Consumer's Telegram April 2023

Insert of n. 29 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)

THE ACTIVITIES OF THE ECC

Time to Take Stock!

World Consumer Rights Day on 15 March provided an opportunity for the European Consumer Centre (CEC) Italy to take stock of the past year's activities. Among the hot topics discussed were last summer's air transport chaos, the problems related to so-called covid vouchers, as well as the usual issues related to e-commerce and scams, online and otherwise. In fact, a total of 10,241 requests were handled in 2022 by the Bolzano and Rome offices, including 999 complaints from foreign consumers against Italian companies and 967 complaints from Italian citizens against professionals in the EU, for a total of around EUR 730,000 recovered in favour of European consumers. For more information.

BUY NOW PAY LATER

It Sounds Tempting but it Carries Risks

The 'buy now, pay later' purchase formula, which is often offered online, at first glance looks like the classic instalments payment, but in reality has several special features compared to traditional consumer credit. The consumer is not subjected to checks on his or her creditworthiness: this translates into extremely easy and fast access to financing. It can therefore become attractive to split the payment of one's purchases into instalments, even for small amounts, especially for those who would not have access to traditional consumer credit. The main risk is certainly that of losing track of one's debt position. Problems may also arise both in the pre-purchase phase, particularly if pre-contractual information is not sufficiently transparent, and in the post-purchase phase. It becomes more complex for consumers to exercise their statutory rights, in particular the legal guarantee and the right of withdrawal. More on the topic.

OMNIBUS DIRECTIVE TRANSPOSED

Consumer Law Adapts to the Digital World

Italy finally transposes EU Directive 2019/2165 that is amending our consumer code. Among the main novelties are the duty for sellers who apply a discount to products on sale to indicate the lowest price charged in the previous 30 days, the obligation for websites to provide measures to ensure that the reviews published are actually true, and the possibility for consumers who are victims of unfair commercial practices to claim damages, a price reduction or termination of the contract. For further information.

CASE OF THE MONTH
An Austrian consumer had booked accommodation in Italy on a well-known booking platform. Since he only needed a place to sleep after a long-haul flight and had to catch the next plane in the early hours of the following morning, he had chosen cheap accommodation in the immediate vicinity of the airport. A few hours before his plane took off for Italy, the unpleasant surprise: the accommodation unilaterally cancelled the booking. The price of just under EUR 60 was immediately refunded, but the consumer was left at the last moment without a place to sleep. The booking platform only offered him hotels that were already fully booked or too far away from the airport. The consumer had no choice but to book a hotel on his own, which was four times more expensive and could only be reached by taxi. He paid EUR 250 more than expected, of which the platform reimbursed a large part, but EUR 20 remained to be paid by the consumer. The consumer asked the accommodation to refund the remaining amount and compensation of an additional EUR 100 for the stress and inconvenience suffered. The consumer's complaint was not followed by any reaction of the trader and he therefore turned to the European Consumer Centres Network, which contacted the accommodation. The trader eventually cooperated and finally agreed to pay the requested amount.