Consumer's Telegram July-August 2017

Insert of n. 54-61 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)

CAR RENTAL

Useful tips about how to avoid complaints
A large part of requests entering the European Consumer's Centre Bolzano/Bozen deal with car rental. You can avoid inexplicable debits from your credit card at the time the lease agreement ends when you are well informed. The most common complaints registered by the ECC Bolzano/Bozen regard alleged contract violations by the consumer such as, for example, transgressing the permitted flat rate of trip distance or returning a damaged car. For more information, advice and the use of arbitration in the framework of a bordercrossing complaint please contact the ECC on our webpage.

E-COMMERCE

3,5 millions Europeans victims of subscription traps
In the last three years approximately 3,5 millions European consumers have become victims of subscription traps on the internet. These traps offer reasonable services that, when accepted, steer to expensive subscriptions. The payment is possible by creditcard or debitcard or by an invoice. On 13 June 2014 the consumer's rights directive came into force and since then the number of consumers in Italy contacting the ECC Bolzano/Bozen because of subscription traps have dropped drastically. For more information see the section "news" on our homepage: www.euroconsumatori.org.

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL - COMMUNICATION

Roaming charges abolished on 15 June: Impacts of changes for the consumer
Since June 15th, 2017, you have heard "Roam like at Home": for consumers it is now possible to make use of their own home tariff for phone calls, SMS and data volume also when travelling temporarily to other European countries without having to pay additional roaming charges. When roaming abroad the mobile phone of the user connects itself with the foreign mobile phone net because the own mobile phone net is no longer accessible. Using the foreign net incurs costs that are charged among the providers and have been passed on to the end user via roaming charges so far. You will find more information on our website clicking on "Frequently asked questions" elaborated by the EU-commission: http://www.euroconsumatori.org/81914d83620.html

CASE OF THE MONTH
An Italian consumer was not allowed to fly from Italy to Morocco in September 2016 because of an overbooking even though he possessed a valid ticket and was at the Check-In on time. The British airline in charge offered him a compensation payment in case he forewent transfer of the overbooked flight. The consumer accepted and was rebooked on a substitution flight via Paris to Morocco. Without considering this, the promised compensation payment was not made. Therefore the consumer contacted the European Consumer's Centre Italy, office Bolzano/Bozen, that transferred the case to the colleages of the British consumer's centre. After a first intervention of the colleagues the consumer was offered a compensation payment in the amount of 250 Euro. As the flight distance of the overbooked flight was between 1.500 and 3.500 km the consumer had the right for a compensation payment in the amount of 400 Euro according to the EU regulation on air passengers rights no. 261/2004. After further interventions of the English colleaguesthe Italian consumer finally received 400 Euro compensation payment from the airline.