Ehpad can retreat. According to the fraud prevention services, more than half of the private establishments in the sector have irregular commercial practices. “More than one out of two establishments has at least one non-compliance”, laments in a press release the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention.
The DGCCRF, attached to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, based itself on nearly a thousand checks carried out between 2019 and 2021. The DGCCRF investigation “focused on private establishments with the aim of lucrative, due to particularly high prices and a proliferation of optional service offers which can complicate their comparison”, explains the organization.
17 minutes drawn up
Among the anomalies noted, the DGCCRF cites a “discordance” between the prices displayed and those actually practiced, or unbalanced clauses in the residence contracts – for example the requirement of a “disproportionate” security deposit. “Misleading commercial practices” are also denounced, such as these establishments which boast of having a “therapeutic garden” when it is “simple bins for gardening”.
Sanctions were taken “in the most serious cases”: 17 reports were drawn up, in particular concerning prices, “unfair terms” or other “unfair practices”. State services invite families who notice problems, for example “misleading allegations about reception arrangements or pricing”, to report it on the website. signal.conso.gouv.fr. Mistreatment must be reported to the prefects.