammers ordered to hand money back
Posted 1st September 2004
A German Scam company using misleading contracts has been ordered to repay a victim.
The directory scam "Deutsche Online Service" tried to take a victim to court for payment of the second year. (They had paid the first year). The victim responded with a counter-claim for money back in respect of the first year. The court ordered the refund. The decision is still within the period within which an appeal can be filed.
The deceptive form is not the same as ECG forms that were ruled to be misleading. It was of the type with the boxes to ticks for different levels of entry iun the directory. A price is given for the enhanced entries, the trick is that the fact that the basic entry is not free is concealed by the small print and deceptive layout.
This decision has ramifications for all scam guides. Firstly it makes them much less likely to attempt to enforce their deceptive contracts in court, secondly (and more importantly) it opens the possibility of German victims who have been tricked suing the scam guides.
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