Consumer's Telegram November 2016

Insert of n. 76 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)

HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Flight delayed or cancelled: What are my rights?
Internet portals, that want to promise consumers generous compensation for cancelled or delayed flights, are spreading dynamically. Therefore, the ECC Italy - office Bolzano/Bozen wants to clarify some issues. Please read more about this widespread practice on our homepage.

CARS

Car import: three most frequent questions
In our society cars have an indisputable importance and more and more consumers search for a car - either new or used - in other EU countries. The ECC is a contact point regarding questions around the purchase of cars in other EU countries. In the timespan between March and October 2016 the ECC-office Bolzano/Bozen dealt with more than 70 requests and cases regarding car import and export to and from Italy. Find more about this issue on our homepage.

BREXIT

Stages of the UK leaving the EU
For the first time one of the 28 member states of the European Untion wants to leave the EU. Withdrawal, negotiations, consent: This will take some years. The result of the referendum only is not enough that the UK can leave the EU in a legally effective way. In order to leave the EU, the British Parliament must approve the decision. Once British Parliament has approved the exit, the UK must implement article 50 of the EU-treaty, that regulates the exit of a EU-country. As soon as Great Britain has informed the EU Council of Ministers that they want to leave the EU, the time limit of two years starts to run. During this time all details concerning the exit and future relationships with the 27 remaining member states will be negotiated and then the corresponding agreement will be concluded. Find more details on the homepage of our colleagues from ECC Germany.


Case of the month
Family P. from Belgium booked their „white week“ in South Tyrol like every year. After they had arrived in the hotel hungrily and exhausted, they left their luggage in their room and went to dinner in the dining room in the lower floor. When they returned to their room a nasty surprise awaited them: Thiefs had gained access to the hotel room and stole all valuable goods, such as watches, wallets, jewellery, car key and identity documents. The family notified the theft at the reception but the hotel owner did not feel responsible at all. Family P. filed a complaint at the police and asked for help at the European Consumers Centre in Belgium, that contacted immediately the ECC-office in Bolzano/Bozen. Even though the Civil Code provides for the liability of the host (also the hundredfold room price) in case of damage, destruction or theft of the guests’ personal items, the hotel owner did not want to know anything about a refund. With the support of the ECC office Bozen/Bolzano and the ECC Belgium one tried to apply a so called “small claim” – an arbitration proceeding for small legal disputes - that brought in a refund of 2000 euros from the hotel owner. You will learn more about “small claim” here.