February 2017 – deposit returned

A consumer from Lithuania saw an advertisement online that a seller based in Germany is selling a car. The consumer wanted the car and contacted the seller. They agreed about the price and 300 EUR deposit. When the consumer paid the deposit, he asked the seller to send him a contract and an invoice. The seller refused to send these documents stating that all documents will be provided to the consumer when he comes to pick up the car. The consumer checked about the seller on the internet and found many negative reviews. It appeared that other customers also were in similar situations – agreed the price, paid the deposit and did not receive contracts. When they came to pick up the car, the seller forced to pay a higher price than agreed. The consumer turned to the seller and asked to return the deposit. The consumer could not solve the dispute with the seller himself and turned to the European Consumer Centre in Lithuania. The complaint was shared with the European Consumer Centre in Germany and thanks to the cooperation of both centers, the intermediary refunded money paid for the checked baggage.