The Economic Inspection unit of the Ministry of Economy examined 155 businesses in the furniture and mattress sales sector in Belgium, finding nearly 83% in violation.
A total of 537 infringements were identified, averaging 2.38 per business, according to the Ministry of Economy’s announcement on Monday.
The most frequent issues involved order forms (36.9%), price labelling (21.6%), and transparency on websites and social media (14.7%). To a lesser extent, breaches related to discount announcements (9.9%) and electronic payment methods (9.3%) were also observed.
The investigation also uncovered several other breaches, such as 28 businesses not updating their registration in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. Additionally, 13 businesses exceeded the legal limit of €3,000 for cash payments.
"For the 537 infractions, 155 warnings were issued and 19 reports were filed," said spokesperson Etienne Mignolet. "Reports were only filed in cases of multiple violations or when warnings did not lead to corrections. Most inspected companies were willing to rectify the violations, as confirmed during follow-up checks. These 19 reports represented just 12.3% of the companies inspected."
"I will consult the sector to explore ways to improve traders’ understanding of the law, ensuring every entrepreneur knows what is expected of them. Together, we can work towards greater clarity, fairness, and professionalism in the sales of furniture and bedding," says Minister of Economy David Clarinval (MR).
Between 2020 and 2023, the Economic Inspection received 1,309 complaints concerning furniture businesses, primarily regarding delivery and price marking issues.
