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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 February 2006
Insert of n. 14 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Italy)TRAVELLING
European health insurance card
On January 1st 2006, the European health insurance card has also been introduced in Italy. It is a personal document of standard format for all the EU states that substitutes other forms which were necessary up to now in order to get sanitary services during a timely limited stay abroad (in Europe). Mainly the form E111 (necessary for short stays, e.g. for tourist purposes), the form E 128 (transfer of employees to another country, study), the form E110 (international road transport) and the form E119 (temporary domicile for job search) are now superfluous. This card, however, doesn’t substitute the form E112 that is necessary for medical services without previous permission and/or without urgency which are used abroad.EU- money transfer orders abroad
Maximum amount raised from 1st January on
Since 1st January 2003, BIC and IBAN code are part of the European cross-border routine of banks. From that date on, the EU- internal traffic of money has been established, so that it has come to equal charges for inland and international money transfer. This equality of charges was limited to certain amounts of transfers, which could not exceed 12,500 Euros.With the beginning of the year, the maximum amount has been augmented to 50,000 Euros. This means that banks can’t demand higher charges for transfers up to 50,000 Euros as they are asking for domestic bank transfers.
CASE OF THE MONTH
As Mr Rossi contacted us he was angry, and that for a good reason: at the airport his suitcase didn’t appear on the luggage-belt. He was particularly worried about this because in the suitcase there was the work of four days, the only reason for his trip to Spain. The effective damage was therefore hardly quantifiable.Through continuous requests, the ECC, in collaboration with the consumer, tried to continue the search for the suitcase and asked the airline for continuous reports. It was pointed out that in case of an unsuccessful search, an action for damages would have been the consequence.
Finally a written report of the airline reached us in which, however, they communicated that the research had not been successful and that the costumer should send his original travel documents in order to provide the payment of the damage.
A day after that the ECC had communicated this to the consumer, the latter called and announced that the suitcase had eventually been found and that the note was a misunderstanding in between the single offices of the airline.
The point is now whether we should be glad for Mr Rossi about the unexpected happy ending or whether there are still serious doubts about the efficiency of the costumer care offices of airlines.
The ECC comes to the following conclusion: one more case that has been solved to the satisfaction of the consumer.
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