SFR fined for misleading advertising: €10 million related to Red by SFR

The bill has been handed down, and it's causing quite a stir in the small world of mobile phone plans. SFR has been fined €10 million, €5 million of which is suspended, for "deceptive business practices" related to advertisements for its Red by SFR brand. The information was confirmed on Monday, April 13, by the company and by the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir.

Flashback: The Paris Criminal Court issued its ruling on March 19, according to an excerpt of the judgment shared by Red by SFR on social media. The court is targeting wording used between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020, when certain plans were presented as fixed-price subscriptions, with formulations deemed "false or misleading." For the customer, this is often where everything hinges, in a few words printed in large print that sound like a guarantee.

The "lifetime guarantee" promises are overtaken by the bill.

The focus is on catchy, reassuring slogans: "no time limit," "no price increases after a year," "lifetime guarantee." However, these promises were contradicted by price hikes unilaterally implemented starting in 2019, following consumer complaints. The discrepancy between the advertising and reality is the crux of this case, the very thing that transforms a marketing ploy into a legal dispute.

UFC-Que Choisir, which initiated the legal proceedings after filing a complaint in 2021, welcomed the ruling as "a strong signal in favor of transparency in business practices within the telecommunications sector." The court also ordered SFR to pay €50,000 to the consumer association. When contacted, the operator declined to comment, letting the judgment speak for itself.

One fundamental question remains, one that goes beyond SFR and affects the entire sector: by constantly selling "fixed-line" and "lifetime" contracts as if they were self-evident truths, have operators ultimately trivialized promises that no customer reads in small print, but that everyone remembers in large print? This decision could push brands to tighten their wording, and consumers to view the next "unmissable" offer displayed on a screen with greater skepticism.