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Consumer's Telegramm European Edition
If you wish to be informed monthly about European consumer news, just subscribe our free newsletter.Consumer's Telegram May 2005
Insert of n. 35 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Italy)LOTTERIES
Playing Games of Chance Abroad brings Bad Luck
Offers of foreign lotteries are more common than ever before in our country: We get them per e-mail, FAX or postal service. However, those Italians who want to participate in foreign lotteries (f. ex. the German NKL, SKL) should know that they must fear high administrative fines as well as legal sanctions.If you, on the other hand, are told that you have won a high sum without even playing (f. ex. International Lottery, Bill Gates Lottery, Spanish National Lottery) you should rather ignore such messages, because they are very likely to be a joke or even a fraud.
EUROPEAN CONSUMER PROTECTION
An Consumer Center in Almost Every Member State
In Belgium, in Danmark, in Germany, in Estonia, in Finnland, in France, in Greece, in Ireland, in Italy (The EEJ Bolzano), in Lituvia, in Luxembourgh, in The Netherlands, in Austria, in Poland, in Portugal, in Sweden, in Spain, in The Czech Republic, in The United Kingdom and on Cypria there is a European consumer center that helps European consumers with problems on an international level. In Germany and Spain there are even three centers. In addition to this, there is the EEJ Norway and the EEJ Iceland from the EFTA countries.More information about the Network are available on the homepage of the European Commission.
ON THE ROAD BY CAR
Warning Waistcoats also in Austria a Duty Now
From the 1st May on having a warning waistcoat in one’s car is a duty in Austria, too.However, while in Italy the driver only has to pay a fine if he is caught without the warning waistcoat in a dangerous situation, in Austria it is a duty to have it always in your car.
In order to allow the drivers to get used to the new situation there will be an interim regulation in Austria till the 1st August, in which the drivers only get a admonishment instead of a fine.
Watch out: Also in Portugal, Spain Italy and the Czech Republic there exists the duty of having a warning waistcoat in the car. Other EU states are going to pass similar laws in the near future.
THE CASE OF THE MONTH
The classical nightmare on holiday: When returning to your hotel room the safe is empty. Exactly this happened to an Italian tourist during a stay in Paris. The hotel mangement and the insurance company first refused to pay any refund because the tourist could not prove the amount of money that was stolen.The EEJ Bolzano asked their French collegues for help and it was not easy for them. However, the consumer collaborated perfectly with the Italian and French Consumer Center, he kept the overview of the situation and in the right miment he was able to sign an agreement of compromise with his counterpart.
This example shows once more that the positive settlement of an argument very often strongly depends on the behaviour of the consumer.
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