Dutch consumer regulator warns against fraudulent home battery sales

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) is warning consumers about fraudulent telephone sales of home batteries by the company Opslagplan. The regulator has received hundreds of reports about the company in recent months. During sales calls, Opslagplan reportedly requests a digital signature from people, either to provide a non-binding quote or to schedule an in-home advisory appointment.

Victims say it only became clear after the call that they had signed a purchase agreement for a home battery costing around 15,000 to 20,000 euros. They were then told that canceling the contract would cost them thousands of euros

The ACM has issued warnings about fraudulent home battery sales in the past and is investigating several companies. Due to the large number of complaints about Opslagplan, the regulator has now issued a formal warning.

The ACM emphasizes that buying a home battery is a complex decision with uncertain financial returns. Consumers are advised not to make such decisions during unsolicited sales calls and to hang up immediately or record the conversation if contacted by home battery salespeople.

Consumers who purchase through phone or door-to-door sales can cancel the contract free of charge within 14 days. If they are not properly informed about this right during the call, the cooling-off period extends to one year.

According to the ACM, Opslagplan is not registered with the Chamber of Commerce, and its website, phone number, and email address are unreachable. Consumers have reported that salespeople do not clearly explain that a purchase contract is being signed or inform them of their right to cancel within 14 days.