There are quite precise rules about what must be written on order and purchase buttons in order for a transaction concluded with them to be valid on the Internet. If this is not the case, a purchase contract concluded online is not valid.
Have you ordered from an Austrian online shop and then had to wait weeks for delivery because the package then came from abroad? Then you are probably dealing with drop shipping. This article explains what drop shipping is, how to recognise it and what to look out for before placing an online order.
Subscription traps are in high season on Valentine's Day. But all year round, consumers find themselves in subscriptions they didn't really want because subscription providers play tricks.
Since the beginning of the year, the three largest credit card companies in the EU have had to provide better protection against dubious subscriptions by informing customers more precisely in the payment process that they are purchasing services with recurring payments.
Since the New Year, importers and companies without a registered office in Austria have had to appoint a domestic representative for packaging materials, otherwise they face penalties. Many online retailers do not want to shoulder this additional effort. This is why it can be observed more and more in online shops that delivery to Austria is currently not possible.
Facsimiles, i.e. replicas, of magnificent antique volumes, bibles or encyclopaedias are sold for thousands of euros in door-to-door sales. The victims are mainly elderly or old people. They were promised a safe investment. It later transpires that they were sold relatively worthless books.
A new attempt for revised passenger rights in air travel is here. The initiative could lead to the replacement of the old Air Passenger Rights Regulation, especially in the area of delays and flight cancellations. This means that air travellers in the EU will get more rights in the future - but also fewer in certain cases.
Since 2013, the US company Next Gen Inc. has been active with various dubious raffles on social media such as Facebook. Mostly elderly people fell for their alleged prize draws and lotteries. As of today, victims from Austria have the opportunity to recover part of the damages they suffered.
Reiseversicherungen reichen von sinnvoll bis entbehrlich. Wir bieten eine Übersicht, worauf es zu achten gilt, um keine Versicherungslücken zu haben und auch nicht unnötig bereits abgedeckte Versicherungsleistungen doppelt zu bezahlen.
The new roaming regulation of July 2022 ensures "roam like at home", i.e. at the same tariffs for another 10 years. What is new are certain safeguards against cost traps. Find out which advantages and restrictions are new in our news report.
Worldwide, the airline industry is experiencing a massive pent-up demand for passenger flights. Expensive fuel prices and, above all, an acute shortage of staff resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and chaotic conditions at airports.
Alleged Microsoft employees call, send emails or pretend to be tech support in response to fake error messages in order to pull off various scams. Here is a summary and tips on how to behave.
We are looking for consumers who are willing to be interviewed via video call in English until Monday (4 April). The questions are about their own experiences and opinions about online shopping.
Some basic bilingual information about EU aid measures and consumer rights for war refugees fleeing the Ukraine towards the EU.
In the event of travel problems, claims can be made against an airline. However, several airlines or booking platforms are often involved in providing the service. So who should I make the claim to?
Which flights are covered by the EU Passenger Rights Regulation? Am I also protected by EU rights on my flight from or to third countries?
It may happen that you are informed at the airport that you are not allowed to board your booked flight, even though the flight is taking place. If you are not responsible for the denied boarding, you are generally entitled to the compensation described here.
Dubious coaching providers are still very active. Hardly any other rip-off industry knows how to use the potential of social media and target group advertising so skilfully to get money from the unsuspecting. We give those affected recommendations for action and warn urgently against cost traps amounting to several thousand euros!
We provide an overview of the rights and obligations of the GDPR - the General Data Protection Regulation has already been in force for over 2 years. Do you still have your data protection rights in mind?
If checked baggage does not arrive at the baggage carousel at the arrival airport, it is often delivered to the hotel days later. Those affected are entitled to have their emergency purchases paid for. Further compensation is available in the event of loss.
Fast alle haben im Internet aufgegebene Bestellung schon einmal nicht bekommen und vergeblich gewartet. Lieferverzug sollte man nicht hinnehmen. Welche Rechte Sie haben, und wie Sie im Falle einer Nichtlieferung vorgehen sollten, erfahren sie hier.
Got Consumer Questions? We Have the Answers.
