Consumer's Telegram June 2023

Insert of n. 45 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)
ATTENTION: FRAUD!

There is no end to the reports of online trading fraud

It all starts with an unexpected phone call: a friendly voice suggests high-yield investments, it is a one-time opportunity: the initial investment is a measly 250 €. Those who are persuaded, however, gradually transfer larger sums and are pleased when the money supposedly increases. However, as soon as the payment of the invested amounts is demanded, the music changes: the counterpart begins to invent various excuses for not paying back the amounts and finally does not get in touch at all. The end result is always the same: the savings have vanished into thin air. Read on the ECC website what else you should look out for.

EUROPE DAY 2023

ECC-Net publishes the results achieved in 2022

The ECC used Europe Day on 9 May as an opportunity to present the results achieved in 2022 by the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net): Almost ten million euros were recovered through its outreach to consumers in Europe, the network thus proved to be a valuable protection instrument and an important contact point. The real economic benefits are even greater. In many cases, ECC-Net has saved consumers from having to pay in the first place and from falling victim to cost traps, for example. In each EU country, as well as in Iceland and Norway, there is a European Consumer Centre, which can handle complaints free of charge out of court, provided it is a cross-border matter. Find out more at.

E-COMMERCE

Watch out for fake shops!

The European Consumer Centre repeatedly receives reports from people who fall victim to fraud when buying goods online from so-called "fake shops", which are often found via advertisements in social media. Consumers often order relatively cheap goods - sometimes of a well-known brand - but end up either not receiving them at all or receiving a product of very poor quality or even completely different from what was ordered. A consumer who is always careful to use secure payment systems came across a website that offered the option of paying by Paypal. However, the consumer discovered in time that clicking on the corresponding link opened the function "Send money to a friend". This option should never be used to pay for goods, as it offers no buyer protection. If you come across an online shop that asks you to pay the price via Paypal as "send money to a friend", do not buy: it is most likely a fake shop. For more information on online shopping.

CASE OF THE MONTH
An Italian consumer booked a flight from Helsinki to Venice with an Irish airline. The flight landed in Venice almost four hours late. According to EU air passenger rights, in the event of a delay at the final destination of more than three hours, if the delay could have been avoided and was therefore not due to extraordinary circumstances, passengers are entitled to compensation of 250, 400 and 600 euros, graded according to the distance of the flight. The consumer contacted the airline and demanded this compensation payment. However, the consumer's request remained unanswered, which is why she asked the European Consumer Centre Italy for assistance. The complaint was shared with the European Consumer Centre Ireland, which contacted the airline on behalf of the consumer. As a result, the airline paid the consumer 400 euros as compensation.