Price Increased After Purchase — Your Rights in Netherlands

It's extremely frustrating when you're suddenly confronted with a higher price than originally agreed or advertised. This can happen with online purchases, in shops, or with service providers. Fortunately, Dutch law protects consumers against such practices. You don't have to simply accept a price increase after the fact.

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What's happening?

Price increases after purchase unfortunately occur regularly in the Netherlands. This can happen because a seller made an error in their advertisement, due to technical problems on a website, or because a business deliberately increases the price after concluding an agreement. Sometimes companies try to add extra costs that weren't mentioned before. It also happens that the price at checkout turns out higher than expected. In many cases, consumers are not obliged to pay this higher price under Dutch law.

What does Dutch law say?

Dutch law provides clear protection against unjustified price increases. The Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek) and the Consumer Protection Enforcement Act (Wet handhaving consumentenbescherming) contain various rules that protect consumers in the Netherlands. European directives also play a role here. The law states that agreements are binding and that consumers have the right to transparent price information.

1Article 6:231 BW (Dutch Civil Code): An agreement is binding from the moment it is concluded, even with an advertised price that's too low

2Article 6:193j BW (Dutch Civil Code): For online purchases, the total price must be clearly stated in advance, including all costs

3Consumer Protection Enforcement Act: Misleading price information is prohibited and can lead to fines for businesses

What are your rights?

As a consumer in the Netherlands, you have strong rights when prices are increased after the fact. These rights apply in most situations, regardless of whether it's an online or offline purchase.

1Right to performance: You can demand that the business respects the originally agreed price

2Right to cancellation: In case of a substantial price increase, you can cancel the agreement and ask for your money back

3Right to transparency: All costs must be clearly communicated in advance, without hidden charges

4Right to compensation: In some cases, you can claim damages for losses suffered

What can you do now?

It's important to act quickly and systematically when confronted with an unjustified price increase in the Netherlands.

1Step 1: Gather evidence such as screenshots, emails, receipts or other documents that prove the original price

2Step 2: Contact the seller via email or phone and object to the price increase

3Step 3: File a formal complaint with customer service and refer to your legal rights under Dutch law

4Step 4: Contact the Legal Counter (Juridisch Loket), a disputes committee or legal help if the company doesn't cooperate

Sample letter or template

MijnRecht.AI can help you draft a professional complaint letter in which you object to the price increase. With the right legal arguments and references to relevant articles in Dutch law, you increase the chances of successfully resolving your complaint.

Where can you get help?

For help with price increases in the Netherlands, you can turn to various institutions. The Legal Counter (Juridisch Loket) offers free legal advice. For online purchases, the Webshop Keurmerk disputes committee can help. For physical shops, there are industry-specific disputes committees. For more complex cases, you can engage a lawyer or go to court under Dutch law.

Conclusion

As a consumer in the Netherlands, you don't have to accept a price increase after the fact. With the right approach and knowledge of your rights under Dutch law, you can find a solution in most cases. Don't be deterred and take action to protect your rights as an expat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay a higher price if the seller says there was an error in the advertisement?

Can an online shop charge extra costs that weren't shown at checkout?

What if I've already paid the higher price?

Do these rights also apply to services like repairs?

How long do I have to object to a price increase?

Can a company increase prices due to rising costs?

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