Consumer's Telegram March 2016
Insert of n. 20 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre, Bolzano - Italy)E-COMMERCE
New platform for resolving disputes
Since 15th February 2016 consumers, who had troubles with online-shopping, may contact a new online platform for resolving disputes (ODR – Online Dispute Resolution). This address ist provided by the European Commission and accessible on the following internetsite: http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.The European Consumer's Centre (ECC) Italy has been officially appointed as a point of contact. If you would like to lodge your border crossing complaint without any fees to an ADR-body, you will get the necessary assistance from ECC Italy (tel: 0471/980939, E-Mail: info@euroconsumatori.org). Further information about this topic you'll find here.
DATING AGENCIES
Valentine's Day 2016 – Mr and Mrs South Tyrol are looking for love
Online partner services, dating agencies, flirtchats and singlechats: All this involves companies that act like all other profit-orientated companies, even though “business with love” and their contracts are difficult to define. The ECC in its advisory activity tries to make clear to the consumer (especially in the case of contracts with “classic” dating agencies) that ECC activity is not to prove that the disappointed consumer did not find a partner but to evidence that the contractual obligation of the company has not completely or not at all been fulfilled. In such case, the ECC may claim for the consumer a reduction of costs or a complete deletion of the invoice. One of the ECC's task is to inform the consumer in the case that contractual obligations have not been fulfilled. Further information provides the European Consumer's Centre under the phone number 0471/980939 or on its homepage.MULTILEVEL-MARKETING
New Porsche for 390,00 Euro?
A company based in Germany alledgedly offers the possiblity to rent a car for the timespan of two years. One has to pay a unique entry fee of 390 Euro. One can even rent a luxury car such as a new Porsche Carrera. The sales structure of the company with its headoffice in Germany is based on a so called multilevel-marketing. This kind of structure provides the possibility for customers to attract new customers in the role of an independent sales partner. In doing so, the customer gets the requested car. According to Article 5 of Law No 173 of 2005 it is forbidden to promote and carry out activities and sales structures, if attracting new members stays in the foreground and the main economic incentive is to recruit new participants. More information you will find on the homepage of the European Consumer's Centre Bolzano.Case of the month
An Austrian consumer ordered at an Italian online-dealer a pair of shoes at the price of 170 Euro. Six weeks after the delivery, she noticed that a seam had torn off even though she had hardly worn them. The consumer made a complaint at the company twice but did not receive an answer. In the end she contacted ECC Austria that entrusted ECC Bolzano with the complaint. The company reacted quickly to the letter of complaint. They asked the consumer to send back the damaged shoes. As soon as they had arrived at the seller, the consumer immediately got back the purchase price.