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?
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.
The updated EU rail passenger rights will be implemented in 2023. The agreed changes are a compromise between more far-reaching demands of the EU Parliament and positions of the majority of transport ministers of the EU Council, which in turn include more national and economic interests. All in all, it is a further improvement of rail passenger rights and is on its way to be cast into national laws. Because of the #EuropanYearOfRail, we have a look into the future of rail passenger rights.
The Chamber of Labour registers countless complaints about the payment service Klarna and is now suing this Swedish bank, which grew strongly during the Corona pandemic. Klarna handles online transactions for purchases in online shops and enables payment on account. The ECC also has daily complaint calls about Klarna and is eagerly awaiting the verdict.
The EU has been regulating rail passengers' rights since 2009. You can find out which rights are guaranteed in this regulation, for example in the case of train delays or information obligations by the railway companies, as well as answers to the most frequently asked questions in our article. We updated on the occasion of the proclaimed EU "Year of Rail 2021".
A decision by the ECJ has once again clearly strengthened air passenger rights. If a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed due to an announced strike by airline staff, passengers may have a right to compensation.
In 2020, victims turned more than ever to the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Austria, part of the Austrian Association for Consumer Information (VKI). We used this year's World Consumer Day (15 March) as an opportunity to take a retrospective look at our counselling activities in one year of Corona.
The ECC Austria is an official counselling centre for legal consumer questions on travelling to dangerous areas.
In the referendum on 23 June 2016, 52 percent of Britons voted in favour of Brexit. On 24 December, the EU and the UK concluded a far-reaching trade and partnership agreement. What are the consequences for consumers in Europe? Here are some hints about the changes from the perspective of travellers and consumers
Finally, a winter with good snow and the semester break is upon us! But the pandemic is putting the brakes on the desire to travel and bringing the ski circus to a standstill in many places. Yet the restrictions in Austria are relatively low compared to other countries. Unless you want to come skiing from abroad.
As of midnight tonight, i.e. as of 00:00 on 19.12.2020, a travel warning issued by the Austrian Foreign Ministry applies to practically the entire world. 10 states are exempt from this. What does this mean for a planned trip for the holidays?
Help for over one million consumers in Europe: ECC-Net celebrates 15 years of cross-border consumer protection
Those who want to find new life partners through Parship could be confronted with high costs as soon as they change their mind and only use the service for a short time. European Court of Justice declares offsetting practice invalid.
Refunds through booking platforms are particularly difficult. Those who have booked flights with intermediaries such as Opodo, Expedia & Co that were cancelled due to the pandemic are having a hard time getting their money back. Enquiries are piling up at arbitration offices and consumer protection agencies.
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.
Image:
