The Dutch consumers authority ACM has fined three kitchen companies a total of €1m for misleading potential customers at trade fairs.

Keukencentrum Mandemakers, Brugman Keukens and Keukenconcurrent were all fined for getting people to signing no-strings offers dressed up to look like sales contracts. The form stated that in order to get out the contract, the buyer would have to pay 30% of the full price.

The three companies, all part of the De Mandemakers Groep, used the contracts at several trade fairs, including the Huishoudbeurs and the 50PlusBeurs between 2015 and 2017.

‘Consumers were being mislead by the kitchen firms and we are taking action against them,’ ACM board member Cateautje Hijmans said in a press release.

A spokesman for the company told the Volkskrant that the forms are exactly the same as those used in the shops. ‘We have had no complaints from clients and no one has to pay a 30% cancellation fee,’ he said.

The company plans to appeal.