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Should we trust comparison sites supposed to enable savings? The DGCCRF has just pinpointed the Selectra site which, according to the authority, has unduly benefited from the surge in energy prices following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and its consequences on the price of electricity.
The site made it possible to compare the kilowatt-hour rate of a varied series of energy suppliers. However, the figures indicated most often misled customers. The DGCCRF explains that suppliers were essentially put forward when the site obtained a financial advantage.
The Selectra site receives a fine of 400 000€ following questionable practices
Moreover, Selectra went so far as to favor a supplier whose offers did not exist and displayed (presumably to attract Internet users) a price below the regulated price – a priori impossible to obtain in such a context. These practices were not one-off and lasted for two years, between 2020 and 2022.
Before stopping when electricity prices began to stabilize. The total number of Internet users victims of the scam has not been specified, but several sources suggest “thousands” of customers. As a general rule, distrust is required when consulting comparison sites – whose economic model most often involves the payment of commissions by the suppliers themselves.
These sites can actually be useful to get a quick idea of the market. But it is essential to check each time the most attractive figures on the official website of each supplier, while examining the conditions which may be at the origin of apparently attractive characteristics.
It is indeed possible that costs are added at the last moment or that a particularly long commitment period is imposed – among other tactics potentially to the detriment of the customer. The suppliers offering the most attractive offers are often in the sights of the DGCCRF, as are the sites which recommend them.
If you come across an offer that is clearly too good to be true, it is advisable to report it on the SignalConso website. This helps draw the attention of the authority to the site in question. For its part, the fraud repression issued a fine of €400,000 to Selectra, which claims to have since implemented better control of its offers.
- The DGCCRF has just fined the Selectra site €400,000.
- The authority criticizes the comparison site for false promotions potentially leading to thousands of customers being scammed via ultimately more expensive offers.
- Comparison sites often depend on an economic model involving commissions – you should therefore always check the information given by these platforms yourself to avoid unpleasant surprises as much as possible.
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