At the end of January, a draft law for fair consumer contracts was published. The aim is to shorten the contract term. The industry association Bitkom has now commented on this.
After the “Draft of a law for fair consumer contracts“ was published by the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Christine Lambrecht, the Federal Consumer Center Association has spoken out. While Lambrecht wants to limit the duration of mobile phone contracts to a maximum of twelve months, the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations in a statement a maximum of six months. But now the industry association Bitkom (Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media) has also spoken out. In the opinion is it [called:
Consumer protection is a major issue in public perception and both European and German legislators are becoming increasingly active in this area. On January 23, the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV) presented a draft bill for fair consumer contracts, which is intended to bring about significant changes in the way contracts are drawn up in B2C transactions. Bitkom would like to thank the government for the opportunity to comment on this. Balanced contractual relationships and successful legal enforcement are important building blocks of consumer protection and create trust in innovative digital business models as well as traditional B2C trade.
"Adverse impact on consumers"
As expected, however, Bitkom is against Lamprecht's proposal and explains, among other things, that the design options available to companies as well as the options and general range of offers for consumers will be lost. The 14-page PDF states:
Many consumers benefit from the often more cost-effective offers (lower monthly fees) with a longer minimum contract period, because companies can spread out the amortization of costs and have planning security. Planning and calculation security are of great value to companies and are key factors for success on the market. However, they also serve to provide consumers with a sustainable and comprehensive offer at a stable price, especially in areas where, for example, licenses determine the content of the providers.
Bitkom then goes into the individual points and tries to argue against them. At the same time, the document shows that the industry association would prefer to stick with the current model. It remains to be seen whether and in what form Lamprecht will comment on this, of course - further developments are also likely to remain exciting. (Photo by JanPietruszka / Bigstockphoto)
