Antitrust: fines Mooney of around 2.5 million for unfair commercial practice

The Competition and Market Authority has imposed administrative fines amounting to approximately 2.5 million on Mooney SpA, issuer and manager of the Mooney prepaid card, and on Mooney Group SpA, the parent company which owns the full control of Mooney SpA. EUR. Both companies – Antitrust reports in a note – failed to carry out effective and timely controls over the issuance and correct use of their cards, thus facilitating the unfair commercial practice, consisting of misleading payment requests , apparently transmitted by the Chambers of Commerce. Furthermore, they did not carry out checks aimed at identifying deficiencies in terms of information and management of blocking and unblocking procedures. Mooney Cards. The investigations were opened after the Authority received a number of reports from the micro-enterprises receiving the applications, in which Mooney prepaid cards were often cited as a payment instrument.

During the procedure, it was found that Mooney SpA., although having become aware of the recurrent use of its cards for these illicit purposes, has not taken timely initiatives to deal with this phenomenon. This behavior constitutes an unfair commercial practice in violation of article 20, paragraph 2, of the Consumer Code, since it is contrary to the professional diligence to which an operator such as Mooney SpA must adhere, taking into account, among other things, the sector in which it operates and the seriousness of the phenomenon reported. Furthermore, the information and methods with which Mooney SpA activated the procedure for blocking its cards and the management of blocks and possible unblocking have proven to be misleading and deceptive, in some cases preventing cardholders from using them for a period of time. time. Indefinite. This behavior constitutes an unfair commercial practice in violation of articles 20 paragraph 2, 21, 22, 24 and 25 of the Code of How to consume itbecause it is likely to unduly influence consumers’ freedom of choice with regard to the use of the Mooney prepaid card and to hinder the exercise of their contractual rights.