The Competition and Market Authority has imposed a maxi-fine of 3 million and 200 thousand euros on Iris Mobili, owner of the “Mondo Convenienza” brand, for having pursued “illicit conduct in the delivery and assembly phases of the furniture and furnishings” and having “hindered consumers in the use of after-sales services”.
The Antitrust statement
As reported by the Antitrust in a press release, “despite being aware of the high number of deliveries of products that were incomplete and did not correspond to the orders or were not in perfect conditions of use, the company did not adopt suitable behavior to resolve these problems, thus violating the ‘obligation of professional diligence provided for by the Consumer Code”. Furthermore, according to what was reported by the Authority, “it has hindered the rights of consumers by providing restricted timescales for complaints and limitations on the right to obtain the replacement of the products themselves or the return of how much paid”. Method through which “Mondo Convenienza has considerably limited consumers’ freedom of choice”. These infringements, the Antitrust concluded in conclusion, “concern an important phase of the consumer relationship or the exact execution of the sales contract; in particular the complete and correct delivery of the purchased good, the provision of the after-sales assistance service sale, reimbursement in the event of withdrawal and the provision of compensatory measures for the inconveniences suffered by consumers”.
The reply from Mondo Convenienza
After the decision related to the fine, a company statement was released. “Mondo Convenienza takes note of the sanction that was imposed by the Competition and Market Authority despite having provided, with great commitment and a spirit of collaboration, all the elements necessary to demonstrate the correctness of its actions”, we read. The group then underlined again “that it has already adopted further measures aimed at guaranteeing even higher quality services and satisfying customer requests, in line with the principles of loyalty and transparency that have always inspired the activity”.
The note from the Consumer Protection Union
“We welcome with satisfaction the Authority’s action towards Mondo Convenienza. The fine of over 3 million euros represents an important step forward in the fight against unfair commercial practices and is a clear warning for all companies: respect for consumers is non-negotiable when it comes to guaranteeing justice and fairness in the market”. This, in a note, is the thought of Martina Donini, national president of Udicon – Union for the defense of consumers. “This sanction represents a strong response to a series of incorrect behaviors by the company, which has compromised consumers’ shopping experience. These behaviors include failure to resolve problems related to deliveries of incomplete or non-conforming products as ordered, as well as failure to respect consumer rights, through the imposition of stringent time restrictions for the submission of complaints and limitations in the replacement or refund process of defective products. This lack of professional diligence on the part of the company clearly violates the regulations established by the Consumer Code,” she added.
