Past news articles
6 December: ECC-Net report shows that complaints from air passengers have almost doubled
Today the European Consumer Centre Network released it's report on Air Passenger Rights: Consumer Complaints for 2006. The report shows that most complaints recieved by the netwrok are related to luggage problems, then cancellation of flights, and with the delay of flights coming in at third.
Compareing the results found by the network for 2005 there has been a 96% increase in the number of complaints recieved by the network in one year.
To read the report please use the following link: ECC-Net Report on Air Passenger Rights: Consumer Complaints 2006.
3 December: Howard is Here.
Do you know how to check if a certain web trader can be trusted with your money? And do you have the time to find out?
Howard helps you:
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Avoid fraudulent and unserious web traders
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Find the serious web traders and get good advice on shopping online
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Knowing your rights when shopping online in Europe
When you start Howard he opens in a new browser window where you can find additional information.
Howard cannot guarantee that a website is trustworthy or offer a guarantee of service or quality, but it will provide you with information that will help you make an informed decision in advance of making a purchase.
28 November: "Have A Safe Christmas" - Web Chat On Christmas Toy Safety
On the 5th December between 17:00h and 19:00h the European Consumer Protection Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, is planning to organise an online web chat under the title "Have a safe Christmas".
During the webchat Commissioner Kuneva will be discussing topics including "Toy Safety" and "Consumer Rights", in addition she will provide information and advice useful for Christmas shopping.
The aim of the debate is raise consumers awareness and confidence during the Christmas period, and that it will also bring forward new ideas upon which the European Commission can build on.
The Christmas web chat will be accessible through Mrs Kuneva's website http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/kuneva/index_en.htm via the area called 'Your Space'.
14 November: UK European Consumer Centre - Official Launch
Wednesday 14th November 2007 saw the official launch of the UK European Consumer Centre.
Representatives of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), Consumer Direct, Trading Standards, and the National Consumer Federation were in attendance showing their support and interest for the UK European Consumer Centre.
UK ECC was honoured when the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Gareth Thomas, officially opened the centre. During his speech, Gareth Thomas recognised the growth of online business and that only one quarter of EU consumers took advantage of buying goods from different member states.
The Chief Executive for the Trading Standard Institute (TSI), Ron Gainsford, is delighted that the UK European Consumer Centre is being hosted by TSI and that there is this valuable service that UK consumers can take advantage of when shopping within the EU.
During the launch UK ECC Manager, Jed Mayatt, gave a presentation highlighting the work that the centre does, how it can help UK consumers, and how the centres fits in with the European Consumer Centre Netwrok.
The launch also received an impressive response from local newspapers and radio stations. In addition BBC News, Channel 4, and Which? All covered the launch by having an article on their websites:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7094019.stm
http://www.which.co.uk/reports_and_campaigns/consumer_rights/reports/Consumer%20rights%20and%20problems/EU_complaint_centre_news_article_557_125359.jsp
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/business_money/european+consumer+centre+opens/1045467
31 October 2007: House of Lords upholds decision on credit card cover for overseas purchases
UK consumers will continue to be protected when purchasing goods overseas on their credit cards following a landmark ruling by the House of Lords today. The Lords confirmed that section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to overseas as well as domestic transactions, and this ruling brings to an end a legal process initiated by the OFT in 2004.
Today's judgment rejects an appeal by high street banks against a similar ruling by the Court of Appeal. It confirms that credit card issuers are individually and jointly liable with suppliers if a consumer has a valid claim against the supplier for misrepresentation or breach of contract. This applies to overseas purchases where the price is above £100 but no more than £30,000.
As a result, cardholders are able to make a claim against the credit card issuer as well as, or instead of, the supplier.
Section 75 covers foreign transactions including where:
- a consumer uses a UK credit card to buy goods or services while abroad
- a consumer orders goods or services from a foreign supplier while abroad for delivery into the UK
- a consumer in the UK buys goods or services from overseas by telephone, mail order or over the internet which are delivered to a UK address, or
- there are face-to-face pre-contract dealings with a foreign supplier temporarily in the UK, or with a UK agent of a foreign supplier, but the contract is not completed in the UK.
Tips for consumers on credit card purchases:
- the consumer protection afforded by section 75 allows for the possibility of money that seemed lost on a credit card purchase being claimed back
- if you pay by credit card you can claim your money back from the credit card company if the seller fails to honour the contract, or the item is faulty or if the seller wrongly describes it or if the supplier goes out of business
- you do not have to attempt to claim your money back from the seller first - the credit card company is individually liable
- if you are buying an item costing over £100 and you are asked for a deposit, consider paying the deposit by credit card
- you are not covered by section 75 if you use a debit or charge card
- if using your credit card abroad, you will need to work out whether the purchase price amounts to more than the sterling equivalent of £100 and less than £30,000.
12 October 2007: OFT targets holidaymakers at UK airports to warn of bogus holiday clubs
The Office of Fair Trading is warning holidaymakers flying to Spain of the danger of bogus holiday club scams which cost UK consumers more than £1billion every year.
The OFT Scambusters team, together with local authority Trading Standards Officers, will provide information to holidaymakers at airports across the UK in October. Research has shown that this is the peak time for consumers being targeted by bogus holiday clubs. Every year 400,000 UK consumers fall victim to these scams at resorts such as Tenerife, Costa del Sol and Gran Canaria.
