Consumer's Telegram January 2018

Insert of n. 6 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Niki Airline files for insolvency: Since 14th December 2017 aircrafts have stayed on the ground
Niki filed insolvency after that potential buyer Lufthansa had withdrawn its offer to take over Air-Berlin subsidiary company Niki. Niki Airline has ceased its operations and sold tickets have lost its validity. If you booked a flight with Niki within the framework of a package tour you should necessarily contact the tour operator: This must make sure that the customer will be carried and in case also organise an alternative flight. If you booked a Niki flight directly at the airline or through an intermediary agent (e.g. travel agency, online platform), you basically would have to organise an alternative flight on your own and pay it at your own expense. The insolvency administrator however informed that from the insolvency procedure of the Niki parent company Air Berlin derived an excrow account in which the claims of the subsidiary company have been secured. The claims of the customers, who had bought a ticket after the filing of the Air-Berlin insolvency (15th August 2017), can probably be compensated from this account. All Niki-customers should keep an eye on the following internetsite https://airberlin-inso.de/start in order to read up-to-date information.

E-COMMERCE

Complaints concerning e-commerce: 1.9 million visitors on ODR-platform
In February 2016 the European Commission launched the so called ODR-platform: an interactive internetsite () available in all official EU-languages that should help solving disputes emerging from e-commerce. This platform has been clicked 1.9 million times and 24,000 complaints have been submitted so far. As soon as the complaint enters the platform, it gets in contact with the seller and suggests the parties to resolve the complaint extrajuridically through alternative dispute settlement bodies. They are obliged to help the consumer and the company within 90 days - in extraordinary cases this deadline can be extended - in order to resolve the problem out-of-court. The European Consumer Centre (ECC) Italy, in the body of an ODR-contact point, has answered more than 1,400 requests since the beginning of last year, 2017. For more information about the report of the European Commission or about the ODR-platform you can contact the European Consumer Centre Italy - office Bolzano/Bozen.

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Going by car on winter holidays
The App "Travelling abroad by car" is meant to be a perfect travel companion on Europe's roads. If travelling by car, van or rental car - the free App for smartphone and tablet helps travellers to be well prepared and safe. The relaunch of the App offers users information about all EU-countries, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland. More about the App on the homepage of our colleagues of the European Consumer Centre Germany.


Case of the month
In October 2016 an Italian Consumer ordered at a Danish car seller a new car for 52,000 Euro and paid a deposit of 8,000 Euro. The handover of the car should take place at the end of April 2017. At the beginning of March the consumer inquired about the state of delivery and he was told that his car had never been ordered at the manufactoring company. Apparently something had definitely gone wrong with the order. The car dealer apologised for the mistake but they told the disappointed consumer that a delivery will only be possible in September 2017. The consumer was not satisfied with this information. He contacted the European Consumer Centre (ECC) in Bolzano/Bozen that asked for help at ECC Denmark. With success: At the beginning of July the consumer received his brandnew car. Furthermore, he received a compensation transfer in the amount of 600 Euro for the delayed delivery.