Consumer's Telegram November 2020
Insert of n. 86 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)RAFFLES
The „won“ smartphone that you will never receive
More and more often the European Consumer Centre Italy (ECC) receives calls from consumers who claim to have won in supposed competitions on well-known social networks. Unfortunately, many consumers realise too late that these competitions are cost traps and are surprised when money is suddenly withdrawn from their credit card. Do not provide any personal information or data from your credit card for such competitions. If you have already done so and are noticing charges, contact your credit card issuer immediately to request a chargeback (https://bit.ly/37uRcN5). You can find more information about subscription traps on our website: https://bit.ly/35lnZBq.GEOBLOCKING
ENEL promises to change payment system
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) Italy has always supported consumers from other EU countries who were unable to pay electricity bills of the energy company ENEL for their second homes in Italy through bank accounts based in other European countries. During September, the Italian Antitrust Authority (AGCM) set the removal of geo-blocking for credit transfers in Euro as a priority objective at European level and additionally confronted the energy company with the incidents. The company has committed itself to develop a system that also allows payments from consumers with a non-Italian IBAN. Further information can be found on our website: https://bit.ly/2Tgu6S1.CYBER SECURITY
Information as protection against threats from the internet
“Think first, then act”, it is often said so beautifully. If you apply this principle to the digital world, it would probably be “think first, then click”. With hashtags such as #ThinkB4UClick or #CyberSecurity, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), among other institutions, publishes interesting articles, which provide more clarity about the dangers lurking in the online world and provides information on digital security. Every year, ENISA (https://www.enisa.europa.eu/) launches the #CyberSecMonth, a one-month campaign in October, with lectures and seminars on digital security taking place all over Europe. Dangers on the internet are also an ever-present topic in the ECC Italy. You can read more about this on our website: https://bit.ly/3o9I7PA.CASE OF THE MONTH
An Austrian consumer had booked a rental car with an Italian car rental company for his holidays in Italy. The contract provided for the usual deductibles for theft and damage amounting to 1900 Euros. As chance would have it, the consumer's rental car was stolen overnight. Of course, he immediately reported this to the Italian car rental company. However, the latter did not charge the 1900 Euros initially defined by the contract, but 2800 Euros, because according to the car rental company, the value added tax hat to be added as well as other fees (such as a registration fee). The consumer decided to contact the European Consumer Centre Austria, which forwarded the case to the ECC Italy. Through the intervention of the ECC Italy, which also involved the European conciliation body for the car rental sector (ECRCS), the consumer could be helped: The conciliation body ordered the full amount of 2800 Euros to be reimbursed.