The average amount lost per victim is over £3,000. Consumers are targeted whilst on holiday by 'scratchcard touts'. The card will always be a winner, but to collect their prize consumers need to attend a lengthy presentation and are persuaded into signing a contract for an 'exclusive' club on the basis of false claims as to the price, range and quality of holidays available.
After spending thousands of pounds, consumers often find they have bought little more than access to an internet booking service offering no more than they could get at any high street travel agent. To fight back against the scammers, the OFT will hand out thousands of fake holiday club scratchcards at Glasgow, Manchester, Luton and Bristol airports in October. The card, which asks 'have you won a luxury holiday?', is scratched off to reveal three 'winning' matching symbols whilst a second strip, revealing the prize, explains the consumer has in fact 'won a trip to a lengthy sales presentation and a chance to pay thousands of pounds for membership to a bogus holiday club'.
The awareness campaign, which is being carried out in association with Spanish authorities, will also involve advertising at Tenerife South airport as UK holidaymakers arrive in Spain.
If you are approached by a scratchcard tout or go along to a presentation ask three simple questions: Can you take away the contract to consider at your leisure? Is everything you were promised in the presentation in the contract? Do you know exactly what you are getting for your money? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then simply walk away.
Mike Haley, Head of Consumer Protection at the OFT, said:
'Every year holidaymakers are deceived by the false promises and sophisticated high-pressure selling of bogus holiday clubs and their marketers. For thousands of consumers these breaks become holidays from hell when they realise they have paid thousands of pounds for worthless contracts.'
María Luz Peñacoba, Director of the European Consumer Centre in Madrid, said:
'In Spain we will be handing out information and advice to holidaymakers arriving at resorts warning them of the dangers of these distressing and expensive scams. The authorities are continuing to enforce the law and looking to tighten restrictions on bogus holiday clubs.'
2 October 2007: Section 75 appeal in the House of Lords
Credit card issuers will today appear at the House of Lords to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment that section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 applies to overseas transactions.
The Court of Appeal judgment in March last year confirmed the OFT's view that credit card issuers are jointly liable with overseas suppliers if the consumer has a valid claim for misrepresentation or breach of contract by the supplier where the price of the purchase is above £100 but no more than £30,000.
Consumers are, therefore, currently able to make a claim against the credit card issuer as well as or instead of the overseas supplier.
The House of Lords judgment will clarify whether section 75 covers foreign transactions including where:
- a consumer uses a UK credit card to buy goods while abroad
- a consumer orders goods from a foreign supplier while abroad for delivery into the UK
- a consumer in the UK buys goods which are delivered to a UK address from overseas by telephone, mail order or over the internet
- there is face-to-face pre-contract dealings with a foreign supplier temporarily in the UK, or with a UK agent of a foreign supplier, but the contract is not completed in the UK.
The hearing is expected to last two days and a judgment will be handed down in due course.
9 August 2007: OFT takes action against 13 airlines over misleading holiday pricing
Following the OFT's warning to the holiday and travel industry in February, the OFT has successfully taken action against 13 airlines that did not include all fixed, non-optional costs, such as taxes, in prices on their websites.
As a result eleven airlines have already changed their advertisements and websites (both their homepages and booking processes) to include fixed, non-optional costs in their advertised prices and the OFT expects continued compliance from these airlines.
Two other airlines, Aer Lingus and Ryanair, have changed their homepages, but have said technical issues prevent them from changing their entire website booking processes immediately. However, the OFT is satisfied that these airlines will be making these changes shortly, and will continue to monitor the situation to ensure the agreed changes are made.
In the interim period, Ryanair has agreed to place a clear statement on its website to inform consumers how much the taxes and charges will add to the final price.
In a co-ordinated move, ABTA - The Travel Association has taken action against members that have failed to comply with the ABTA Code of Conduct in relation to the same type of misleading price indications. On 13 June, the ABTA Code of Conduct Committee handed out fines and reprimands to several ABTA members for failing to include fixed, non-optional costs in prices. The OFT strongly welcomes and supports ABTA's action.
7 June 2007: New timeshare / holiday club protection proposed for consumers
The European Commission has just proposed new rules which will give consumers across Europe tougher protection when they buy and resell timeshare holidays and when they buy into "discount holiday clubs".
Current rules date from 1994, before the existence of "discount" clubs, timeshares on boats and caravans and before re-sale of timeshares was an issue. Today's proposals extend the scope of the 1994 EU Timeshare Directive to cover these new products, as well as boosting protection overall. Customers have the right to information in their own language and to a 14 day cooling-off period, during which no money may change hands.
24 May 2007: Good news for consumers as EU vote to cap roaming charges
The European Parliament this week voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of a cap on mobile phone roaming charges. The new rules, proposed by the European Commission last July, will enter into effect this summer. This means the price of mobile phone calls abroad will drop by up to 70% across the EU. Until now, operators have been charging up to four times the price of national calls, which is not justified by the real costs to operators.
"Today is a good day for consumers and business travellers in the EU," said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding. "In a record time of only 10 months, a political agreement has been reached on the EU Roaming Regulation. From this summer, mobile phone customers will start benefiting from much lower roaming charges when travelling from one EU country to another. Europe's internal market will finally become truly borderless, even for mobile phone bills."
