Unjustified request for payment – Klarna often does not answer consumers, sends reminders, and often uses debt collection agencies, which is very expensive
Vienna (OTS) – This year the AK registered around 2,000 complaints nationwide to the Swedish bank Klarna. It processes payment transactions, such as purchase on account for online shops. Consumers report about reminded open Klarna invoices although they have not received the goods / first invoice or have returned the goods to the retailer and withdrew from the contract. Klarna sends reminders quickly and often uses debt collection agencies / lawyers. Central problem: no communication and problem solving with consumers.
The consumers tell the AK counseling: The goods ordered online were not delivered or delivered too late. Or consumers have legally withdrawn from the purchase contract – Klarna insists on payment and sends additional reminders. “It even happens that a lawyer or debt collection agency collects the required purchase price – they charge high expenses. That pushes the costs up again for those affected, ”says AK consumer advocate Gabriele Zgubic.
Consumers also report that they have not yet received an invoice, but have already received a reminder from Klarna, although payment was not yet due. “Obviously there is a lack of customer communication. Those affected describe that they write to Klarna and often receive automated feedback that an answer will follow. But there is none – instead, the disputed claim may simply continue to be pursued and a debt collection agency will be involved, ”says Zgubic.
The AK has little success with writing to Klarna because there are no answers with customer-oriented solutions. “Only when we intervene with the debt collection agency or lawyer will there be a solution. But it cannot be seen that it has to come to this, ”says Zgubic.
An example from AK Wien Beratung: Ms. S. had a closed customer account with a US online shop. Suddenly she received a payment request from Klarna plus a reminder for 98 euros. Ms. S. was certain that she had not ordered anything. Despite several attempts in writing and by telephone to clarify the matter, a letter from a debt collection agency came, and a little later the request for payment via a lawyer. Only the AK letter to the lawyer was successful – Ms. S. did not have to pay.
“Klarna should take consumer complaints seriously. Competent customer service is necessary for this ”, says Zgubic. In addition, Klarna, as a payment institution, is obliged to actively offer options for out-of-court dispute resolution. “This information can be found in the small print of the General Terms and Conditions. The complaints office in Sweden mentioned therein is not a customer-friendly option for Austrian consumers. “(Cont.)
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