site.btaConsumer Watchdog Filing Class-action Lawsuit against Electricity Supplier over Unfair Terms

The Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP) has decided to file a class-action lawsuit against one of the electricity supply companies in Bulgaria after finding unlawful clauses in the company's general terms and conditions, and unfair practices in the handling of complaints over electricity bills, the administration announced.

The decision follows an inspection and a recommendation by the CCP that the company remove the identified unfair terms within 14 days. The company failed to fulfil its obligation within that time frame and did not submit the revised terms and conditions.

The CCP found that no specific steps had been taken to effectively remove the clauses creating imbalance between the rights and obligations of the merchant and consumers. The CCP noted that the continued application of such provisions affects the collective interests of consumers and demanded the initiation of legal action.

The purpose of the class action is for the court to declare the unfair terms null and void and to cease their application, the statement read.

The Commission consistently upholds the right to equitable, transparent, fair, and lawful contractual terms between businesses and consumers and will continue to use all legal mechanisms to protect consumer rights, particularly in sectors of public importance, the institution added.

During a public meeting in March, organized by the Bulgarian Ombudsman, CCP Chair Alexander Kolyachev said that unfair commercial practices and unfair terms had been identified during the review of complaints over electricity bills from all three electricity supply companies in the country.