Consumer's Telegram February 2014

Insert of n. 13 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)


HOLIDAY AND TRAVEL

Theft in the hotel

Over and over again consumers contact the European Consumer Centre (ECC) in Bolzano because they have been victims of thefts in a hotel in Italy or in another EU member State. An European convention regulates the liability of hotel-keepers for the property of their guests. In case of theft in the hotel belonging to one of the many countries that have ratified the conventions, consumers enjoy similiar protection. The liability of the hotel-keeper is limited in respect of the value of the property that has been damaged, lost or stolen to an equivalent value that is 100 times the daily charge for the room. For example, the daily charge for the room is 50 Euro, the amount of compensation is at the most 5000 Euro. This limit is not applied and the hotel-keeper's liability is unlimited where the property has been deposited with the hotel-keeper or where he has refused to receive property which he is bound to receive for safe custody; and obviously where the property brought to the hotel by any guest has been damaged, destructed or lost by the hotel-keeper himself. More information about this issue on the website of the European Consumer Centre Bolzano where you will also find a standard letter of complaint to the hotel-keeper.


2013 AT THE ECC BOLZANO

Overall picture for the year was positive

The year 2013 was highly labour-intensive and by all means successful for the European Consumer Centre (ECC): 2002 consumers contacted the ECC demanding information, 561 contacts were concerned with concrete problems. In 306 cases the ECC Bolzano intervened actively in order to help consumers living in other countries of the EU, who had problems with Italian companies. The colleagues of the ECC of other member states intervened in 209 cases in order to solve problems of Italian consumers abroad. The ECC succeeded in these 515 cases to reclaim nearly 130.000 Euro.
If you want to complain about a company based in other EU-countries, Iceland or Norway and the company has already been contacted in writing but you have not received an answer or no satisfying solution has been found, please inform us about your case through our online-complaint form.


SOCIAL NETWORKS

The ECC Bolzano on twitter.com now

Brevity is the soul of wit: The European Consumer Centre (ECC) in Bolzano provides interesting news in just 140 signs. Consumers see at a single glance news about consumer protection in the EC. You can download the tipps of the ECC from the internet or directly on your mobile via twitter.com/ECCItalyBolzano. The ECC looks forward to many followers!


CASE OF THE MONTH
There are watches that do not just tell time. They tell history. At least this promises the solgan in a famous commercial. We are talking about extremely valuable brand watches whose first models were introduced in the 19th century. In June 2012 a Greek consumer bought such a watch online from an Italian jeweller. He payed 5.900 Euro by bank transfer. The jeweller sent the parcel by mail, but unfortunately it never arrived. The consumer was informed by e-mail that the parcel with the watch had been lost and the insurance has already opened the event of claim. The consumer had tried for six months to solve the problem by himself, before he contacted the European Consumer Centre in Greece that transferred the case to ECC Italy. This office contacted the jewellery and in the end the insurance company paid the loss to the trader during summer 2013. However, the case was still not solved because the jeweller has not shown the intention of transferring the claimed amount to the damaged person. Only after other six months and after several requests for payment of the ECC and after a further intervention of the insurance company the Greek consumer finally received 5.900 Euro on his bank account in the end.