The investigation that the Ministry of Consumption launched in December against several tourist floors continues to take its steps. The investigations made by the General Directorate of Consumer have reinforced the suspicions of the department led by Pablo Bustinduy by verifying that these companies “would be causing injuries or risks for the interests of consumers and users in a generalized way.”
At this point, the Government has opened sanctioning files to these companies that manage hundreds of housing for tourism, operate in several autonomous communities and “could be incurring deceptive practices and other potential infractions of the General Law for the Defense of Consumer and Users ”, indicate from consumption. The current regulations do not allow the name of these popular companies to be unveiled until the process ends.
Indicate in the announcement that who manages a tourist accommodation is a individual, instead of a company, falsify reviews or offer services or facilities to which users are entitled by law as if it were a distinctive feature of the offer are some of these practices fraudulent in which the Ministry of Consumer has put the focus, covered by the Deleal Competition Law, which sanctions these uses.
“To affirm fraudulently or create the false impression that a businessman or professional does not act within the framework of their business or professional activity, as well as presenting fraudulently as a consumer or user are actions contrary to the regulations,” they indicate from consumption , paraphrasing the norm, which qualifies them as “serious infractions”, with fines of up to 100,000 euros, which can be exceeded until they reach between four and six times the benefit illegal obtained.
The opening of a sanctioning file is not the end of the process. The following will be for the Ministry to send a sanction proposal, before which companies may defend themselves. “The opening of these files does not prejudge the final result of them,” they point out from the General Directorate of Consumption, but “the data collected would verify that these companies would be causing injuries or risks for the interests of consumers and users in a generalized way.”
According to the Airbnb Inside Portal data, two hosts recorded such as Francisco Andrés add 463 homes, Raúl has 129 and Rodrigo another 124, while María Mercedes rents 176 rooms. That these proper names manage such a number of accommodations has made alarms jump several times, considering that they camouflage a main economic activity because they are not citizens by renting their second or third residence.
This sanctioning file joins the one who consumer already opened in December to Airbnb for refusing to eliminate thousands of tourist rental floors without a license from its platform and frames within the Ministry’s plan to “protect the rights of consumer people and to end To those practices that are making access to housing to many people in our country, ”sources from this department indicate. In addition, the General Directorate of Consumer also investigates various real estate agencies for alleged abusive practices against tenants, such as the collection of illegal commissions for leasing management, non -payment insurance or forcing to accept temporary contracts without justification.
Source: www.eldiario.es
