Consumer advice center obtains judgment against dating agency / Court overturns regulations on notice periods and automatic contract extensions

The Hamburg Regional Court ruled in favor of the Brandenburg Consumer Center (VZB) in the dispute with PE Digital GmbH, the platform operator of Parship: According to the ruling, long notice periods in conjunction with an automatic contract extension are ineffective. The court was not convinced by the provider's strange justification. The defendant has lodged an appeal against the verdict.

Every eleven minutes a single falls in love on Parship, as the advertising says.

However, the provider has made it difficult for anyone who then wants to terminate their contract with the portal. The VZB therefore sued against the regulation that customers can expect an automatic twelve-month contract extension if they do not cancel three months before the end of the contract - and was proven right in court.

“The platform clearly advertises on its website the success of finding a long-term partnership. According to the advertising, nine out of ten Parship couples stayed together, which means that they no longer needed the Parship services,” says Stefanie Kahnert, lawyer at the Brandenburg Consumer Center. The operating company, on the other hand, argued that Parship was more likely to be looking for a life partner or other temporary relationship. Even those who have found a partner sensibly continue to look around to see if they can find someone better. The court was not convinced. It doesn't matter how the company assesses its customers' intentions. The company must be measured by its own advertising.

The ruling is good news for those looking for a partner. The VZB repeatedly receives complaints about unwanted contract extensions and unaccepted terminations. “In the worst case scenario, I have signed a six-month contract and, according to Parship's wishes, I have to decide after just three months whether the contract should be terminated after another three months or whether it should run for another 15 months from now on,” explains Kahnert.

The defendant has appealed against the judgment. In the next instance, the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court will deal with the regulations on termination and automatic contract extension.

Those affected who are unsure about which regulations apply in their case can seek individual advice from the VZB:

Those affected who are unsure whether they have received a legitimate or dubious letter can seek individual advice from the VZB:

Please note that the message reflects the situation at the time of publication.
Source: Consumer Center-Brandenburg
Article image: Shutterstock / From 360b
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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 )