Dutch fiber provider under scrutiny after residents report abuse and deceptive practices
A recent video showing a sales employee for the energy company Delta Fiber insulting a resident has led to an investigation from the AD, which has revealed that the abusive language is a structural problem within the company. There have also been other instances in which the sellers have damaged property.
The foul language insults by the sellers are a deliberate sales tactic. Videos show sellers telling people to switch subscription before using words like “kanker moeder,” which is an insult related to cancer, and calling women a “arrogante takkewijf,” an insult equivalent to calling someone a bitch.
Delta Fiber salespeople lie that the municipality requires a switch to fiber, or describe it as a “network improvement” to push subscriptions when speaking to residents. “I felt forced to get fiber, because the municipality said I had to, and I was told I’d face a steep cost if I didn’t,” one victim told AD.
Despite repeated rejections, a “no/no” sticker, or a “no solicitation” sign, salespeople continue to knock on doors, make calls, and send letters. Elderly people in vulnerable situations are deliberately approached using improper tactics. "Since most residents here are over 80, they might think this means there is a problem with their TV," one 65-year-old victim said.
The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) regards salespeople knocking on doors that display a “no solicitation” sticker as an aggressive practice.
There have also been cases of Delta Fiber employees damaging property with gardens being excavated without consent to install cables, leaving residents to cover substantial repair expenses. One technician requested a €60 cash payment from a customer for extra work, falsely claiming that VAT would be applied otherwise, raising suspicions of undeclared income.
Delta explained that extra work by technicians, acting as independent contractors, is done outside the subscription, but confirms that cash payments “under the table” are prohibited and are addressed immediately.
Delta Fiber responded to the news by directly establishing a reporting point in order to gather all the information from clients. Delta has apologized in certain instances and stated that employees have been fired for misconduct.
Delta claims that they do around ten thousand home visits each week and reports receiving only about ten complaints weekly. The company does not see evidence of a sustained rise in aggressive or intimidating behavior.
The ACM acknowledges receiving numerous reports concerning telecom providers and is familiar with the problems in fiber-optic recruitment. The regulator encourages people to report issues to help pinpoint where the system is failing.
