Duisburg consumer advice center secured in the long term: Warning of fraud and high demand for energy advice

Duisburg consumer advice center secured in the long term: Warning of fraud and high demand for energy advice

According to a report by www.waz.de,
The consumer advice center in Duisburg is secured for another five years. Paulina Wleklinski's team is currently warning about scams, especially fake mobile phone contracts that end up as unwanted contracts.

According to Lisa Wagner, Duisburg's representative for consumer protection, there are around 7,000 consumer concerns every year, which indicates the high demand for consumer advice. In particular, the number of cases of fake mobile phone contracts, in which people on the street are lured with promises of competitions, is increasing. Furthermore, there is continued high demand around energy market issues and rising energy prices. Advice and representation in cases of energy poverty have been increased to meet the increasing need for advice.

For years, there has been a particular focus on refugees or newly immigrated people who can easily be exploited due to language difficulties and inexperience with local sales pitches. The consumer advice center offers independent advice not only for private households with tight finances, but also for general contracts and energy issues.

The financing of the advice center is shared between the city and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. According to the city's latest cost estimate, with a term of five years, the average annual subsidy to the consumer advice center is 258,685.60 euros.

The impact on the market and the consumer is clear. The increasing number of scams and unwanted mobile phone contracts shows that consumer protection continues to be of great importance. The increased demand for advice on energy issues points to rising energy prices and shows that consumers are increasingly looking for support in overcoming these challenges.

It remains to be hoped that financial support from the city and state of North Rhine-Westphalia will enable the consumer advice center to continue its important work and protect consumers from further harm.