The consumer authority Consumentenauthoriteit levied a record €2.7m in fines on companies which broke trading standards last year.

In particular last year, the organisation focused on tackling online ticket sellers and warning customers about their rights buying ‘second hand’ tickets. The body is charged with ‘promoting fair trade between businesses and consumers, based on the economic interests of consumers’.
Meanwhile, the telecom sector regulator Opta has fined energy firm Nuon €70,000 for breaking telemarketing rules and phoning people who had signed up to the ‘don’t call me’ register.