A resident of Argancy, in the Moselle region of northeastern France, says he still has not received a promised €150 rebate on a washing machine he bought in April, despite sending in all the required paperwork and following up several times.
The man, named Salvatore, raised the issue on the French television program "Le 13H a vos cotes," a consumer affairs segment broadcast on TF1's midday news. He explained that when he bought the washing machine at a major retail chain, the salesperson offered him a promotional deal in which 150 euros would be refunded to his account. He said he sent all the necessary documents but had received no response despite multiple follow-up attempts.
Valentin Depret, who answers consumer questions on the program, responded on set alongside anchor Marie-Sophie Lacarrau.
What retailers must honour
Depret said that when a retailer advertises a promotion, it is legally obligated to honour it. Failing to do so can amount to a misleading commercial practice under the French consumer code, he said, which covers false claims or presentations regarding the promotional nature of a price or the commitments made by a seller.
Depret noted that such offers, known as ODR, or "offre de remboursement" (rebate offers), are common in France but can be tricky. Buyers are only entitled to the refund if they purchase the exact product or model specified in the offer, so it is worth checking the terms carefully.
There are often other conditions too. Depret pointed out that Salvatore's offer was capped at 4,000 participants, meaning that a customer who applied after that quota was reached would not qualify. The offer also had a specific application window, in this case from April 1 to May 31. The refund amount itself can vary depending on the product, Depret said, noting that Salvatore's offer was for "up to 150 euros."
Salvatore was eligible
Depret confirmed that Salvatore had met all these conditions and was fully eligible for the rebate. He explained that in such cases, if a promotion is not honoured, a consumer has the right to send a registered letter requesting cancellation of the purchase, meaning the product is returned and a full refund is issued, which in Salvatore's case would have been 750 euros for the machine. Alternatively, the customer can demand that the promotion be honoured as promised, in this case the 150 euros.
If the retailer still refuses, Depret said consumers can turn to a mediator or report the practice on the Signal Conso platform, which allows France's fraud enforcement authority, the Direction generale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la repression des fraudes, to carry out inspections.
An error corrected
Depret said Salvatore would not need to take those further steps. The program contacted the washing machine's manufacturer by phone, which acknowledged a human error. Salvatore's file had been marked invalid on the grounds that the washing machine's reference number was missing from his invoice, but Depret said this was incorrect, as the reference had in fact been included.
The manufacturer has since corrected the mistake. Salvatore is set to receive the 150 euros in his account within the coming days, along with an additional goodwill gesture to apologise for the mix-up, according to the manufacturer.
How to submit a question
The program invites viewers with similar questions to submit them by video through its dedicated page, or by email at [email protected].
