The Consumer Ombudsman receives many complaints from traders who receive invoices that look like demands for payments, whereas nothing has been bought or ordered. It is a violation of the Marketing Control Act to send out such demands for payments in the absence of a contract.
The Consumer Ombudsman has no mandate to intervene in cases where businesses and traders are affected by illegal trade practices.
Don’t pay
The advice the Consumer Ombudsman can give is that you not pay the bill. If you receive a payment reminder, you should submit a written protest to avoid it being sent to a collection agency. If you receive a letter from the collection agency, it is important to consult with the agency and inform them that it is a disputed claim.
A punishable act
Violations of Section 11 of the Marketing Control Act are punishable, and traders receiving such claims can consider reporting the case to the police.
For more advice and tips on fraudsters who reach out to traders, see varslingslisten.no and trygghandel.no.