Consumer Association Files Lawsuit Against Rundfunkbeitrag Service Provider

The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) has filed a class-action lawsuit against SSS-Software Special Service GmbH, the operator of service-rundfunkbeitrag.de. The company has charged consumers fees of up to 39.99 Euros for transmitting their information to the Rundfunkbeitrag service of ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio.

According to the vzbv, a significant number of consumers have used the service in recent months. The organization accuses the company of failing to make it sufficiently clear that it is a paid service, which is entirely free on the official Rundfunkbeitrag website (rundfunkbeitrag.de).

The official website rundfunkbeitrag.de provides all necessary forms and services free of charge. The vzbv aims to secure refunds for affected consumers through the lawsuit. The third-party providers have no special transmission channels, and their process may actually slow down handling times.

The consumer association emphasizes that using these paid services does not expedite or improve the processing of any requests. All transmissions are free via the official portal. Consumers can join the class-action lawsuit at no cost.