Home buyers file nearly 1,000 complaints over unfair bidding
House hunters in the Netherlands are still being pressured to raise their offers and kept in the dark about rival...
Dutch home buyers have lodged nearly 1,000 complaints since February over unfair bidding practices, according to Vereniging Eigen Huis (VEH), the nation's homeowners' association. The association's complaints hotline, reopened after a five-year hiatus, received 921 reports from buyers and sellers by early July, reported broadcaster NOS.
These grievances include being pressured to submit higher offers, being misled about competing bids that later prove nonexistent, and winning bids being entered after the deadline or by the realtor. One buyer reported being coerced into adding €10,000 to a €265,000 offer, only to discover no higher bid existed afterwards. VEH claims industry voluntary guidelines have not shielded consumers, and they are seeking statutory rules to enhance transparency.
The association's director, Cindy Kremer, emphasized the need for statutory rules with supervision and enforcement to prevent breaches from going unpunished. While the government has pledged action, it has yet to implement any concrete measures. The deadline for the government to propose regulatory options to parliament passed in the spring, but the plans have not materialized yet.
Estate agents' associations, such as the largest NVM, do not oppose changes but defend their bidding protocols. Another body, Vastgoed Nederland, suggests the government should establish firm rules. A private member's bill to establish statutory standards for all agents is being drafted by PVV MP Jeremy Mooiman.
Written by urgent.news from DutchNews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
