Theoretical free-ness of online solutions still effectively lures naive users.
A costly finish, or how to squeeze a resigned candidate?
Software developers often offer a free sample of a system’s capabilities, only to charge a specific sum for further use or unique features later. This is a natural market arrangement as long as the rules of the game are clear from the outset.
However, Bold LLC, the operator of Interviewme.pl, decided to play this battle entirely differently, testing the patience of job seekers and the flexibility of Polish consumer law.
The portal attracted thousands of people with intuitive tools for quickly creating and securely storing digital resumes and cover letters. From a UX perspective everything looked flawless. Users entered the site, chose modern graphic templates, and meticulously entered data about their career path.
The real surprise awaited at the very finish of this path. The fact that downloading or printing the finished documents required a credit card was only revealed to the confused user when their work was completely finished.
Two options were offered: a 14‑day trial for 5.95 PLN or a quarterly subscription priced high at 79.90 PLN. It is worth noting that Bold LLC (the American operator) skillfully hid the key information from users – the low initial fee was merely a clever hook that triggered automatic, recurring charges of significant amounts from the account.
If the unaware user did not cancel the hidden subscription before the 14 days expired, the system extended the contract to the next billing period without any additional warning. Worst of all, higher amounts disappeared from the consumer’s personal account, which no rationally thinking person would voluntarily sign up for.
From a marketing psychology standpoint this is a classic, aggressive exploitation of a client’s decision fatigue.
See also: The collusion of carriers and the network giant led to pathology in the labor market? UOKiK stepped in with a control.
The financial reckoning for toxic image practices
The uncompromising tightening of short‑term financial indicators using so‑called “dark patterns,” i.e., deceptive interface elements, proved to be a fatal strategy for the foreign company Bold LLC. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection took decisive action and imposed a severe fine of 764,000 PLN on the dishonest entrepreneur.
This strong blow to the corporate wallet should effectively cool the enthusiasm of other companies trying to build short‑term revenue spikes on misinformation and the ignorance of their audience.
Consumers have the right to know how much they will pay for a service before they start using it. Hiding key costs until the finalization of an order is an unlawful practice. Job searching is often an urgent and important need for people in difficult situations.
Users of Interviewme.pl spent time filling out forms, and before downloading the finished CV they learned about the paid subscription. Under pressure, they might decide to pay to avoid losing the results of their effort.
Equally negative and shocking mechanism were the recurring charges for automatic subscription renewal, which the company did not clearly and unambiguously inform about.
– says UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny.
See also: Dino’s actions on a 28‑percent discount. UOKiK strikes the giant! Working conditions online under scrutiny.
Source: Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.
