More than 1,000 euros per basket… Fruit and vegetable scams are increasing

The scammer is a professional who knows how to adapt. Knowing the French population is sensitive to local production, some scammers have decided to move towards the sale of market garden products, touting the benefits of the short circuit. Except that sometimes there is a wolf. For several weeks, testimonies have been pouring in to denounce scams in the sale of vegetables.

A resident of Maine-et-Loire shared her experience with our colleagues from West France. At the beginning of December, this consumer living in the town of Orée-d’Anjou saw two men arrive in a van with a vegetable drawn on the bodywork.

She and her husband end up saying OK for a few crates, without knowing how many will be delivered to them. Nor imagine for a single second the amount of the bill that will be given to them. In total, it will cost 1,143 euros. Or “two to three times the market price”, according to our colleagues. She’s not the only one to have fallen for it. The same men were also said to have been active in the neighboring department of Vendée a few days earlier.

“The sellers insist”

All the victims explain having been “cornered” by men who talked a lot. Intimidating, without being threatening. “The sellers insist: fruits and vegetables keep well, they can also be given to loved ones,” reports UFC Que Choisir. Except that the quantities are much lower than those invoiced. And the prices are often exaggerated.

A practice that does not only affect Pays-de-la-Loire. In June, the UFC Que Choisir in Moselle shared the same scam. One victim had received “17 kg of apples at 2.95 euros per kilo (which seems reasonable). On the other hand, what is not is that the seller invoiced 15 kg of potatoes at 4.95 euros per kilo, which is an exorbitant price,” reports the local branch of the potato association. consumers.

Report immediately

In the event of a scam, it is advisable to file a complaint. You can also make a report on the Signal Conso platform managed by the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF).