Pensioner Must Pay CHF 14,000 for Book After Doorstep Visit

A pensioner from Fricktal in Aargau has been ordered to pay nearly CHF 14,000 for a book following a doorstep sales visit.

The case dates back to May 2022, when a salesman pitched an exclusive facsimile in the retiree’s home. 

Documents were shown, including a confusing A3 sheet with order and cancellation details. 

Though the pensioner claimed he never agreed to a purchase, his partial payment of CHF 3,000 later that year suggested otherwise. 

A lower court had initially sided with him, citing unclear contract terms. But Aargau’s Higher Court overturned the ruling, saying his behaviour implied tacit agreement.

The man said he only paid to avoid stress. 

The court concluded the contract was legally binding despite the unusual presentation.

More from Bitesize News

  • Citizenship remains one of the hardest on continent

    The Council of States has rejected a popular initiative that would have let foreigners apply for citizenship after just five years, closing the parliamentary door on the biggest attempt in years to loosen one of Europe's strictest naturalisation regimes

  • More gun crime in Annemasse

    Seven people are in French police custody after a shooting Monday evening at a drug-dealing spot in Ville-la-Grand, on the edge of Annemasse

  • Geneva land ownership change

    The canton of Geneva is set to become the sole owner of the land beneath Stade de Genève, buying out a parcel held by federal railways CFF for CHF 15.84 million

  • Agriculture warning after record breaking summer

    Farmers warn that another summer like this one would eat through their remaining reserves and force cuts to herds and crops

  • SNB interest rate stable

    The Swiss National Bank has kept its key interest rate at zero, sticking with a policy that has held since June 2025 even as oil-driven inflation ticks higher

  • Phone company going to court

    A Swisscom technician who spent 38 years at the company says he was fired for helping his 80-year-old neighbour cancel a subscription she never wanted

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play