Fine of over 1 million euros to the companies attributable to Chiara Ferragni, Fenice and Tbs Crew , and 420 thousand euros to Balocco for unfair commercial practices .
This is what the Antitrust announced, explaining that, according to the Authority, «the aforementioned companies made it clear to consumers that by purchasing the Ferragni "designer" pandoro they would contribute to a donation to the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin».
In essence, consumers paid over 9 euros for a pandoro, instead of 3.70, believing that part of the proceeds would go to charity at the Turin Hospital . The donation, of 50 thousand euros, had already been made by Balocco alone months earlier.
«The companies attributable to Chiara Ferragni – explains the Antitrust – have collected over 1 million euros from the initiative».
Ferragni's social media posts, the authority continues, have reinforced this misunderstanding , suggesting that the influencer herself would have directly participated in the donation.
«The Antitrust – Codacons rejoices – has fully accepted the complaint presented last January by Codacons together with the Association of Radio and Television Services Users. The sanction leads Codacons today to announce a new legal initiative against Chiara Ferragni and Balocco in favor of all users who have fallen into error: we will initiate legal action against Balocco and Chiara Ferragni asking the two parties to reimburse the cost of the pandoro to everyone consumers who joined the solidarity initiative".
The association also announces a request to Instagram and the Communications Authority to increase controls on advertising messages linked to solidarity initiatives launched on the social network by Chiara Ferragni and Fedez, in light of the Antitrust decision.
CHIARA FERRAGNI'S REPLY – «I'm sorry that after all my and my family's commitment in recent years on the charitable activity front, we persist in seeing the negative in an operation in which everything was done in total good faith – wrote Ferragni in a note on Instagram -. The one with Balocco was a commercial operation like many I do every day. In this particular one I wanted to underline the charitable donation made by Balocco to the Regina Margherita hospital because for me it was a fundamental point of the agreement. And knowing that the machine that allows us to explore new therapeutic treatments for children suffering from Osteosarcoma and Ewing's Sarcoma is now there in the hospital is what matters most. I am sorry if anyone may have misunderstood my communication and questioned my good faith. My family and I will continue to give to charity as we have always done because I will never want to give up this part of my life. And since I consider the decision taken against me to be unfair, I will challenge it in the competent bodies ."
(Unioneonline/vl)
