Regulator issues second fine in a week for misleading sales calls for energy contracts

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has issued a second warning in a short period for misleading telephone calls when selling energy contracts. The regulator fined Global Marketing Bridge, a company that sells energy contracts over the phone for energy suppliers, 400,000 euros for this.

Global Marketing Bridge sellers have misled consumers, the ACM said. Salespeople did not clearly state at the beginning of the conversation that they were calling to sell an energy contract. The salespeople also sometimes lied about who they were and for which company they were calling. For example, they said that they worked for the grid operator or that they were calling on behalf of the current energy supplier.

The ACM also fined Global Marketing Bridge’s two directors for instructing their employees to make these misleading sales calls. They received fines of 65,000 and 50,000 euros.

Last week, the lierregulator fined energy supp Hollandse Energie Maatschappij (HEM) for making misleading sales calls. The fine amounted to 1.1 million euros. HEM has appealed against the fine.