Consumer Ombudsman requests police investigation into 365 Hankinta for alleged fraudulent practices

By admin On Apr 7, 2024

The Consumer Ombudsman has filed a request for an investigation with the police against the electricity company 365 Hankinta Oy. According to the Consumer Ombudsman’s press release, 365 Hankinta has misled or attempted to mislead consumers into paying unjustified invoices by threatening them with legal actions. The company has, according to the Consumer Ombudsman, initiated nearly a thousand claims for debt collection in courts. Screenshot from the 365hankinta.fi company’s website on April 4, 2024. LEHTIKUVA

The Finnish Consumer Ombudsman has filed a request for a police investigation into 365 Hankinta Oy, an electricity company accused of misleading consumers into paying unjustified charges by taking them to court. Due to the significant number of cases, the ombudsman is seeking to determine whether 365 Hankinta and its responsible persons have committed severe fraud under criminal law. The company’s actions have been particularly harmful, as they have also extensively misused the court system.

The Consumer Ombudsman and the Consumer Advisory Services of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) have received multiple reports from consumers who were sued by 365 Hankinta for “outstanding invoices” despite having no contractual relationship with the company. In some instances, 365 Hankinta has pursued contract penalties for breach of contract or attempted to collect debts owed to the bankrupt electricity seller Fi-Nergy Voima Oy.

Nearly a thousand claims for debt collection have been filed by 365 Hankinta in district courts, all based on the premise of an “open invoice” claimed to be clear and undisputed. In many cases, the debt collection claim was the company’s first communication with the consumer.

The Consumer Ombudsman has provided assistance to consumers in dozens of legal proceedings, with district courts rejecting all claims made by the company where the consumer was assisted by the ombudsman.

By attempting to collect non-existent debts, the Consumer Ombudsman believes that 365 Hankinta and its responsible individuals have either misled or attempted to mislead consumers into paying unwarranted fees. Given the volume of cases, an investigation is requested to assess if the actions constitute serious fraud according to criminal law.

Moreover, the ombudsman contends that 365 Hankinta’s practices of pursuing non-existent debts have constituted an abuse of the judicial system. The company has initiated debt collection lawsuits even when the claim had been disputed by the defendant prior to the filing. The distressing nature of being the subject of a lawsuit, which poses both a mental burden and a financial risk to individuals, adds to the severity of the misconduct.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi