easyJet fined in French court over card fees and unclear terms
01.02.12
easyJet has been fined by a Paris court for charging passengers extra when they pay with a credit card and for a number of ‘unclear’ and ‘ambiguous’ terms and conditions, the FT reports. The budget airline was ordered to pay €30,000 in damages and interest after finding 23 of the carrier’s terms and conditions either ‘illegal’ or ‘abusive’.
The court found that the policy of charging a supplement for bookings made with some types of credit card was illegal. It also found illegal easyJet’s stipulation that the English version of its terms and conditions takes precedence over the French translation. Other terms deemed abusive included a lack of transparency over the cost of checking in baggage and attempts by the airline to absolve itself of all responsibility for errors in its timetable. The court gave easyJet two months to drop the offensive clauses or pay a fine of €150 per clause for each day of delay.
Cédric Musso of UFC-Que Choisir, the French consumer group that brought the action, said the decision was ‘a victory for European consumers but only one step forward because there are so many airline abusive clauses’. He said his association was waiting for the outcome of similar legal complaints filed against Ryanair and Air France.
An easyJet spokesman told the newspaper: ‘We will study the court’s decision in detail before deciding on next steps. easyJet prides itself on its transparency and delivers great value to its passengers.’
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