When an airline cancels a flight, this is referred to as a cancellation. Passengers prevented from travelling on the cancelled flight are entitled to rerouting and often corresponding financial compensation.
One of the most common problems when travelling by air is delays. After a certain length of delay, you are entitled to the following benefits.
In this article, we have compiled information on how to recognise a reputable online pharmacy, which products may be sold and purchased at all, and which other legal regulations must be observed.
A decision of the Euroean Court of Justice strengthened the rights of ship passengers in September 2021. More and more tourists are travelling on Austrian waters, so this ruling is also increasingly relevant in this country. We provide an outlook on these passenger rights and compensation payments due.
Many affected gamblers do not even know that they can reclaim gambling debts they have incurred at foreign casinos or online casinos. These foreign companies do not have a licence in Austria. Our article explains the background and possibilities.
Attention: A fake SMS message about a fake parcel delivery is currently doing the rounds among Austrian Android smartphones. If you click on the link it contains, spy software will be installed on your mobile phone!
The insolvent Alitalia will be replaced by a new company called ITA on 15 October. If you still have valid tickets, you should apply for a refund or rebooking by then!
The blue Connecting Europe Express is travelling across Europe in September, during the #EUYearofRail, to raise awareness for rail development across Europe.
In our globalised everyday life, contracting foreign companies is no longer unusual and the freedom to provide services is a fundamental right in the EU. We explain which rules and obligations apply and what you should look out for before placing orders with foreign companies.
The ECC is the official contact point in Austria - contact us about geoblocking, online dispute resolution ODR, danger at your holiday destination or the EU Services Directive!
It is no longer possible to imagine e-commerce without customer reviews, but they are not only an elementary part of online shopping. We show where trickery takes place and what to look out for.
As of today, 1 July 2021, the tax exemption for imports into the EU no longer applies to goods with a value of less than 22 euros. We describe what price increases and also improvements this means for end customers.
Numerous complaints have been made to ECC-Net and also to other consumer protection organisations about German online suppliers of bathroom fittings and furniture. The number of problem cases has risen sharply since the end of 2020, better order elsewhere!
The "Green Pass" and its EU-wide introduction is delayed by a few weeks and will only be activated for EU travel here in the course of July. Here is our update on the rules and formalities and some warnings about scams.
When timeshare flats or holiday homes booked online do not exist. Criminals are trying to extract money from the pockets of holidaymakers by using internet offers with stolen photos of real holiday flats.
There are several online providers of paid termination letters. We received requests for help about the German provider volders with complaints about billing and questionable collection procedures.
Countless self-proclaimed coaches try to "scale" their business on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok by selling highly dubious business models with their image of success. We do not find this trend "nice", to stay in the language of damaged young adults. Requests for help at the ECC continue to increase because of the coaching rip-off. An enormous wave of advertisements with get-rich-quick instructions is intended to chill young viewers in particular with the wealth on display and is flooding social media.
If a parcel ordered on Amazon has not arrived, but it has been registered as delivered by the delivery person, Amazon would like to have a police confirmation that the investigation has been completed. In Austria, however, you can only file a complaint with the police. Read what to do.
Preparations are in full swing to enable a legislative and technical basis for an EU-wide digital vaccination and testing card before the start of the summer holidays, to replace the numerous Covid19 restrictions and quarantine requirements for health certificate holders. Despite many difficulties, the project is ambitious in terms of time. It is intended to be practical and fair. We summarise the framework and goals that have been set out.
By clicking on „accept“, you explicitly consent to transfer data to the USA. Caution: The US does not ensure an comparable adequate level of protection like the EU. Due to surveillance laws such as FISA 702, Youtube (Google Inc) is obliged to hand over your personal data to US authorities. There is no adequacy decision of the European Commission for the transfer of data to the USA. Furthermore, Youtube (Google Inc) cannot offer appropriate safeguards for compliance with an adequate level of protection comparable to that of the EU. Hence, in the US you do not have enforceable data subject rights and effective legal remedies that are equivalent to the level of protection guaranteed within the EU.
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