The Mayenne prefecture warns consumers. State services are calling on them to be vigilant. Above all, do not respond positively to a cold-call offering to go to a furniture store to withdraw gifts and participate in a lottery. “This type of process is the preferred modus operandi of certain ephemeral furniture companies, known to target the elderly and to resort to deceptive and particularly aggressive commercial practices” explains, in a press release, the prefecture.
These dubious practices may take the form of gifts given that do not correspond to the advertised products and prove to be of low value, price of artificially inflated display furniture, allowing sellers to grant illusory discounts to trick consumers into thinking they are getting a good deal, from advertised lottery winnings automatically turning into a same-day voucher for items in sale, constant pressure from sellers during the commercial negotiation to encourage consumers to buy a piece of furniture, even if the consumer does not need it or does not want it, non-compliance with the withdrawal period of 14 days from the signing of the sales contract.
►► A consumer who considers himself a victim of such practices can contact the investigators of the Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention Service (CCRF), Cité administrative, 60 Rue Mac Donald, 53063 Laval cedex. Telephone: 02.43.49.55.54. Email: [email protected]