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Consumer's Telegramm / Consumer's telegram July 2008

Consumer's Telegramm European Edition

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Consumer's Telegram July 2008

Insert of n. 53 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)

ECC-NET

E-Commerce Report 2007 published

The international purchase of goods on the European virtual market place of the internet has become one of the most natural things in the world. However, the virtual shopping tour does not always end in the expected way and so disappointed consumers turn for help to one of the 29 European Consumer Centres (ECC). Now, the report regarding e-commerce of the year 2007 (ECC-Net) has been published.
All in all there were 13,639 European consumers who asked the ECC-Net for help after an online purchase of a good or a service.
The main problem was the deliverance in about half of the cases. A quarter of the complaints referred to the fact that the product did not fulfil the expectations because it had a defect, it was not the one ordered or did not have the promised features.
The type of products most complaints referred to were electronic tools (cameras, mp3- players, computers and similar ones). Such goods are most often affected by faults in comparison to other products because of their complex technical features and their detailed technical operating instructions. What is more, these expensive products seem to attract especially often sellers with intend to defraud.
Another trend of the last years was confirmed in 2007: also this time Germany is with 44% of the cases at the top of the countries where there were problems with internet sellers, followed by France (12%) and Great Britain (10%).
Link to the e-commerce report.

AIR TRAVEL

Last Chance for the Creditors of Low-Cost Airline Alpi Eagles

At the moment the proceedings against the insolvent low-cost airline Alpi Eagles is going on at the regional court of Venice. The deadline for placing claims was the 6th of June 2008. However, there exists the possibility for creditors of the company, that is to say, also for passengers affected by the cancelling of flights who had got no reimbursement for the price of their tickets to apply for later claims according to art. 101 of the Italian bankruptcy law.
Of course, the claim has to enclose valid proofs for the right to compensation, such as a copy of the flight ticket, a proof for the regular payment, copies of letters to the airline in which the reimbursement had been asked, and everything must be sent to the office of the bankruptcy section of the regional court of Venice (Tribunale di Venezia, Sezione Fallimentare, Rialto, S. Polo 119 - 30100 Venezia).
For further information you can refer to the office of the extraordinary commissioner
Dr. Gianluca Vidal in Venice, Mestre, Via G. Pepe 8.
We would like to point out that the placement of a claim for the reimbursement of the paid ticket price is no guarantee for really getting back the money, especially if the claim has been brought in late.

TIP OF THE MONTH

Expensive Fuel and Price Changes of Package Tours

Many consumers are preparing right now for their well-deserved holiday. However, some of them will get an unpleasant announcement by their travel agency: the package tour, probably booked months ago, is suddenly considerably more expensive because the price for the fuel has gone up. Many consumers phone the ECC and ask the question: "Is this request justified?"
Indeed, the Italian Consumer Code says that the price established in the travel contract can rise because of price changes in transport (that is to say, also if the fuel gets more expensive), under the condition that this is specified in the travel contract. The price change cannot be more than 10% of the original price, otherwise the consumer has the right to rescind from the contract without any costs. Moreover, it is essential that the price cannot be changed in the last 20 days before the departure. The consumer can also ask the travel agency to prove the higher costs.
Therefore, people who have booked early must calculate that the price of their package tour might rise before the departure.


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