Free SMS services, recipes or route planners - just register and suddenly the mail arrives: you've supposedly signed a contract and have to pay a hefty bill.

As our cooperation partner checked4you reports, online rip-offs have long been widespread. The stitch is always similar.

If you surf the internet unsuspectingly, you can quickly find dubious websites with tempting free offers: send free SMS, download poems or recipes for free or plan a route - but instead of actually offering free service, the provider later wants to collect a one-off usage fee for its services. And that can easily be three digits.

Other site operators want to sell you a two-year subscription with an entry in the registration form. But you don't know anything about it.

Another method is to receive a message via SMS about a supposedly completed subscription after tapping an advertisement on your smartphone. This is explained in the text about smartphone rip-offs .

Thousands fall into the Internet trap

Back to the trap with the alleged free services: After the invoice, the first reminder usually follows fairly quickly, sometimes a lawyer's letter demanding payment or even the threat of a debt collection company that wants to collect the debt from you.

By then you'll be sweating profusely. To say it straight away: you are not alone. Thousands of consumers are tricked on the Internet every day. But what actually went wrong?

“This is a very typical example of internet rip-off,”

says Thomas Bradler, lawyer at the NRW consumer advice center. The providers rely on the fact that the user will find the price information very bad because, for example, it is only in the small print.

Sometimes the information about the follow-up costs is camouflaged in color so that it can be easily overlooked. But it doesn't work that way, explains Bradler:

“The provider must point out that the offer is subject to a charge and in such a way that you can find it immediately. The price must be clearly stated on the website immediately before the buyer places the order. The same applies to the term of the contract as well as any shipping or other additional costs that may arise.”

In addition, an effective contract for a fee is only concluded on the Internet if the button for ordering is clearly and legibly labeled in such a way that the user knows that the click will cost him something.

The button must therefore not be labeled with anything other than the words “order with obligation to pay” or a correspondingly clear wording.

If the button only says “Order” or “Register”, no valid contract is concluded and nothing has to be paid! The legislature introduced this button solution

14 day right of withdrawal

And the online provider has to do something else. He must inform you that you can withdraw from a contract concluded in this way within two weeks. This so-called right of withdrawal applies to almost all online transactions. However, here too the internet rip-offs like to keep quiet. Often the invoice only comes when the two-week period has long passed.

Nevertheless, if the provider has not informed you clearly and comprehensibly on the website or, for example, by email, about your right to revocation, the contract can even be revoked for 1 year and 14 days after conclusion. Then it no longer matters whether the contract was ever effectively concluded. So there are two good reasons why the provider shouldn't get through with this left number.

Dispute contracts with sample letters

So what should you do if you receive an unjustified bill? If something like this happens to you, you should definitely dispute the conclusion of the contract in writing and “alternatively revoke” the contract and challenge it “due to fraudulent misrepresentation”. But don't worry, you don't have to write the letter all by yourself and look for the right wording.

You can download a sample letter here . By the way, this letter comes in two versions: There is another valid reason why a contract can be invalid. This is true if the person who allegedly concluded the contract is still a minor.

Contracts with minors are invalid

Basically, minors can only within the limits of their pocket money . Paid subscriptions, such as an annual contract for cooking recipes, would have to be approved by parents. If such a contract has been concluded without the consent of the parents, the legal guardians should inform the provider that the contract will not be approved. (See sample letter ).

Just don't be intimidated

And you should know one more thing: If you have already canceled the contract in writing and contested the contract, the provider often cannot be dissuaded from continuing to send reminders or threatening to use a debt collection agency to collect the debts for the provider. It's all mostly hot air. Don't be impressed by the reminder letters.

If a debt collection agency has actually already been called in, you should forward your previous correspondence with the provider to the debt collection agency and point out that it is an unjustified claim.

Some providers even announce a legal dunning procedure. But you could also object to this. But lawyer Thomas Bradler can reassure:

“In our experience, this only happens very rarely. Most of the time the intimidating threatening letters come to an end at some point.”

Surfing tips for the internet

To avoid unwanted contracts, high bills and threatening letters in the first place, you should definitely take the following tips to heart:

  • Always take a close look at the sites on the Internet that offer free offers. Not every provider of free service is dubious. However, it is difficult to distinguish such service providers on the web at first glance. Before you register on an online site, study the site operator's terms and conditions carefully. Important information, including regarding costs, can be found in the so-called “Terms and Conditions” (General Terms and Conditions) or Terms of Use. This is tedious to read, but ultimately you agree to these regulations when you sign the contract!
  • Dubious online providers are often located abroad. Then it can also be difficult to file a complaint. Take a look at the imprint. Among other things, the name and location of the company and address must be included here. If only one PO box is specified there, that is a bad sign.
  • Sometimes the providers entice you with competitions. Caution: The prices are often intended to distract from the true costs. Always check the terms and conditions of the contract. Is there perhaps talk of minimum terms or notice periods? This is usually a reference to a contract.
  • Secure evidence: Once targeted, providers can quickly change the page layout. Anyone who prints out the original page will have better cards later. A screenshot showing the current date and time is also considered proof. Backs up or prints all provider emails. This way you can prove later that he may not have properly informed you about your rights and other contractual conditions.
  • Be careful with personal information. You should always know exactly who you are trusting with your name, address or even bank details.


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1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )