VKI recovers 39 million euros for consumers in 2025

The Association for Consumer Information (VKI) has reported recovering approximately 39 million euros for nearly 180,000 consumers through 234 legal proceedings in 2025. The organization achieved a success rate of 94 percent across various types of actions, including model trials, class actions, and enforcement proceedings.

A major focus of the legal activity involved phishing fraud cases. While banks initially rejected reimbursement requests in about 10 percent of intervention cases by citing alleged victim negligence, they largely fulfilled claims following VKI lawsuits.

Other significant areas of litigation included: • International online platforms regarding transparency, advertising, and minor protection. • Streaming services concerning unlawful price change clauses. • The travel industry, including airlines and tour operators. • Insurance companies regarding cost clauses in life insurance. • Deceptive practices such as shrinkflation, misleading advertising, and deceptive packaging.

Additionally, the VKI addressed issues involving the use of personal data for AI training without active consent and the use of dark patterns in digital interfaces.